Léo Ceará

Léo Ceará
Personal information
Full name Leonardo de Sousa Pereira
Date of birth (1995-02-03) 3 February 1995
Place of birth Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Kashima Antlers
Number 9
Youth career
2009–2010 São Francisco-BA
2011–2015 Vitória
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2021 Vitória 64 (23)
2016 → FC Ryukyu (loan) 23 (2)
2017 → Campinense (loan) 6 (3)
2017–2018 → Confiança (loan) 38 (14)
2019 → CRB (loan) 32 (14)
2021–2022 Yokohama F. Marinos 58 (21)
2023–2024 Cerezo Osaka 71 (32)
2025– Kashima Antlers 56 (33)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11 August 2026

Leonardo de Sousa Pereira (born 3 February 1995), commonly known as Léo Ceará, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for J1 League club Kashima Antlers.

Club career

Born in Fortaleza, Ceará, Léo Ceará joined Vitória's youth setup in 2011, from São Francisco-BA.[1] He made his first team debut on 23 January 2014, coming on as a late substitute for Alan Pinheiro in a 3–1 away win against Confiança, for the year's Copa do Nordeste.[2]

On 12 January 2016, after being rarely used, Léo Ceará was loaned to J3 League club FC Ryukyu for the season.[3] Upon returning, he joined Campinense also in a temporary deal in February 2017,[4] but moved to Confiança in May to play in the Série C.[5]

Léo Ceará's loan with Confiança was renewed for a further year on 27 December 2017,[6] and he subsequently scored 16 goals in all competitions for the club before being recalled by Vitória in August 2018.[7]

Léo Ceará made his Série A debut on 23 August 2018, starting in a 0–1 away loss against Flamengo.[8] He scored his first goal in the category three days later, netting the winner in a 1–0 home success over Atlético Mineiro,[9] and subsequently renewed his contract until 2020 on the 28th.[10]

On 15 May 2019, after the arrival of Neto Baiano, Léo Ceará was loaned to fellow Série B side CRB until December.[11] He returned to Vitória in January 2020 after scoring 14 league goals for CRB, being the club's top goalscorer and the third-best overall, but was demoted to the under-23 squad after failing to agree new terms over a new contract.[12]

Léo Ceará was only included back at Vitória's main squad in August 2020.[13]

Yokohama F. Marinos announced on 23 January 2021 that Léo Ceará will be joining the club on a full transfer pending a medical to be performed upon arrival Japan (delayed for an indefinite period due to coronavirus immigration restrictions).[14] He was included in the Vitória squad for the last time on 26 January 2021.[15] Ceará left the club in 2022 after two years at Yokohama F. Marinos.

On 27 December 2022, Ceará officially transferred to Cerezo Osaka for the upcoming 2023 season.[16]

After two seasons at Cerezo, on 6 January 2025 it was announced that Ceará would be transferring to fellow J1 League club Kashima Antlers for the 2025 season.[17]

Career statistics

As of match played 14 June 2025[18]
Club Season League State league[a] National cup[b] League cup[c] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Vitória 2014 Série A 00—00——1[d]010
2015 Série B 400000——0040
2018 Série A 175—————175
2019 Série B 109210——7[d]1183
2020 33160042——5[d]24220
Total 55219252——1338228
FC Ryukyu (loan) 2016[19] J3 League 232—————232
Campinense (loan) 2017 Série D 0063———3[d]194
Confiança (loan) 2017 Série C 101—————101
2018 17911400——6[d]33416
Total 501217700——947623
CRB (loan) 2019 Série B 3214—————3214
Yokohama F. Marinos 2021 J1 League 2710—1142——3213
2022 3111—21224[e]2—3916
Total 9035—326442—10343
Cerezo Osaka 2023 J1 League 3312—3250——4114
2024 3821—1030——4221
Total 7133—4280——8335
Kashima Antlers 2025 J1 League 3421—0010——3521
2026 J1 100 Year Vision League 2010—0000——2010
2026–27 J1 League 12—000000—12
Total 5533—0010——5633
Career total 32113526912615442227400162

