Created by Curvelo, ex-Barcelona and European champion: meet the midfielder from the interior of Minas Gerais who plays for Chape

Midfielder Miguel Carvalho, 21, agreed to return to Brazil in August 2026 to reinforce Chapecoense after a long career abroad.

Nephew of former striker Euller, the athlete started his steps at the football school run by his mother in Curvelo, Minas Gerais, maintaining strong local ties.

Trained at Barcelona's academy since he was 8 years old, the player obtained Spanish citizenship by royal decree and played for clubs such as Espanyol B and Mérida.

Under-19 European champion for Spain, Miguel also played in Saudi Arabia, where he fulfilled his dream of facing Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo on the field.

Currently at Chapecoense, the young man defines himself as a modern, box-to-box midfielder, highlighting his ease in defensive transition and offensive creation.

Born in Curvelo, in the central region of Minas Gerais, midfielder Miguel Carvalho, 21, projects his future at Chapecoense after a unique career abroad. Born in 2005 in the "land of white gold" and naturalized Spanish, the player left his home country at the age of 8 to form at Barcelona's academy. After notable stints in Europe and Saudi Arabia, he agreed to return to Brazil in August 2026 to reinforce the club from Santa Catarina, seeking competitiveness and closeness to his family.

Despite his career built outside the country, Miguel makes a point of maintaining ties with his homeland.

— I was born in Curvelo and lived there until I was 8 years old, before going to Spain. I maintain many friends and family in the city. Whenever I have days off, I make a point of returning to Curvelo. It's a way of reconnecting with my beginnings, with my roots. I feel great pleasure in being there and visiting the football school at Arena Filho do Vento, which is coordinated by my mother — says the player.

It was precisely at Arena Filho do Vento that Miguel took his first kicks as a child. The DNA of football runs in the family: he is the nephew of former striker Euller, the "Son of the Wind", also from Curvelan, who had remarkable spells in América-MG, Atlético-MG, São Paulo, Palmeiras and Vasco, winning titles such as the Libertadores and the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Miguel's childhood memories in Minas Gerais are directly linked to the ball and local culture.

— When I think about my childhood in Curvelo, moments at my mother's football school always come to mind, where I spent most of my time. I was there from the first classes until the end, playing ball with my friends, even outside of training. And, of course, I remember Forró de Curvelo very well. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to experience the party after I moved to Spain, because my vacation never coincided with the time of the event — he recalls.

The traditional Forró de Curvelo is the city's main cultural landmark and reached its 44th edition in 2026.

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