Gremio announced this Thursday the incorporation of Cape Verdean striker Jovane Cabral, an attacker who comes to Brazilian soccer after participating with the Cape Verde national team in the 2026 World Cup.

The Porto Alegre club highlighted the player's arrival as a special move in its recent history, becoming the first Cape Verdean footballer to wear the shirt of the Brazilian team.

"From the World Cup to Porto Alegre. Jovane Cabral is the first Cape Verdean footballer to wear our shirt," Gremio published on its social networks to officially announce the signing.

Cabral signs with Gremio until 2027

The 28-year-old forward arrived at Tricolor Gaúcho with a contract that links him to the team for the remainder of the season and the following one, that is, until the end of 2027.

The hiring seeks to give greater offensive depth to a team that needs results in the final part of the Brazilian calendar and that is betting on the international experience of a player with experience in Europe.

The Cape Verde striker faced Spain and Argentina in the 2026 World Cup

Before becoming a new Gremio player, Jovane Cabral was part of Cape Verde's historic participation in the 2026 World Cup.

The attacker was part of a team that surprised with its competitiveness during the tournament and started two high-profile matches: against Spain in the group stage and against Argentina in the round of 32.

His World Cup experience was one of the elements that caught the attention of the Brazilian team, which seeks to add offensive variants to face its national and international commitments.

Jovane Cabral before arriving in Brazil

Jovane Cabral began his professional career in the youth ranks of Sporting Lisbon, a club in which he progressed through different stages until making his debut with the first team in 2017.

During his time with the Portuguese team he won several titles, including a Portuguese League in 2020, a Portuguese Cup in 2018, three Portuguese League Cups in 2018, 2020 and 2021, as well as a Portuguese Super Cup in 2021.

Subsequently, the attacker began a loan period that took him through different European leagues, including spells with Lazio and Salernitana in Italy, as well as Olympiacos in Greece.

In 2024, Cabral returned permanently to his native country to join Estrela da Amadora, a team in which he played the last two seasons before making the leap to Brazilian soccer.

Gremio seeks to get out of the crisis with the arrival of Cabral

The signing of Jovane Cabral comes at an important moment for Gremio, a club with great weight in South American football that is going through a complicated period.

The Brazilian team, three-time champion of the Copa Libertadores, is currently fighting to avoid relegation to the second division of the Brazilian Championship.

However, the Porto Alegre team still has goals ahead of it in other competitions. In the Brazilian Cup, they will seek to advance to the quarterfinals against Mirassol, while in the Copa Sudamericana they will play a playoff against Bolívar with the intention of getting a place in the round of 16.

With the arrival of Jovane Cabral, Gremio is betting on a forward with international experience and experience on big stages to try to change the course of a season marked by sporting pressure.