Júnior Morais

Iraneuton Sousa Morais Júnior (born 22 July 1986), known as Júnior Morais or Júnior Maranhão, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Liga I club Metaloglobus București.

Morais began his senior career with São Cristóvão and Freamunde, before moving to Romania in 2011 to join Astra Ploiești. Over six and a half seasons, he made 198 Liga I appearances and won four domestic trophies, including the 2015–16 national title. Morais subsequently represented FCSB, Gaziantep, and Rapid București. In 2024, he joined Metaloglobus București in the Romanian second division, helping them secure a historic promotion to the top flight in his debut season.

During his time in Romania, Morais became one of the few foreign players to surpass 300 Liga I appearances, ranking third on the all-time list behind Camora and Takayuki Seto.

Career

Early career Morais began his senior career in his native Brazil with São Cristóvão. In 2009, he moved to Europe and signed with Portuguese club Freamunde, where he made 32 appearances and scored three goals in the Liga de Honra over a year-and-a-half spell.

Astra Giurgiu In January 2011, Morais transferred to Romanian club Astra Ploiești, which was later relocated and renamed Astra Giurgiu. Over the course of six and a half seasons, he established himself as a key player, totalling 256 matches and eight goals in all competitions.

During his stint, Morais helped the club win four domestic trophies—the 2015–16 Liga I title, the 2013–14 Cupa României, and the Supercupa României in 2014 and 2016.

FCSB In the summer of 2017, Morais remained in Romania's top tier by signing with capital club FCSB. He spent two full campaigns with the team, accumulating 49 league appearances before departing in 2019.

Gaziantep Morais transferred to Turkish club Gaziantep in July 2019, where he reunited with his former Astra manager Marius Șumudică. He made 51 Süper Lig appearances across two seasons in Turkey.

Rapid București

In 2021, aged nearly 35, Morais returned to Romania to sign with Rapid București. He spent two seasons as a regular starter at left-back, making 71 league appearances and scoring four goals.

Late career In September 2023, Morais rejoined Gaziantep for a brief second spell, featuring in 15 Süper Lig matches during the 2023–24 campaign. In August 2024, he moved back to Bucharest to sign with Liga II side Metaloglobus București.

Morais recorded 26 appearances for Metaloglobus during the 2024–25 season, helping the club secure a historic promotion to the Romanian top flight. Despite missing subsequent game time due to a long-term knee meniscus injury that required surgery, Morais opted against retirement and extended his contract with the club until June 2027.

Personal life In 2015, Morais married Romanian handball player Andreea Dospin. They have two children together, a daughter and a son; his former Astra teammate Constantin Budescu serves as their godfather. Despite earlier media speculation, Morais clarified in October 2020 that he does not hold Romanian citizenship.

Career statistics

Club

Honours Astra Giurgiu Liga I: 2015–16 Cupa României: 2013–14 Supercupa României: 2014, 2016