Diego (footballer, born 1985) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Ribas and the second or paternal family name is da Cunha.

Quick facts for kids
Diego

Diego in 2019

Personal information

Full name

Diego Ribas da Cunha

Date of birth

28 February 1985 (age 40)

Place of birth

Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

Height

1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)

Position(s)

Midfielder

Youth career

1996–2001

Santos

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2002–2004

Santos

(24)

2004–2006

Porto

(4)

2006–2009

Werder Bremen

(38)

2009–2010

Juventus

(5)

2010–2014

VfL Wolfsburg

(19)

2011–2012

→ Atlético Madrid (loan)

(3)

2014

Atlético Madrid

(1)

2014–2016

Fenerbahçe

(5)

2016–2022

Flamengo

204

(37)

Total

627

(136)

International career

2001

Brazil U17

(0)

2004–2008

Brazil U23

(7)

2003–2017

Brazil

(4)

Medal record

Men's Football

Representing Brazil
Copa América
Winner	2004 Peru
Winner	2007 Venezuela
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Runner-up	2003 Mexico–United States
Olympic Games
Bronze	2008 Beijing	Team Competition

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Diego Ribas da Cunha (born 28 February 1985), known simply as Diego, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, often helping his team score goals.

Diego started his football journey at Santos in Brazil. There, he won two important titles before moving to Europe. He played for clubs like Porto in Portugal, Werder Bremen in Germany, and Juventus in Italy. He also had successful times at Atlético Madrid in Spain, winning the UEFA Europa League. From 2016 to 2022, he played for the Brazilian club Flamengo, where he won many titles, including the Copa Libertadores.

Diego also played for the Brazilian national team from 2003 to 2017. He played 34 games and scored four goals for his country. He helped Brazil win the Copa América twice, in 2004 and 2007. He also won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Diego's Club Career Highlights

Starting at Santos

Diego began showing his football skills at a very young age. He joined the famous Brazilian club Santos when he was just 12 years old. He quickly grew through their youth system. At 16, he made his first team debut in 2002. In the same year, he helped Santos win the Brazilian Championship. He was part of a well-known group of young players at Santos, including Robinho and Elano.

Moving to Porto

In July 2004, Diego moved to Europe to play for Primeira Liga club Porto in Portugal. He was seen as a possible replacement for a star player named Deco. Diego played his first game for Porto in August 2004. He scored his first goal for the club in October.

Porto won the Intercontinental Cup in a penalty shootout. Diego scored his penalty in that game. However, he found it hard to keep a regular spot in the team. After two seasons, he decided to leave Porto.

Success with Werder Bremen

Diego training with Werder Bremen in 2006

In May 2006, Diego signed with the German club Werder Bremen. He quickly became a key player for them. His first match for Bremen was in a cup competition, which they won. He started the 2006–07 Bundesliga season very well, scoring and setting up goals.

Diego was named the Player of the Month multiple times. He was even chosen as the Best Player of the first half of the Bundesliga season. He helped Bremen reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. In April 2007, he scored an amazing goal from 62.5 meters away, which was later named the "Goal of the Year" in Germany.

Diego in 2007

After the 2006–07 season, Diego won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award. This showed how important he was to his team.

More Great Seasons in Germany

Diego signing autographs in 2007

Diego continued his strong performances in the 2007–08 season. He helped Bremen get into the Champions League group stage. He even scored two penalties in a crucial match. His great play caught the attention of other big clubs. However, he signed a new contract with Bremen until 2011.

In the 2008–09 season, Diego had his most successful year in terms of goals, scoring 20 in total. He was a star in the UEFA Cup, scoring six goals in the knockout rounds. He helped Bremen reach their first-ever UEFA Cup final.

Diego celebrating the 2009 DFB-Pokal title alongside teammate Naldo

Unfortunately, Diego missed the UEFA Cup final due to a yellow card. Bremen lost the final without him. However, in his very last game for Bremen, he helped them win the German Cup by assisting the winning goal.

Time at Juventus

Diego playing for Juventus in 2009

In May 2009, Diego moved to Juventus, a famous club in Italy. He signed a five-year contract. He made his debut for Juventus in a friendly game, where he scored a goal. In his first Italian league game, he set up a goal. He then scored twice in his second league match.

However, Diego found it difficult to fit into Juventus's playing style. He also had some disagreements with the coach. Despite wanting to stay, Juventus decided to let him leave.

Joining VfL Wolfsburg

Diego in 2010

In August 2010, Diego moved back to Germany to play for VfL Wolfsburg. He scored in his first game for the club. However, he had some issues with the team's management. In one incident, he was fined for not following instructions during a game. Later, he left the team hotel before a crucial match because he wasn't starting. He was fined a large amount for this action.

Loan to Atlético Madrid

After a challenging season at Wolfsburg, Diego was told he was not part of the club's future plans. On the last day of the transfer window, he joined Atlético Madrid in Spain on a one-year loan. He quickly made an impact, scoring in his first UEFA Europa League game for Atlético. He became a key player, providing assists and helping the team.

In May 2012, Diego scored a goal in the Europa League Final, helping Atlético win the title. He described his time at Atlético as "magical." He wanted to stay, but a permanent move did not happen at that time.

Back to VfL Wolfsburg

Diego returned to Wolfsburg after his loan. His relationship with the coach was still difficult. Despite this, he decided to stay with the club. He started playing well again, scoring goals and helping his team win. He became the club's top scorer in the 2012–13 season.

Second Time at Atlético Madrid

On 31 January 2014, Diego returned to Atlético Madrid. He signed a contract for the rest of the 2013–14 season. He scored in his debut game back with the club. In April, he scored an amazing long-range goal against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Atlético reached the Champions League final that year, but Diego was an unused substitute as they lost. However, he helped the team win the La Liga championship, their first league title in 18 years.