Honours

Club

Yokohama F. Marinos

Kashima Antlers

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Léo Ceará conta detalhes da carreira e fala sobre possível renovação de contrato com o Vitória" [Léo Ceará tells details of career and talks about possible contract renewal with Vitória] (in Brazilian Portuguese). PNotícias. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  2. ↑ "Com o time B, Rubro-Negro vence o Confiança por 3 a 1" [With a B-team, Rubro-Negro defeat Confiança by 3–1] (in Brazilian Portuguese). A Tarde. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "Vitória empresta Léo Ceará para clube do Japão" [Vitória loan Léo Ceará to Japanese club] (in Brazilian Portuguese). BNews. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Campinense apresenta atacante Léo Ceará para a sequência da temporada" [Campinense present forward Léo Ceará for the remainder of the season] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "Atacante revelado pelo Vitória vai defender o Confiança-SE na Série C" [Forward graduated at Vitória will play for Confiança-SE in the Série C] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Bahia no Ar. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. ↑ "Mais um que fica: Confiança confirma permanência do atacante Léo Ceará" [Another one who stays: Confiança confirm permanence of forward Léo Ceará] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 27 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "De volta ao Vitória, Léo Ceará escolhe a camisa 18" [Back to Vitória, Léo Ceará chooses the number 18 shirt] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Bahia Notícias. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "Diego marca, Flamengo vence o Vitória no Maracanã e cola nos líderes do Brasileirão" [Diego scores, Flamengo defeat Vitória at the Maracanã and get closer to the leaders of the Brasileirão] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Vitória e Galo protagonizam show de erros, mas baianos se safam e vencem com gol chorado" [Vitória and Galo star a show of errors, but baianos get the best out of it and win with a hard-won goal] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  10. ↑ "Léo Ceará renova contrato com o Vitória: "Pude dar a volta por cima"" [Léo Ceará renews contract with Vitória: "I could make the comeback"] (in Brazilian Portuguese). A Tarde. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Atacante Léo Ceará é emprestado pelo Vitória ao CRB" [Forward Léo Ceará is loaned by Vitória to CRB] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Lance!. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  12. ↑ "Afastado e visto como ativo, Léo Ceará já brilhou, mas tem números melhores fora do Vitória" [Separated and seen as an asset, Léo Ceará already shone, but has better numbers away from Vitória] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  13. ↑ "Sem contrato renovado, Léo Ceará é reintegrado e fica à disposição do Vitória para Série B" [Without a renewed contract Léo Ceará is brought back and is available to Vitória for the Série B] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  14. ↑ "Léo Ceará full transfer announcement | News". Yokohama F. Marinos Official Site (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "EC Vitoria lineup vs Botafogo-SP 2021/01/26". Twitter.
  16. ↑ "レオ セアラ選手 完全移籍加入について". Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "レオ セアラ選手 完全移籍加入のお知らせ | 鹿島アントラーズ オフィシャルサイト". 鹿島アントラーズ オフィシャルサイト | KASHIMA ANTLERS (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  18. ↑ Léo Ceará at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  19. ↑ J.League Data Site
  20. ↑ "J1横浜M 3年ぶりリーグ制覇 最終節で決める". Kanagawa Shimbun. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  21. ↑ "明治安田J1リーグの順位表". J. League (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  22. ↑ "2・3月度「2025 明治安田Jリーグ KONAMI 月間MVP」を発表！「月間ベストゴール」「月間優秀監督賞」「月間ヤングプレーヤー賞」「月間ベストセーブ賞」の各賞も決定！" [The "2025 Meiji Yasuda J.League KONAMI Monthly MVP" for February and March has been announced! The awards for "Best Goal of the Month", "Excellent Manager of the Month", "Young Player of the Month", and "Best Save of the Month" have also been decided!]. JLeague.jp (in Japanese). Japan Professional Football League. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  23. ↑ "PLAYER STATS". J. League (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  24. ↑ "2025年Jリーグベストイレブンが発表!! 王者・鹿島から最多3人、初受賞は10人". Gekisaka (in Japanese). 11 December 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  25. ↑ "All Positions | Goals | All clubs | MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE | 2026 Player Stats". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Instagram".
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