The Santos Futebol Clube, founded in 1912, is one of the most iconic teams in world soccer. Known for being the birthplace of countless stars, the club has always had a line of exceptional strikers who have made history in the alvinegra shirt.
With a view to valuing these players and continuing to nurture their recognition, we’ve created a list of the 20 best strikers in Santos history! You’ll find out more about players like Pelé, Coutinho, Pepe, Neymar and many others.
Check out our selection of the 20 best strikers in Santos history!
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The 20 best strikers in Santos history: complete list
Check out the list of players selected for the ranking of the 20 best strikers in Santos history!
- Pelé
- Coutinho
- Pepe
- Neymar
- Robinho
- Diego
- Giovanni
- Serginho Chulapa
- Juary
- Toninho Guerreiro
- Álvaro
- Pagan
- Araken Patusca
- Spell
- Del Vecchio
- Edu
- Pita
- Diego Tardelli
- Kléber Pereira
- William José
The 20 best strikers in Santos history: find out more about the players
Now, find out more about the titles, teams, curiosities and life stories of the 20 best strikers in Santos history!
1. Pelé
- Titles:
- Three-time World Cup winner (1958, 1962, 1970)
- Two-time Copa Libertadores winners (1962, 1963)
- Two-time Club World Cup champions (1962, 1963)
- Brazilian Champion (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968)
- Team: Santos (1956-1974)
- Fun facts: Known as the “King of Football”, he scored over 1000 goals in his career.
- Life Story: Edson Arantes do Nascimento, born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, began his career with Santos at the age of 15 and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon.
2. Coutinho
- Titles:
- World Cup winner (1962)
- Two-time Copa Libertadores winners (1962, 1963)
- Two-time Club World Cup champions (1962, 1963)
- Brazilian Champion (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968)
- Team: Santos (1958-1970)
- Fun facts: Formed the legendary attacking duo with Pelé.
- Life Story: Antônio Wilson Vieira Honório, or Coutinho, is remembered for his intelligence and precision in attack.
3. Pepe
- Titles:
- Two-time World Cup winner (1958, 1962)
- Two-time Copa Libertadores winners (1962, 1963)
- Two-time Club World Cup champions (1962, 1963)
- Brazilian Champion (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968)
- Team: Santos (1954-1969)
- Fun facts: Known as “Canhão da Vila” for his powerful shot.
- Life Story: José Macia, or Pepe, is one of the greatest goalscorers in Santos history.
4. Neymar
- Titles:
- Copa Libertadores champion (2011)
- Copa do Brasil champion (2010)
- Paulista champion (2010, 2011, 2012)
- Team: Santos (2009-2013)
- Fun facts: He became a world icon of modern soccer.
- Life Story: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior started at Santos at the age of 11 and quickly stood out for his skill and creativity.
5. Robinho
- Titles:
- Brazilian Champion (2002, 2004)
- Paulista champion (2010)
- Team: Santos (2002-2005, 2010, 2014-2015)
- Fun facts: Known for his disconcerting dribbles.
- Life Story: Robson de Souza, or Robinho, was one of the most promising players in Brazilian soccer in the 2000s.
6. Diego
- Titles:
- Brazilian champion (2002)
- Team: Santos (2002-2004)
- Fun facts: He formed a striking partnership with Robinho.
- Life Story: Diego Ribas da Cunha stood out for his vision and organizational skills in midfield.
7. Giovanni
- Titles:
- Paulista champion (1998)
- Team: Santos (1994-1996, 2005-2006)
- Fun facts: Idolized by the fans, known as the “Messiah”.
- Life Story: Giovanni Silva de Oliveira had two spells at Santos, being one of the club’s most charismatic players.
8. Serginho Chulapa
- Titles:
- Paulista champion (1984)
- Team: Santos (1983-1984)
- Fun facts: Top scorer in the Campeonato Paulista.
