Mauricio Pereira Braz de Oliveira (born 9 December 1989), known better as Mauricinho, is a Brazilian beach soccer player who plays as a forward. He won the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup representing Brazil and claimed the Silver Ball (second best player) award at the competition; he has also appeared at two other World Cups (2015, 2019). In addition, he was named the best player in the world at the 2017 Beach Soccer Stars awards.
![]() Mauricinho at the 2019 South American Beach Games. | |||
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Mauricio Pereira Braz de Oliveira | ||
Date of birth | (1989-12-09) 9 December 1989 (age 32) | ||
Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Number | 11 | ||
National team‡ | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2012– | Brazil | 106 | (132) |
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of January 2020 |
Mauricinho began playing beach soccer competitively in 2010;[1] he was spotted by Brazilian beach soccer legend, Júnior Negão, playing with friends on Copacabana Beach and was subsequently invited to play for Vasco da Gama.[2]
He was first called up to the Brazilian national team in 2012.[3] Mauricinho began to thrive under the leadership of coach Gilberto Costa, post-2015.[4] This rise peaked in 2017 when he was voted by fellow players and coaches as the best player in the world; this followed being declared the second best player of that year's World Cup in the Bahamas in which he scored a brace in Brazil's win in the final over Tahiti. He was also the top scorer in Beach Soccer Worldwide competitions that year, with 54 goals.[5]
He made his 100th appearance for Brazil in an 8–2 win against Oman at the 2019 World Cup.[6]
As well as continuing to play for Vasco da Gama and winning the Copa Libertadores with the club,[2] outside of Brazil, as is typical of top beach soccer players,[7] Mauricinho has played for numerous clubs in Europe.[2] In 2017, he joined top Portuguese side, Braga, and immediately won the Euro Winners Cup (EWC).[8] In 2018, he switched to Russian rivals Kristall.[1] Reaching the 2018 EWC final against his former Iberian club, he missed the crucial attempt in the penalty shootout, handing Braga the victory.[9] He redeemed himself in the 2020 edition when, in a repeat of the 2018 final, Mauricinho scored to help Kristall become European champions.[10]
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The following is a selection, not an exhaustive list, of the major international honours Mauricinho has achieved:
Country
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Club
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Individual
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Beach Soccer Stars: Best Player | |
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