Marcos Leonardo

Marcos Leonardo Santos Almeida (born 2 May 2003), known as Marcos Leonardo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Primeira Liga club Benfica.

Santos
Born in Itapetinga, Bahia, Marcos Leonardo moved to Taubaté, São Paulo in May 2014, and joined Santos' youth setup in August, after a trial. On 23 October 2019, he signed his first professional contract with the club, agreeing to a three-year deal.

On 21 July 2020, Marcos Leonardo was one of the five youth graduates registered for the year's Campeonato Paulista. He made his professional – and Série A – debut on 20 August, coming on as a second-half substitute for Yeferson Soteldo in a 1–0 away win against Sport Recife.

On 15 September 2020, Marcos Leonardo made his Copa Libertadores debut by replacing Raniel in a 0–0 home draw against Club Olimpia. He scored his first professional goal on 4 October, netting his team's third in a 3–2 away win against Goiás.

On 20 October 2020, Marcos Leonardo scored the winner in a 2–1 home success over Defensa y Justicia, becoming the sixth-youngest to score in the Libertadores, and the fourth-youngest Brazilian. He spent the 2021 campaign as a backup option, initially behind fellow youth graduate Kaio Jorge and subsequently behind new signing Léo Baptistão.

On 15 January 2022, Marcos Leonardo agreed to renew his contract with Santos until 2026. He became an undisputed starter, and started to score regularly for the club in the following years, becoming one of the 50 top goalscorers of their history after a winning goal against Palmeiras on 8 October 2023.

Benfica
On 5 January 2024, Marcos Leonardo moved to Portugal, signing a five-and-a-half-year contract with Primeira Liga club Benfica, for a reported transfer fee of €18 million, with Santos having the right to 10% of the profit the Lisbon-based club receive from a future transfer. His release clause was set at €150 million.

On each of his first three league games for Benfica, against Rio Ave, Boavista and Estrela da Amadora, Marcos Leonardo came on as a substitute during the second half and scored, helping seal 4–1, 2–0 and 4–1 victories, respectively. On 15 February 2024, he made his UEFA Europa League debut, coming off the bench to replace Arthur Cabral in the final minutes of a knockout round play-off match at home to Toulouse; he won a penalty that Ángel Di María converted, allowing Benfica to win by 2–1.

International career
Marcos Leonardo represented Brazil at under-17 level, playing in the 2019 Montaigu Tournament and UEFA Development Tournament. On 12 February 2021, he and Santos teammate Renyer were called up to the under-18s.

Personal life
Marcos Leonardo's father, known as Marcos Coringa, was also a footballer and a forward. He would only appear in amateur tournaments in his native Bahia, however.

Honours
Individual
 * FIFA U-20 World Cup Silver Boot: 2023