Cauê Caruso Alves

Cauê Caruso Alves finished the 2025/26 season as Lokomotiv Sofia's top scorer in the Bulgarian First Professional League, with eight goals. He had joined on a free transfer on 30 July 2025, on a contract that runs to 30 June 2027.

The route to Sofia went through several levels of football in two countries. He came through the youth system at São Paulo, then moved to Portugal, joining the under-23 side at Estoril Praia on 31 January 2023. He played 14 matches for that team and scored four goals. He was also registered with the club's main squad in the Liga Portugal.

Back in Brazil in 2024, he dropped into the Campeonato Paulista Série A4 with Penapolense and scored there, Jabaquara among the opponents. In May of that year he signed for Pouso Alegre on a free transfer. This was his most productive spell before Bulgaria: in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série D he made 16 appearances, scored seven goals and set up one.

Linense signed him in December 2024 for the 2025 Campeonato Paulista Série A2. The following July he made the move to Bulgaria, again without a transfer fee being involved.

His step up from the Brazilian lower divisions to leading the scoring at Lokomotiv came within a year of leaving Linense.