Greatest scorer in the history of Botafogo in the Libertadores, including being the top scorer in the 2024 edition of the tournament, Júnior Santos occupies 7th place in the OneFootball 2024 Ball.
The award, made by Brazilian journalists from OneFootballlists the players who had the best performance throughout the season in Brazil, considering all competitions played in 2024.
We will reveal one more name every day, until December 21st, when the winner of the OneFootball 2024 Ball.
📸 PABLO PORCIUNCULA – AFP or licensors
🏅Ballon D’OneFootball 2024: Yuri Alberto, from Corinthians, is in 8th place
🏅Ballon D’OneFootball 2024: Rodrigo Garro, from Corinthians, is in 9th place
🏅 Ballon D’OneFootball 2024: Marlon Freitas, from Botafogo, takes 10th place
️⚽️ The top scorer
One of the few survivors of the trauma, Júnior Santos was another one who “turned things around” at Botafogo in 2024.
The 30-year-old striker was the top scorer in the Libertadores with 10 goals, many of which were decisive in the stages before the group stage, when he kept Glorioso alive in difficult moments of the season.
With eight goals in just the first four games of Libertadores 2024, Júnior Santos found the net 20 times this season, having also scored in Cariocão (five goals), Brasileirão (four goals) and Copa do Brasil (one goal).
In total, the black and white striker was on the field for 3,212 minutes in 2024, with another four assists.
“Being the top scorer in the history of Botafogo in the Libertadores is a dream for me. I fought hard, I dreamed a lot about a moment like this and I’m very happy. I’m going to keep working to increase these goals even more”, still in March.
📸 LUIS ROBAYO – AFP or licensors
💪 Overcoming and coronation
The second semester was complicated for Júnior Santos, who fractured his left tibia in July and needed to undergo a surgical procedure.
“Jacaré” started to return to the field at the end of September, always leaving the bench, but becoming more consistent in November.
After so much suffering, the reward came when he scored Botafogo’s last goal in Libertadores 2024, when they closed the score 3 x 1 in the final against Atlético-MG.
In addition to the private drama, Júnior Santos crowned his return to Glorioso, after a spell of just four months in 2022. The striker has a contract until the end of 2027.
📸 ALEXANDRE LOUREIRO – AFP or licensors