Gustavo Santana

Born in Santos, he came up through the youth ranks there before moving on to EC São Bernardo and then Cuiabá EC, where senior appearances came mainly through the Copa FMF. In February 2025, Cuiabá sent him to São Paulo on loan, and it was with the club's under-20 side that he made his name, winning the Copa do Brasil Sub-20 and helping the team reach the final of the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, scoring four goals along the way before a 2-1 defeat to Cruzeiro settled the tie.

In October 2025, the club exercised its purchase option, paying Cuiabá 700,000 reais for 80% of his economic rights, with Cuiabá retaining the remainder, and tying him to a contract running to October 2028. The deal followed reports of a possible penalty clause tied to how the loan had been used, though the two clubs settled on the lower fee.

He made his professional Série A debut for the club in August 2026. A right-footed forward who operates through the middle, he has yet to add a senior title to his name, and has not been called into any Brazil national team setup.