Otávio (goalkeeper, born 2005)

Otávio (full name Otávio Eleodoro Rezende Costa, born 2005) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Cruzeiro and the Brazil national team. Born in Perdigão, in the central-west region of Minas Gerais, he rose from fourth-choice goalkeeper at his club in 2025 to Brazil's starting goalkeeper in September 2026.^{1 • 2}

Early life and youth career

Otávio was born in Perdigão, Minas Gerais, in 2005.¹ He joined Cruzeiro in 2016 at the age of 10 and became one of the leading players of the club's youth categories.⁴ He did not begin as a goalkeeper: he played as a defensive midfielder and converted to the position against the wishes of his father, who complained that he "only made sliding tackles".⁸ His mother's support was reported as decisive in his move into goalkeeping.⁹

In 2023 he was named on the professional squad's bench for the first time, for a Campeonato Mineiro match against Patrocinense, and in 2024 he was runner-up with Cruzeiro in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, Brazil's leading under-20 tournament.⁴ At the end of 2024, coach Fernando Diniz included him in the first-team plans for the 2025 season, in which he was listed behind Cássio and Léo Aragão in the goalkeeper order.⁴

International youth career

Otávio was a regular in Brazil's youth national teams and was the starting goalkeeper at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.⁷ In the group-stage match against Morocco on 1 October 2025, he registered the match high of five possession regains.¹⁰

Cruzeiro first team

Breakthrough in 2026. Otávio had been the fourth option among Cruzeiro's goalkeepers in 2025, and was promoted into the professional squad in 2026.² From May 2026 he took over as the starter after a serious injury to Cássio and a poor run of form from Matheus Cunha.⁸ His performances ended Cruzeiro's search for a replacement goalkeeper in the transfer market; in June 2026 he made nine saves in a draw against Boca Juniors, and his contract ran until 2029.⁷

On 18 August 2026, one day before a Copa Libertadores match against Flamengo, Cruzeiro announced a contract renewal.^{11 • 12} In the 2026 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A season he made 17 appearances, all starts, for 1,530 minutes, conceding 23 goals, a rate of 1.35 per 90 minutes.⁵

Brazil national team

On 9 September 2026, Carlo Ancelotti named Otávio in the first Brazil squad after the 2026 World Cup, for friendlies against Australia and India; it was his first call-up to the senior team.¹³ He arrived in Brisbane, Australia, on 23 September for his first senior national-team window.¹⁴

Debut. He started Brazil's 4–2 win over Australia, playing at 20 years, 9 months and 2 days old. That placed him third among the youngest goalkeepers to play for Brazil in this century, behind Fernando Henrique and Gabriel, who remains the youngest at 19 years, 10 months and 19 days from his 2012 debut.⁶ The same ranking underlines Cruzeiro's role in producing Brazil's goalkeepers: four of the five youngest senior debuts of the century involve the Belo Horizonte club, including Rafael Cabral and Gomes alongside Otávio and Gabriel.⁶ After the match Otávio described 2026 as a "magical year".¹⁵

References

1. Quem é e quantos anos tem Otávio, goleiro do Cruzeiro? Sporting News
2. Otávio teve ascensão meteórica e brecou busca do Cruzeiro no mercado, ge/Globo
3. Otávio Eleodoro Rezende Costa, Premium League player profile
4. Conheça Otávio, goleiro que o Cruzeiro abrirá as portas no profissional com Fernando Diniz, ge/Globo
5. Otávio Stats, FBref
6. Otávio y un debut para la historia, Diario AS
7. Otávio se firma e freia busca por substituto de Cássio, ge/Globo
8. Otávio jogava como volante e virou goleiro a 'contragosto' do pai, Rádio Itatiaia
9. Como influência da mãe foi decisiva na carreira de Otávio, ge/Globo
10. FIFA Training Centre, Brazil v Morocco U-20 World Cup post-match report, 1 October 2025
11. Cruzeiro oficializa renovação de Otávio, Central da Toca
12. Goleiro renova com o Cruzeiro antes da partida contra o Flamengo, O Dia
13. Quem é Otávio, goleiro convocado para a Seleção Brasileira, CNN Brasil
14. Otávio chega num bom momento com confiança para servir a Seleção, CBF
15. Otávio nega frustração por atuação e vibra com estreia: "Ano mágico", ge/Globo

Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026

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