Ricardo Goulart facts for kids

Ricardo Goulart Pereira, known as Ricardo Goulart, is a Brazilian former footballer. He was born on June 5, 1991. He played as an attacking midfielder, which means he helped both defend and attack, often scoring goals.

Goulart began his football journey with Santo André in 2009. He stayed there until 2011, with a short time playing for Internacional on loan. In 2012, he played for Goiás in Brazil's second division. The next year, he joined Cruzeiro.

At Cruzeiro, Goulart became a key player. Over two years, he played 99 games and scored 34 goals. He helped the club win the 2014 Brazilian League. He also won personal awards, like the 2014 Bola de Ouro, which is a big honor for a player in Brazil. In 2015, he moved to China to play for Guangzhou Evergrande. In his first year there, he won the Chinese Super League and the AFC Champions League, which is a major Asian club competition.

Goulart played his first international game for the Brazil national football team against Colombia in 2014. He retired from football in April 2023.

Playing for Clubs

Starting at Santo André

Ricardo Goulart was born in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil. He joined Santo André's youth team in 2006. Before that, he tried out for other big clubs like São Paulo but didn't make it. In 2009, he was the top scorer for the under-20 team in a youth tournament. This success helped him join the main team.

He played his first game for Santo André on February 25, 2009. He came into the game as a substitute and scored a goal, helping his team win 2–1. He scored four goals in 12 games in that competition.

Goulart played his first game in Brazil's top league, Série A, on May 24, 2009. He scored his first goal in this league on July 25. His team, Santo André, was later moved down to a lower league that year.

Loan to Internacional

On May 19, 2010, Goulart was loaned to Internacional for one year. He first played for their B-team.

After winning a cup with the B-team, Goulart joined Internacional's main squad in 2011. He started the season as a regular player. However, when a new coach arrived, he played less. His loan ended in December 2011, and he returned to Santo André. Santo André then decided to let him go.

Time at Goiás

On December 28, 2011, Goulart signed a contract with Goiás, a team in Brazil's second division. He played his first game for Goiás on January 22, 2012, and scored his first goal three days later.

Goulart quickly became an important player for Goiás. He helped them win the 2012 state championship and the 2012 Série B title. This meant the club moved back up to the top league. He scored 25 goals and made 14 assists that year, which is a great achievement!

Success with Cruzeiro

On January 5, 2013, Goulart joined Cruzeiro, a top-tier club. He played his first game for them on February 3 and scored his first goal on March 24.

In his first season with Cruzeiro in 2013, Goulart was one of the team's top scorers with 10 goals. Cruzeiro won the league title that year. In August 2014, after winning another state championship, a French club wanted to buy him, but Cruzeiro said no.

In the 2014 Copa Libertadores, a big South American club competition, Goulart was again a top scorer for Cruzeiro. He scored four goals, including three goals in one game against a team from Chile. In the 2014 league season, he scored 15 goals, helping Cruzeiro win their second league title in a row. He was also named in the best team of the season and won important individual awards like the Bola de Ouro.

Moving to Guangzhou Evergrande

First Seasons in China

In January 2015, Ricardo Goulart moved to China. He signed with Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande for a large amount of money. He signed a four-year contract and wore the number 11 jersey. This was the highest amount a Chinese club had ever paid for a player at that time.

Goulart played his first game for Guangzhou on February 14, 2015. He scored his first goal for the club on February 25 in an AFC Champions League match. He then scored three goals in one game against another team in the same competition on March 4. His coach praised him, saying he was a great player who helped the team a lot.

Goulart continued to score many goals. He scored two goals against a Japanese club on March 18, 2015. In the league, he scored 19 goals, helping Guangzhou win their fifth league title in a row.

On February 22, 2016, Goulart signed a new contract with Guangzhou Evergrande until January 2020. He scored 19 league goals again that year, and the club won their sixth league title in a row. In 2017, he scored his career-best of 20 goals, and Guangzhou won yet another title.

Loan to Palmeiras and Return

On January 15, 2019, Goulart went back to Brazil to play for Palmeiras on a one-year loan. However, he had some injuries and only played 12 games. On May 23, his loan ended early, and he returned to Guangzhou.

Goulart continued to struggle with knee injuries for the rest of 2019 and did not play any games for Guangzhou.

Loan to Hebei China Fortune

On July 19, 2020, Goulart joined Hebei China Fortune on loan for the rest of the year. He played 18 games for them.

2021 Season and Departure

Goulart returned to Guangzhou for the 2021 season but played very little. He ended his contract with the club in November 2021. Reports said that the club was having money problems and could not pay his salary.

Playing for Santos

On January 11, 2022, Goulart, who was now a free agent (meaning he wasn't tied to any club), joined Santos in Brazil. He signed a two-year contract. He played his first game for Santos on February 2, 2022.

Goulart scored his first goal for Santos on February 13, 2022, helping them win 2–1. However, he found it hard to become a regular starter. He ended his contract with Santos on July 12, 2022.

Time at Bahia

On August 2, 2022, Goulart joined Bahia, another Brazilian club. He played for them until April 2023.

Retirement from Football

On April 24, 2023, Ricardo Goulart announced that he was retiring from professional football. He was 31 years old.

International Career

On August 19, 2014, Ricardo Goulart was called up to play for the Brazil national team. This was for two friendly matches. He made his first full international appearance on September 9, 2014, in a 1–0 win against Ecuador.

Later, Goulart became a Chinese citizen. He was one of a few footballers without Chinese family who became Chinese citizens to play for their national team. However, it became unclear if he could play for the Chinese national team because he had left China for a period, which affected the rules for playing for a new country.

How He Played

Ricardo Goulart was a very skilled and strong attacking midfielder. He could also play as a forward or a winger. He was known for his powerful shots and his ability to run into the penalty area to score goals.

Personal Life

In 2009, Goulart married Diane. His brother, Juninho, is also a footballer who played for the MLS club LA Galaxy.

Goulart became a Chinese citizen on July 17, 2019. After leaving Guangzhou in November 2021, some reports said he gave up his Chinese citizenship when he returned to Brazil. However, for the 2022 season, he was still listed as a foreign player, meaning he had not yet completed the paperwork to get his Brazilian citizenship back.

Honors and Awards

Club Achievements

Internacional

• Copa FGF: 2010

Cruzeiro

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2013, 2014

Guangzhou Evergrande

• AFC Champions League: 2015
• Chinese Super League: 2015, 2016, 2017
• Chinese FA Cup: 2016
• Chinese FA Super Cup: 2016, 2017, 2018

Bahia

• Campeonato Baiano: 2023

Individual Awards

• Bola de Ouro: 2014
• Bola de Prata: 2014
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2014
• Troféu Mesa Redonda Best Player: 2014
• Chinese Football Association Footballer of the Year: 2015, 2016
• Chinese Super League Team of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2017
• AFC Champions League Top Scorer: 2015
• AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player: 2015
• AFC Foreign Player of the Year: 2015
• Chinese FA Super Cup Most Valuable player: 2016
• Chinese Super League Golden Boot winner: 2016

See also

In Spanish: Ricardo Goulart para niños