Leonardo Pinheiro da Conceição

Athletico Paranaense's number three arrived from Vasco da Gama this year on a contract running to the end of 2028, but the story of how he got there starts in Rio de Janeiro, where he came up through the Fluminense academy. He made his professional debut for the club in September 2015, against Sport Recife, before loan spells at Londrina and Bahia gave him first-team minutes away from the capital.

São Paulo signed him in December 2018, and it was there that Léo Pelé built the bulk of his career, making 123 appearances for the club over four seasons. He moved to Vasco da Gama at the end of 2022 in a deal worth 16 million reais, going on to make 84 appearances and score twice before this year's switch to Paranaense.

He plays across the back line, comfortable at both centre-back and left-back, which has made him a versatile option wherever he has lined up. His only representative honours came at youth level, with a call-up to Brazil's under-23 side for the South American pre-Olympic tournament in 2019, following earlier preparation with the under-17s.