Maurício Profile, Stats and Career
Brazilian-born Palmeiras midfielder who chose Paraguay through his grandmother's nationality — a technically refined Série A star heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
By
Saim Junior
Published June 2026Maurício is a 24-year-old attacking midfielder playing for Palmeiras in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Brazilian-born but of Paraguayan descent through his paternal grandmother, he acquired Paraguayan citizenship and made his senior Paraguay debut in 2026 ahead of the World Cup. He is one of three Palmeiras players in Paraguay's 2026 World Cup squad alongside Gustavo Gómez and Ramón Sosa. This profile covers his age, career history, club stats, and his unique path to international selection.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Maurício developed through Desportivo Brasil and Cruzeiro before Internacional signed him — competing in the Brasileirão across five seasons. Palmeiras acquired him in July 2024. He previously represented Brazil at under-20 and under-23 levels before switching eligibility to Paraguay. In the 2026 Série A season he has recorded 1 goal, 1 assist, and 943 minutes with a 6.9 FotMob average rating.
Quick Answer
Maurício Magalhães Prado, known simply as Maurício, is a professional attacking midfielder born on 22 June 2001 in São Paulo, Brazil, of Paraguayan descent. He plays for Palmeiras in the Brazilian Série A and made his senior Paraguay debut in 2026. He was selected for Paraguay's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad and has 2 senior caps. His contract at Palmeiras runs through December 2028.
Early Life and Background
Maurício was born on 22 June 2001 in São Paulo, Brazil, the son of a Brazilian mother and a father of Paraguayan descent. His connection to Paraguay runs through his paternal grandmother, who is Paraguayan — a link that became the eligibility pathway for his international switch.
He developed through Desportivo Brasil's youth system before a loan to Cruzeiro in 2018–19 — one of Brazil's biggest clubs at the time, competing in the Série A — gave him early exposure to top-flight Brazilian standards. Cruzeiro subsequently signed him permanently.
From Cruzeiro to Internacional and Palmeiras
After his time at Cruzeiro, he joined Sport Club Internacional — one of Brazil's most decorated clubs — where he spent five seasons in the Série A. On 22 October 2023, he completed 150 games with the Internacional shirt in a historic 7–1 victory over Santos, a milestone that confirmed his status as one of the club's important midfield contributors.
Palmeiras signed him in July 2024 on a contract through December 2028, placing him at one of Brazil's richest and most successful clubs. In 2025–26, he has made 11 starts and 4 substitute appearances in the Série A, recording 1 goal and 1 assist — a consistent if not spectacular contribution to Palmeiras' midfield rotation.
Maurício Personal Info and Profile
| Full name | Maurício Magalhães Prado |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 June 2001 |
| Age | 24 |
| Place of birth | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Nationality | Paraguay (Brazilian-born) |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in / 1.75 m |
| Weight | ~150 lbs / 68 kg |
| Position | Attacking Midfielder |
| Preferred foot | Left |
| Current club | Palmeiras |
| Jersey number | 18 |
At 24, Maurício brings Brazilian football's technical standards and Série A experience to Paraguay's 2026 World Cup squad. His dual background — developed and educated in Brazil's competitive football system while carrying Paraguayan heritage — is reflected in his technical comfort on the ball and his ability to operate in compact domestic football environments.
Transfer News and Market Value
Maurício is contracted to Palmeiras through December 2028. His market value is estimated at approximately €8–10 million, reflecting his age, technical quality, and performance in Brazil's top division.
No significant transfer interest has been publicly reported. Palmeiras view him as a long-term attacking midfield asset, and his contract through 2028 provides the club with security.
His eligibility switch from Brazil to Paraguay creates an interesting dynamic — he previously represented Brazil at under-20 (2020) and under-23 (2023–24) level, but Paraguay's eligibility claim through his grandmother was successfully pursued ahead of the World Cup.
Post-World Cup, his profile will be elevated regardless of Paraguay's results. A Brazilian-educated midfielder competing at a FIFA World Cup for his heritage country creates commercial and transfer market attention.
Salary and Net Worth
Maurício's salary at Palmeiras is estimated between $80,000 and $120,000 per month, consistent with a developing attacking midfielder at one of Brazil's highest-paying clubs.
At Internacional across five seasons, his salary grew as his appearances increased — estimated at $20,000–50,000 per month at peak during his International years.
