Cruzeiro

Brasileirão Women

Cruzeiro is one of Brazil's football club. Based in Belo Horizonte, the club has won multiple national championships and international trophies, building one of the largest fanbases in Brazil. Founded in 1921 by members of the Italian community under the name Palestra Itália, the club adopted the name Cruzeiro in 1942.

Photo: IMAGO | Sports Press Photo

Signature Fun Facts

What makes Cruzeiro what it is.

Her father played a key role in her football journey. According to São Paulo FC, he helped her find a trial at Centro Olímpico, where her pathway into elite football began.

She has won the Campeonato Mineiro Feminino with Cruzeiro in 2023 and 2024.

More Fun Facts

Quirky facts from the Cruzeiro squad.

She faced her former club América-MG in competitive action shortly after joining Cruzeiro, highlighting a quick turnaround between clubs within Minas Gerais.

She joined Nacional after being recommended by coach Álvaro Gutiérrez and was signed on her very first training day.

Gisseli has been used both as a traditional left-back and in more advanced wide roles during her career.

Tainara spent part of her early senior career playing in Brazilian women’s football with São Francisco, Vitória, Santos and Palmeiras before moving abroad.

Rafa was part of the Brazil squad that won the 2022 South American U-20 Women's Championship.

She has said that her love for football started in childhood while watching and playing alongside her father and brothers

She suffered a serious knee injury in May 2026, requiring surgery after an ACL rupture.

In January 2025, Cruzeiro confirmed that she suffered a partial injury to the medial collateral ligament in her right knee.

Leilane has been part of Brazil’s youth national-team setup with eight youth international appearances.

After receiving her first senior Brazil call-up in 2024, she described it as a dream she had carried since she was eight years old.

She spent two seasons playing in China with Wuhan Jianghan University taking her career to the Chinese women’s league.

She has said that as a child she preferred football to dolls and would remove the heads from dolls so she could use them while playing football games.

Rafa credited her national-team call-ups as a result of the work she was doing at Grêmio, saying: “The national team is a result of my work here at Grêmio and for Grêmio.”