Diego playing for Fenerbahçe in 2014

After this successful season, Diego left Atlético Madrid for the second time.

Playing for Fenerbahçe

In July 2014, Diego moved to Turkey to play for Fenerbahçe. He made his debut in the first game of the season. He became a regular player but suffered a muscle injury in November. After recovering, he scored in a Turkish Cup game. He continued to contribute with assists and goals for Fenerbahçe.

Joining Flamengo

Diego in 2019

After several attempts, the Brazilian club Flamengo finally signed Diego in July 2016. He had always wanted to play for a Brazilian club. Diego quickly became a very important midfielder for Flamengo. He scored the winning goal in his debut game in August 2016.

In the 2019 Copa Libertadores Final in November 2019, Diego came off the bench. He helped set up both goals for his teammate Gabriel Barbosa, leading Flamengo to a 2–1 victory. This was a huge win for the club.

Diego also captained Flamengo in the 2020 Recopa Sudamericana. Flamengo won this title, adding another trophy to their collection. In August 2020, Diego signed an extension to his contract with Flamengo.

Retirement from Football

Diego ended his amazing football career on 12 November 2022, at the age of 37.

Diego's International Career

Diego first played for the Brazilian national team in April 2003. He was part of the Brazil under-23 team that played in the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Even though it was an under-23 team, these games counted as senior international matches.

In 2004, Diego was called up for the 2004 Copa América. He played a key role in Brazil winning the tournament. He even scored in the penalty shootout in the final against Argentina.

He was also part of the Brazilian squad that won the 2007 Copa América again, defeating Argentina in the final.

Before the 2008 Summer Olympics, there was a disagreement between clubs and national teams about releasing players. Despite this, Diego played for Brazil at the Olympics and won a bronze medal.

In January 2017, Diego was called back to the Brazilian team for a friendly game. This was a special call-up for players who played in Brazilian clubs.

How Diego Played Football

Diego was a very creative playmaker in football. He was known for his excellent technique and his ability to dribble the ball past opponents. He had great vision, meaning he could see where his teammates were and make accurate passes. He usually played as an attacking midfielder, which is a player who helps create scoring chances. He could also play as a supporting forward or on the wing.

Besides setting up goals, Diego was also good at scoring them himself. He was very accurate when taking free kicks. He was also known for his clever tricks and ball-skills, like using back-heels and feints to trick defenders.

Diego's Personal Life

Diego has Italian family roots. His great-grandparents moved from Italy to Brazil. Because of this, Diego received his Italian passport in 2004.

Diego is married to Bruna Letícia Araújo. They have three children: two sons named Davi (born in 2011) and Matteo (born in 2013), and a daughter named Letícia (born in 2021).

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			State league		National cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Santos	2002	Série A	28	10	—		3	1	—		11	2	42	13
	2003		33	9	6	1	—		18	4	—		57	14
	2004		9	4	10	0	—		9	4	—		28	8
	Total		70	23	16	1	3	1	27	8	11	2	127	35
Porto	2004–05	Primeira Liga	30	3	—		1	0	6	1	2	0	39	4
	2005–06	Primeira Liga	18	1	—		2	1	4	1	—		24	3
	Total		48	4	—		3	1	10	2	2	0	63	7
Werder Bremen	2006–07	Bundesliga	33	13	—		3	0	14	2	—		50	15
	2007–08		30	13	—		3	1	10	4	—		43	18
	2008–09		21	12	—		5	2	13	7	—		39	21
	Total		84	38	—		11	3	37	13	—		132	54
Juventus	2009–10	Serie A	33	5	—		2	2	9	0	—		44	7
	2010–11	Serie A	0	0	—		0	0	3	0	—		3	0
	Total		33	5	—		2	2	12	0	—		47	7
VfL Wolfsburg	2010–11	Bundesliga	30	6	—		2	0	—		—		32	6
	2012–13		32	10	—		5	3	—		—		37	13
	2013–14		15	3	—		3	2	—		—		18	5
	Total		77	19	—		10	5	—		—		87	24
Atlético Madrid (loan)	2011–12	La Liga	30	3	—		1	0	12	3	—		43	6
Atlético Madrid	2013–14	La Liga	13	1	—		2	0	4	1	—		19	2
Fenerbahçe	2014–15	Süper Lig	25	3	—		5	2	—		—		30	5
	2015–16	Süper Lig	28	2	—		7	1	10	0	—		45	3
	Total		53	5	—		12	3	10	0	—		75	8
Flamengo	2016	Série A	17	6	—		0	0	1	0	—		18	6
	2017		27	10	8	4	6	1	11	3	1	0	53	18
	2018		26	6	9	2	2	0	7	0	—		44	8
	2019		16	1	12	3	4	0	9	1	2	0	43	5
	2020		26	1	13	1	0	0	6	0	2	0	47	2
	2021		19	0	7	1	6	0	9	0	1	0	42	1
	2022		19	1	5	1	5	0	6	0	1	0	36	2
	Total		150	25	54	12	23	1	49	4	7	0	283	42
Career total			555	123	70	13	67	16	161	31	20	2	873	185

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Brazil	2003	7	2
	2004	5	0
	2006	1	0
	2007	12	1
	2008	8	1
	2017	1	0
Total		34	4

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Diego goal.

List of international goals scored by Diego
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	15 July 2003	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Honduras	2–0	2–1	2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2	23 July 2003	Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, United States	United States	2–1	2–1	2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup
3	1 June 2007	Wembley Stadium, London, England	England	1–1	1–1	Friendly
4	31 May 2008	Qwest Field, Seattle, United States	Canada	1–0	3–2	Friendly