Welinton (footballer, born 1999)

Welinton Macedo dos Santos (born 30 June 1999), simply known as Welinton, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Criciúma.

Life and career
Welinton Macedo dos Santos was born in Taguaí, São Paulo on 30 June 1999. In his native city, he used to run the 100-meter dash and has great speed despite being 1,83 height. Welinton started his career in the Paraná Soccer Technical Center (PSTC) youth team before passing through the youth ranks of Atlético Mineiro and Athletico Paranaense. In 2019, he signed with Cruzeiro in order to play the Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20. After some good performances with the U20 team, Welinton was promoted, by coach Mano Menezes, to Cruzeiro senior team. On 27 July 2019, he made his professional debut in the Campeonato Brasileiro, replacing Maurício at the 69th minute of the match against Athletico Paranaense.