Forward Gabigol reached the historic mark of 100 goals wearing the Santos jersey, matching a rare achievement by Romário by hitting the century mark for two G-12 clubs.
Brazilian football witnessed an significant milestone on Thursday (13). By finding the back of the net in a 2-1 victory over Macará (ECU) in the Copa Sudamericana, Gabriel Barbosa, known as Gabigol, scored his 100th goal for Santos. The achievement places the striker in an elite group of players who have managed to score at least three digits for two distinct clubs within the so-called G-12.
Since the golden days of Romário, who achieved this statistic with Flamengo and Vasco, no other player had shown such consistency for two of the country’s biggest clubs. The mark reinforces the forward’s status as one of the greatest goalscorers in recent Brazilian football history, despite facing instabilities in his current form.
The Significance of the Milestone and Response to Criticism
The performance at Vila Belmiro ended a three-game goal drought for the player with the São Paulo club. The goal came in the 44th minute of the first half, assisted by Neymar, putting Santos back in the game before Willian Arão secured the comeback in the second half.
When questioned about the pressure to score, the number 10, who has 161 goals for Flamengo, dismissed any rumors of a slump and emphasized his confidence in front of the opponent’s goal:
“No, there’s no ‘jinx’. I have over 100 goals for Flamengo, now 100 for Santos. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s score goals! I was looking for it, I was trying, I knew it would come, I’ve always scored goals, and today was no different.”
Impact and Trajectory
Gabigol‘s milestone becomes even more relevant when observing the player’s performance in 2024. In 33 matches played so far, the forward already has 16 goals and seven assists, numbers that significantly surpass his performance last season for Rubro-Negro.
For the M360 Team, the achievement reinforces the player’s longevity and finishing ability. Reaching 100 goals for one club is already a considerable challenge, but repeating such success at two clubs of such magnitude demonstrates a rare consistency in the current Brazilian football landscape. Gabigol‘s focus remains on the remainder of the season, where he aims to regain prominence and help his team in continental and national competitions.
