Lucas Veríssimo

Lucas Veríssimo da Silva (born 7 July 1995), known as Lucas Veríssimo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Santos.

Club career Santos

Born in Jundiaí, São Paulo, Veríssimo started his career at José Bonifácio's youth academy. He subsequently moved to Linense, being promoted to the main squad in the latter part of January 2013.

Shortly after being promoted to Linense's first team, Lucas Veríssimo joined Santos. Upon joining Santos FC, he was initially assigned to their youth setup. On 26 March 2015 he renewed his link, signing until April 2017.

On 28 November 2015, profiting from Paulo Ricardo's suspension, Veríssimo was called up by manager Dorival Júnior for a Série A match against Vasco da Gama, but remained an unused substitute in the 0–1 away loss. On 30 December 2015 he was permanently promoted to the first team, due to squad shortage. He made his senior debut on 23 January of the following year, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–2 friendly draw at Bahia.

Veríssimo made his professional debut on 30 January 2016, starting in a 1–1 Campeonato Paulista home draw against São Bernardo. On 2 March, after being a regular starter, he renewed his contract until December 2019.

After David Braz's return from injury and the signing of Luiz Felipe, Veríssimo was demoted to fourth choice at the club. He only made his Série A debut on 14 September 2016, coming on as a late substitute for Lucas Lima in a 1–0 away win against Botafogo.

Veríssimo made his Copa Libertadores debut on 16 March 2017, starting in a 2–0 home win against The Strongest. He scored his first professional goal on 4 May, netting the winner in a 3–2 success over Independiente Santa Fe at the Pacaembu Stadium for the same competition.

On 18 July 2017, after becoming a regular starter as both starters Gustavo Henrique and Luiz Felipe were injured, Veríssimo renewed his contract until June 2022. He played his 100th match for the club the following 13 May, starting in a 3–1 home defeat of Paraná.

On 8 June 2020, Veríssimo further extended his contract with Santos until December 2024. On 9 November, he and two other teammates tested positive for COVID-19.

Benfica

On 4 January 2021, Veríssimo agreed to a move to Primeira Liga side S.L. Benfica, for a fee of €6.5 million; he remained at Santos until the end of the club's participation in the 2020 Copa Libertadores. Santos officially announced the move eleven days later. On 18 February 2021, Veríssimo made his debut in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League.

On 7 November 2021, during a home match against Braga, Veríssimo suffered an knee injury that required surgery, ruling him out for the rest of the 2021–22 season. After almost an year in the sidelines, Veríssimo made his return from injury on 22 October 2022, starting for Benfica's B team in a 2–0 away win at B-SAD in the Liga Portugal 2.

After returning from injury, Veríssimo struggled for minutes under new manager Roger Schmidt, who preferred a centre-back partnership of Otamendi and António Silva. In the 2022–23 season, Veríssimo made just 6 appearances in all competitions for Benfica's main team.

Loan to Corinthians On 26 July 2023, Veríssimo returned to Brazil, joining Corinthians on a loan deal until 30 June 2024. The São Paulo-based club paid a loan fee of €1 million, which could rise to €2 million with add-ons.

Al-Duhail On 25 January 2024, while Veríssimo was still at Corinthians, Benfica cancelled the loan and permanently transferred him to Qatar Stars League club Al-Duhail, for a reported fee of €9 million. He was a regular starter during the 2024–25 season, missing only one league match due to suspension and scoring three goals.

Loan to Al-Wakrah On 22 July 2025, amidst rumours of a possible return to Brazil, Veríssimo was loaned to Al-Wakrah also in the Qatari top tier.

Santos return On 3 March 2026, Santos announced the return of Veríssimo on a three-year contract. He made his re-debut for the club nineteen days later, captaining the side in a 0–0 away draw against Cruzeiro.

International career On 14 May 2021, Veríssimo was called up to the Brazil national team for two 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Ecuador and Paraguay, but had to withdraw days later due to an injury. Called up again in August, he his full international debut on 9 September, starting in 2–0 win over Peru.

Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

2016

2017

2018

2021–22

2022–23

2023–24

2024–25

Al-Wakrah (loan) 2025–26 Qatar Stars League

Santos 2026 Série A

Honours Club Santos Campeonato Paulista: 2016

Benfica Primeira Liga: 2022–23

Individual Bola de Prata: 2019 Best Centre-back in Brazil: 2019, 2020 Copa Libertadores Team of the Tournament: 2020 Primeira Liga Player of the Month: August 2021 Primeira Liga Defender of the Month: August 2021 Samba D'or (3rd Place): 2021