Just two years ago, they were playing in the U17 Campeonato Brasileiro competitions organized through Torneo by Sofascore. Some of these players were even created in the system specifically for that tournament. Today, those same players are already important members of clubs competing in the top leagues in Brazil and Ukraine, followed by thousands of Sofascore users.

Their story shows how quickly young talents can progress from youth competitions to professional football, and how important it is to track their development from their very first official matches.

Read more: Amateur football takes the spotlight – follow the action on Torneo by Sofascore!

From youth tournaments to the world stage

The U17 Campeonato Brasileiro, powered by Torneo by Sofascore, allowed organizers and clubs to record matches and player performances in a structured way, while fans and scouts could follow emerging talents almost in real time.

Several players who featured in that competition later represented Brazil at the U17 World Championship and are now earning significant minutes at senior level.

Among them are:

• Dell
• Luca Oliveira Meirelles
• Douglas Costa Telles
• Isaque

What makes their journey even more impressive is how fast it happened.

Luca Oliveira Meirelles has already secured a €12 million transfer to Shakhtar, while Isaque followed with a €10 million move to the same club. From youth football to multi-million euro transfers in just a couple of seasons, that is modern football development in action.

When Torneo becomes a launchpad, not just a tournament

For many players, Torneo is not just another youth competition. It is often their first step into structured, data-backed football. Being registered in Torneo means every match, goal, assist, and rating becomes part of their digital career profile from day one.

That early exposure matters. Clubs can track players long before they reach senior level. Scouts can compare performances across seasons. Fans can follow talents years before they become household names.

In practical terms, Torneo acts as a launchpad. Players who once appeared only in youth brackets are now facing experienced professionals in top leagues. And their entire journey is visible inside Sofascore, from the first recorded U17 match to senior-level performances.

Data that follows a career journey

One of the key advantages of Torneo competitions is that player data starts being built very early. As players move into professional football, their match history and performance data are already recorded and connected within the Sofascore ecosystem.

This allows:

• continuous tracking of player development
• performance comparison across competition levels
• greater visibility for young talents
• easier discovery of new generations of players by fans and clubs

Read more: Amateur Football Goes Global: 3,339 Competitions Powered by Torneo by Sofascore

Instead of starting from zero when a player turns professional, Sofascore already has years of context. You can see how a winger evolved, when a striker started scoring regularly, or how a defender’s role changed over time. The path from youth tournaments to professional leagues becomes transparent.

A new generation is already coming

Stories like these highlight how important youth competitions are for football development. And while today’s U17 stars are only at the beginning of their journey, it is very likely that in just a few years new names from Torneo competitions will play key roles in top leagues around the world.

Read more: Torneo by Sofascore Elevates the Management and Visibility of the Adidas Cup Lima 2025

The next Luca Meirelles or Isaque is probably already playing somewhere in a Torneo tournament right now. The difference is that this time, their entire career is being tracked from the first whistle.

And thanks to Sofascore, fans do not just discover players when they sign big contracts. They discover them when they are still kids, chasing a ball, and quietly becoming the next big thing.