His Copa do Brasil 2018 winner's medal with Cruzeiro — earned as a young player during a loan spell — was an early indicator of the high-level environments he was capable of contributing to.
Paraguay World Cup distribution supplements his Palmeiras salary. As a first-time senior international at the tournament, the experience is both professionally and financially significant.
Previously representing Brazil at youth level, he will have accumulated international allowances across youth tournaments.
Total career earnings to date are estimated at approximately $4–7 million USD across his Brazilian Série A career.
Estimated net worth is approximately $2–4 million USD. His career is in a financially ascending phase given his Palmeiras contract and World Cup selection.
Maurício Club Career
Maurício made his professional debut at Cruzeiro in 2019 on loan from Desportivo Brasil. His development through Cruzeiro and then Internacional — spanning over 200 combined appearances across Brazil's top-flight competition — gave him one of the most thorough professional educations of any player in Paraguay's 2026 World Cup squad.
His 150th Internacional appearance in October 2023 — in a 7–1 victory over Santos — reflected both his regularity and the high competitive standard of his Brazilian career. Those five seasons at Internacional were the foundation of the technical midfielder that Palmeiras subsequently acquired.
At Palmeiras in 2024–26, he has been part of one of Brazil's most demanding squads — sharing a midfield with highly experienced players including Gustavo Gómez — and has contributed consistently if not explosively to Palmeiras' campaigns in the Série A, Copa Libertadores, and Campeonato Paulista.
His Paraguay debut in early 2026 came after the eligibility process was completed, and he made 2 appearances before the World Cup squad announcement — enough to confirm his readiness for senior international football.
Club Career Stats
| Period | Club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | Cruzeiro | 30+ | 3 |
| 2020–2024 | Internacional | 150+ | 10 |
| 2024–present | Palmeiras | 30+ | 2 |
2026 Série A season (Palmeiras)
| Starts | Sub apps | Goals | Assists | Avg rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6.9 |
International Career
Maurício made his senior Paraguay debut in 2026 after completing the eligibility process through his paternal grandmother's Paraguayan nationality. He had previously represented Brazil at under-20 level (2020) and under-23 level (2023–24) — including a Copa do Brasil 2018 winner's medal during the Cruzeiro loan.
His switch to Paraguay completed a unique career trajectory — a Brazilian-born player who developed entirely in Brazil's football system, represented Brazil at youth level, and ultimately chose to represent his heritage country at senior level for the World Cup.
At 24, his role in Paraguay's 2026 World Cup squad is as a technical attacking midfield option — a player whose Série A experience at two major Brazilian clubs gives him the composure and technical quality to contribute in matches of the highest competitive pressure.
| National team | Caps | Goals | Tournament involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paraguay | 2 | 0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup squad |
| Brazil U20 | Caps | 0 | 2020 (before eligibility switch) |
| Brazil U23 | Caps | 0 | 2023–24 (before eligibility switch) |
Honours and Trophies
| Trophy | Times Won | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Copa do Brasil | 1 | 2018 (Cruzeiro) |
| Campeonato Paulista | 1 | 2026 (Palmeiras) |
Playing Style and Key Strengths
Maurício is a technical left-footed attacking midfielder who combines comfortable ball control with intelligent movement between defensive and offensive lines. His Série A career has developed his ability to operate in tight spaces, receive under pressure, and create or finish attacking situations in Brazil's physically demanding domestic competition.
His strongest attributes are his technical quality on the ball, his left-footed distribution, and his ability to read attacking situations from a central position. He is not the most physically dominant midfielder, but his technical reliability gives Paraguay a ball-playing option in midfield that supplements the more physically intensive profiles of Cubas and Ojeda.
A Brazilian education, a Paraguayan jersey
Maurício's story is unusual in South American football — a player developed entirely within Brazil's intensive football system who carries Paraguayan heritage and has chosen to represent that heritage at the 2026 World Cup. His Série A education at Internacional and Palmeiras provides Paraguay with a technically refined midfield option whose background brings different qualities from the domestic-based and MLS-based midfielders in the squad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Maurício's journey from São Paulo to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Paraguay is one of the most unusual eligibility stories in this year's tournament — a player entirely shaped by Brazil's footballing system, representing Paraguay through a grandmother's connection.
His Série A career at Internacional and Palmeiras has produced a technically refined midfielder with Palmeiras quality and Copa Libertadores experience. At 24, the World Cup is both the highest stage of his international career so far and the beginning of what could become a sustained relationship with the Paraguay national team.