- Life story: Sérgio Bernardino is known for his physical strength and accurate finishing.
9. Juary
- Titles:
- Brazilian champion (1978)
- Team: Santos (1976-1979, 1987-1988)
- Fun facts: Known for his charisma and skill.
- Life Story: Juary Jorge dos Santos Filho played an important role in winning the Brazilian title in 1978.
10. Toninho Guerreiro
- Titles:
- Brazilian champion (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968)
- Team: Santos (1963-1969)
- Fun facts: Top scorer for several seasons.
- Life story: Antônio Ferreira, known as Toninho Guerreiro, is remembered for his effectiveness and nose for goal.
11. Álvaro
- Titles:
- Brazilian champion (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968)
- Team: Santos (1960-1967)
- Fun facts: An important part of the attack in the 60s.
- Life Story: Álvaro José Rodrigues Valente was a crucial striker in Santos’ national and international successes.
12. Pagan
- Titles:
- Brazilian champion (1956, 1958)
- Team: Santos (1955-1963)
- Fun facts: Technical and skillful player.
- Life story: Paulo César Araújo Pagão was one of the most elegant strikers in Santos’ history.
13. Araken Patusca
- Titles:
- Paulista champion (1935)
- Team: Santos (1923-1932, 1935-1937)
- Fun facts: One of Santos’ first idols.
- Life Story: Araken Patusca was one of the pioneers of Brazilian soccer and helped consolidate Santos’ fame.
14. Spell
- Titles:
- Paulista Champion (1931)
- Team: Santos (1930-1932)
- Fun facts: Top scorer in the 1930s.
- Life Story: Luiz Macedo, known as Feitiço, was one of the great strikers of the amateur era of Brazilian soccer.
15. Del Vecchio
- Titles:
- Paulista champion (1955, 1956, 1958)
- Team: Santos (1955-1963)
- Fun facts: Versatile, he played as a midfielder and striker.
- Life story: Emanuele Del Vecchio was one of Santos’ most versatile and important players in the 1950s.
16. Edu
- Titles:
- Brazilian champion (1968)
- Team: Santos (1966-1976)
- Fun facts: Made his debut for the Brazilian national team at the age of 16.
- Life Story: Jonas Eduardo Américo, or Edu, was one of the great talents revealed by Santos.
17. Pita
- Titles:
- Paulista champion (1978)
- Team: Santos (1978-1984)
- Fun facts: A skillful midfielder, he also played as a striker.
- Life story: José Ricardo Pires, known as Pita, stood out for his skill and intelligence on the pitch.
18. Diego Tardelli
- Titles:
- Paulista champion (2006)
- Team: Santos (2005-2006)
- Fun facts: He has won important titles at various clubs.
- Life story: Diego Tardelli Martins had a remarkable spell at Santos before making a name for himself at other major Brazilian clubs.
19. Kléber Pereira
- Titles:
- Paulista champion (2009)
- Team: Santos (2007-2009)
- Fun facts: Top scorer in the Brazilian Championship in 2008.
- Life Story: Kléber João Boas Pereira stood out for his ability to score goals and lead the Santos attack.
20. William José
- Titles:
- Paulista Champion (2012)
- Team: Santos (2011-2012)
- Fun facts: Versatile and efficient in attack.
- Life story: William José da Silva had a successful spell with Santos before pursuing a career in Europe.
The 20 best strikers in Santos history: complete list
- Pelé
- Coutinho
- Pepe
- Neymar
- Robinho
- Diego
- Giovanni
- Serginho Chulapa
- Juary
- Toninho Guerreiro
- Álvaro
- Pagan
- Araken Patusca
- Spell
- Del Vecchio
- Edu
- Pita
- Diego Tardelli
- Kléber Pereira
- William José
Now that you know the 20 best strikers in Santos history, it’s time to continue browsing the site to find out more about the team, soccer and many other sports! Your comments are also very welcome here!
