| Léo Ceará | |
| Fullname: | Leonardo de Sousa Pereira |
| Birth Date: | 3 February 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil |
| Height: | 1.78m |
| Position: | Forward |
| Currentclub: | Cerezo Osaka |
| Clubnumber: | 9 |
| Youthyears1: | 2009–2010 |
| Youthclubs1: | São Francisco-BA |
| Youthyears2: | 2011–2015 |
| Youthclubs2: | Vitória |
| Years1: | 2014–2021 |
| Clubs1: | Vitória |
| Caps1: | 64 |
| Goals1: | 23 |
| Years2: | 2016 |
| Clubs2: | → FC Ryukyu (loan) |
| Caps2: | 23 |
| Goals2: | 2 |
| Years3: | 2017 |
| Clubs3: | → Campinense (loan) |
| Caps3: | 6 |
| Goals3: | 3 |
| Years4: | 2017–2018 |
| Clubs4: | → Confiança (loan) |
| Caps4: | 38 |
| Goals4: | 14 |
| Years5: | 2019 |
| Clubs5: | → CRB (loan) |
| Caps5: | 32 |
| Goals5: | 14 |
| Years6: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs6: | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Caps6: | 58 |
| Goals6: | 21 |
| Years7: | 2023– |
| Clubs7: | Cerezo Osaka |
| Caps7: | 55 |
| Goals7: | 27 |
| Club-Update: | 13 July 2024, 4:11 (UTC) |
Leonardo de Sousa Pereira (born 3 February 1995), commonly known as Léo Ceará, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Cerezo Osaka.
Born in Fortaleza, Ceará, Léo Ceará joined Vitória's youth setup in 2011, from São Francisco-BA.[1] He made his first team debut on 23 January 2014, coming on as a late substitute for Alan Pinheiro in a 3–1 away win against Confiança, for the year's Copa do Nordeste.[2]
On 12 January 2016, after being rarely used, Léo Ceará was loaned to J3 League club FC Ryukyu for the season.[3] Upon returning, he joined Campinense also in a temporary deal in February 2017,[4] but moved to Confiança in May to play in the Série C.[5]
Léo Ceará's loan with Confiança was renewed for a further year on 27 December 2017,[6] and he subsequently scored 16 goals in all competitions for the club before being recalled by Vitória in August 2018.[7]
Léo Ceará made his Série A debut on 23 August 2018, starting in a 0–1 away loss against Flamengo.[8] He scored his first goal in the category three days later, netting the winner in a 1–0 home success over Atlético Mineiro,[9] and subsequently renewed his contract until 2020 on the 28th.[10]
On 15 May 2019, after the arrival of Neto Baiano, Léo Ceará was loaned to fellow Série B side CRB until December.[11] He returned to Vitória in January 2020 after scoring 14 league goals for CRB, being the club's top goalscorer and the third-best overall, but was demoted to the under-23 squad after failing to agree new terms over a new contract.[12]
Léo Ceará was only included back at Vitória's main squad in August 2020.[13]
Yokohama F. Marinos announced on 23 January 2021 that Léo Ceará will be joining the club on a full transfer pending a medical to be performed upon arrival Japan (delayed for an indefinite period due to coronavirus immigration restrictions).[14] He was included in the Vitória squad for the last time on 26 January 2021.[15] Ceará left the club in 2022 after two years at Yokohama F. Marinos.
On 27 December 2022, Ceará officially transferred to Cerezo Osaka for the upcoming 2023 season.[16]
| Club | Season | League | State League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Vitória | 2014 | Série A | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1[17] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2015 | Série B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2018 | Série A | 17 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 5 | |||||||
| 2019 | Série B | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 1 | 18 | 3 | ||||
| 2020 | 33 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 2 | 42 | 20 | |||||
| Total | 55 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 82 | 28 | |||
| FC Ryukyu (loan) | 2016[18] | J3 League | 23 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 2 | ||||||
| Campinense (loan) | 2017 | Série D | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 9 | 4 | ||||
| Confiança (loan) | 2017 | Série C | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | ||||||
| 2018 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 3 | 34 | 16 | |||||
| Total | 27 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 44 | 17 | |||
| CRB (loan) | 2019 | Série B | 32 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 14 | ||||||
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 2021 | J1 League | 27 | 10 | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 32 | 13 | ||||
| 2022 | 31 | 11 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 39 | 16 | |||||
| Total | 58 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 29 | |||
| Cerezo Osaka | 2023 | J1 League | 33 | 11 | — | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 13 | ||||
| 2024 | 22 | 16 | — | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 16 | ||||||
| Total | 55 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 29 | |||
| Career total | 250 | 95 | 26 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 7 | 328 | 123 | |||
Yokohama F. Marinos