Santos Santos is one of the most traditional teams in Brazil and the world, known for revealing great talents throughout its history. Since it was founded in 1912, the Santos club has always been a school of stars, especially in midfield.
To appreciate these players, it’s time to take a look at the best midfielders in Santos’ history! These players not only shone on the pitch, but also contributed to the club’s rich history of achievements, both in national and international competitions.
It’s time to find out who the 20 best midfielders in Santos’ history are! You’ll find out about their titles, curiosities, years at the club and life stories. Check them out!
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The 20 best midfielders in Santos history: complete list
- Pelé
- Zito
- Mengálvio
- Pepe
- Giovanni
- Ailton Lira
- Pita
- Clodoaldo
- Edu
- Robinho
- Diego
- Ganso
- Neymar
- Elano
- Léo
- Arouca
- Toninho Cerezo
- Paulo Almeida
- Renato
- Coutinho
The 20 best midfielders in Santos history: find out more about them
1. Pelé
- Titles: 10 Paulista Championships, 6 Brazilian Championships, 2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Club World Cups, 3 World Cups (with the Brazilian national team).
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1956-1974).
- Trivia: Known as the “King of Football”, he is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.
- Life Story: Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé began his career with Santos at the age of 15 and quickly became a world icon.
2. Zito
- Titles: 9 Paulista Championships, 5 Brazilian Championships, 2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Club World Cups, 2 World Cups (with the Brazilian national team).
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1952-1967).
- Trivia: Captain of Santos and the Brazilian national team, known for his leadership and determination.
- Life Story: José Ely de Miranda, or Zito, started out at Santos as a midfielder and became one of the club’s greatest leaders.
3. Mengálvio
- Titles: 6 Paulista Championships, 5 Brazilian Championships, 2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Club World Cups, 1 World Cup (with the Brazilian national team).
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1960-1967).
- Fun facts: Known for his refined touch and vision.
- Life Story: Mengálvio Pedro Figueiró, started out in soccer in Rio Grande do Sul and shone in the Santos midfield.
4. Pepe
- Titles: 11 Paulista Championships, 6 Brazilian Championships, 2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Club World Cups, 2 World Cups (with the Brazilian national team).
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1954-1969).
- Trivia: Second top scorer in Santos history, known as the “Canhão da Vila”.
- Life Story: José Macia, known as Pepe, was known for his powerful and precise kicks.
5. Giovanni
- Titles: 1 Campeonato Paulista, 1 Campeonato Brasileiro.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1994-1996, 2005-2006).
- Fun facts: Known as “Messiah” by Santos fans.
- Life Story: Giovanni Silva de Oliveira was instrumental in Santos’ campaign in the 1995 Brasileiro.
6. Ailton Lira
- Titles: 1 Campeonato Paulista, 1 Torneio Rio-São Paulo.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1978-1981).
- Fun facts: Specialized in free-kicks.
- Life story: Known for his elegance on the pitch and precision passing.
7. Pita
- Titles: 3 Paulista Championships, 1 Brazilian Championship.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1978-1984).
- Fun facts: One of the great idols of the 80s.
- Life Story: Rui Rei da Silva, known as Pita, was known for his technical ability and tactical intelligence.
8. Clodoaldo
- Titles: 6 Paulista Championships, 5 Brazilian Championships, 1 World Cup (with the Brazilian national team).
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1966-1980).
- Fun facts: Known as “Corró”, he was famous for his tackling ability and precise passing.
- Life Story: Clodoaldo Tavares de Santana began his career at Santos and was part of the legendary 1970 team.
9. Edu
- Titles: 6 Paulista Championships, 5 Brazilian Championships, 1 World Cup (with the Brazilian national team).
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1966-1976).
- Fun facts: The youngest ever to win a World Cup, at the age of 16.
- Life Story: Jonas Eduardo Américo started at Santos at a very young age and was a standout for both club and country.
