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Only very few players manage to become first-team players at 15 in a first division—Claudio de Oliveira is one of them. Even if the attacking talent plays “only” in the Liga Guate, there is hope that he could become the centerpiece of a new generation of Guatemalan players who can compete with the Concacaf giants of Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica, or Canada. 

De Oliveira was born as the son of Luiz Claudio de Oliveira, a Brazilian who played for many years in Guatemala. After seeing out his career, he settled in Quetzatenango where his son was born. There, Claudio kicked off his career playing for his father in the newly founded Escuela Brasileña de Fútbol academy. From the U13 onwards, he played for the local first-division side CSD Xelajú MC. 

With his Brazilian flair, de Oliveira soon caught the attention of the Guatemalan Football Federation. Last May, the attacking talent was nominated for the UNCAF FIFA Forward U16 Tournament, which Guatemala won undefeated. In their first game against El Salvador (5-1), Oliveira scored a goal and an assist. On course to the title, Guatemala also beat Costa Rica (4-3) and then beat Honduras (4-3 on pens). 

Even more important for De Oliveira, his performances with the Guatemalan youth team convinced club coach Amarini Villatoro to promote him to the first team for the season’s preparation. “We watched him in a few games with the national team and invited him to join the first team for preseason, where he surprised us and the team,” Villatoro said. De Oliveira plays at a high level and is an outstanding character for his age. 

It was no surprise then that he was brought on for his debut against Deportivo Marquense (3-1) on matchday 1 of the Apertura, aged just 15, eight months, and two days. Then, the week after, against Deportivo Achuapa (0-0), he made his debut in the starting XI. And despite missing some time with an injury, De Oliveira returned to the starting XI immediately after being fully fit. 

Claudio de Oliveira: Brazilian blood and the heart of a goat

“Claudio has something special; he is a very important player,” Villatoro said. “You could tell he had a great upbringing because he had good principles. So far, he has done really well, and he needs to stay with both feet on the ground. We hope to keep him around for some time, but I also hope we will see him go abroad as he has the qualities for a move.” But it is common knowledge that if De Oliveira keeps up with his development, a move to a better league abroad is only a matter of time.

TM data scout ‘daniellejimen’ is excited about De Olivera’s start to his professional career. “He is a clever player with his feet; he knows how to make the transition to the attack and reads the game well,” ‘daniellejimen’ said about the left-winger, who can also play as a no.10. “He is two-footed. His weaknesses are his defensive transition game, and he sometimes doesn’t track back enough.” 

In relation to his club Xelajú—nicknamed the Superchivos or, in English, super goats—media in Guatemala have started to describe De Oliveira’s playing style the following way: Brazilian blood with the heart of a goat. And while his club is on the path to the championship—he assisted in the semifinal playoff game against Antigua GFC (1-1)—he still ensures that his education remains on track. He is also an excellent student at the Colegio John Harvard in Quetzaltenango.

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2007 and 2008. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.