10. Robinho
- Titles: 2 Brazilian Championships, 2 Paulista Championships, 1 Copa do Brasil.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2002-2005, 2010, 2014-2015).
- Fun facts: Known for his dribbling and speed.
- Life Story: Robson de Souza, known as Robinho, started out at Santos and quickly gained international fame.
11. Diego
- Titles: 1 Brazilian Championship, 1 Copa do Brasil.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2002-2004).
- Fun facts: Part of the “Meninos da Vila”, alongside Robinho.
- Life Story: Diego Ribas da Cunha was one of Santos’ standout players in the early 2000s.
12. Ganso
- Titles: 1 Copa do Brasil, 1 Campeonato Paulista.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2008-2012).
- Fun facts: Known for his vision and precise passing.
- Life Story: Paulo Henrique Ganso was instrumental in winning the 2010 Copa do Brasil.
13. Neymar
- Titles: 1 Copa Libertadores, 1 Copa do Brasil, 3 Campeonatos Paulistas.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2009-2013).
- Fun facts: Considered one of the best players in the world.
- Life Story: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, started out at Santos and became a global icon.
14. Elano
- Titles: 1 Copa Libertadores, 1 Copa do Brasil, 2 Campeonatos Paulistas.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2001-2005, 2011-2012, 2015).
- Fun facts: Versatile, played in various midfield positions.
- Life story: Elano Blumer had a successful career in both Brazil and Europe.
15. Léo
- Titles: 1 Copa Libertadores, 1 Copa do Brasil, 2 Brazilian Championships, 3 Paulista Championships.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2000-2005, 2009-2014).
- Fun facts: Known for his determination and technique.
- Life Story: Leonardo Lourenço Bastos was one of Santos’ great full-backs, but also played as a midfielder.
16. Arouca
- Titles: 1 Copa Libertadores, 1 Copa do Brasil, 3 Campeonatos Paulistas.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2010-2015).
- Fun facts: Key to the 2011 Libertadores campaign.
- Life Story: Marcos Arouca da Silva, known for his consistency and resilience in midfield.
17. Toninho Cerezo
- Titles: 1 Campeonato Paulista.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1992-1993).
- Fun facts: Known for his vision and precise passing.
- Life Story: Antônio Carlos Cerezo had a brilliant career and is remembered for his outstanding career with Santos and the Brazilian national team.
18. Paulo Almeida
- Titles: 1 Brazilian Championship, 1 Copa do Brasil.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2001-2004).
- Fun facts: Captained Santos to the Brazilian Championship in 2002.
- Life Story: Paulo Almeida Santos, was a crucial player for the team at the turn of the century.
19. Renato
- Titles: 2 Brazilian Championships, 1 Copa do Brasil, 1 Copa Libertadores, 3 Paulista Championships.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (2000-2004, 2014-2018).
- Fun facts: Known for his leadership and technical ability.
- Life Story: Renato Dirnei Florêncio Santos, known only as Renato, had two brilliant spells with Santos.
20. Coutinho
- Titles: 6 Paulista Championships, 5 Brazilian Championships, 2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Club World Cups.
- Team: Santos Futebol Clube (1958-1967).
- Trivia: Known for his dribbling ability and accurate passing.
- Life Story: Antônio Wilson Honório, known as Coutinho, was one of Pelé’s great partners in the Santos attack, forming an unbeatable duo.
The 20 best midfielders in Santos history: complete list
- Pelé
- Zito
- Mengálvio
- Pepe
- Giovanni
- Ailton Lira
- Pita
- Clodoaldo
- Edu
- Robinho
- Diego
- Ganso
- Neymar
- Elano
- Léo
- Arouca
- Toninho Cerezo
- Paulo Almeida
- Renato
- Coutinho
The 20 best midfielders in Santos history
Now that you know the 20 best midfielders in Santos history, take the opportunity to continue browsing the site to find out much more about other players. Here, you can also check out various lists, news, special articles and lots of other content about the world of sport.
