*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:17, 28 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:45, 26 March 2024
He has spent most of his career in Portugal, playing over 100 Primeira Liga games in two spells at Porto and for Braga, as well as loans at Portimonense and Rio Ave.
Galeno finished the 2016 Campeonato Goiano with five goals in ten appearances, being named the Best Newcomer of the competition.[3] In April 2016, he signed a contract with Grêmio Anápolis.[4]
Porto
On 28 June 2016, Galeno moved abroad and joined Porto on a one-year loan deal, being initially assigned to the B-team in Segunda Liga.[5] He made his professional debut on 7 August, starting in 2–1 away loss against Desportivo das Aves.[6]
Galeno scored his first goal abroad on 20 August 2016, netting the winner in a 2–1 away success over neighbours Leixões. The following 16 May, after scoring 11 goals for the B's, he was bought outright by the Dragons, signing a five-year deal with a €40 million release clause.[7]
On 23 January 2018, Galeno was presented at fellow top tier side Portimonense, on loan until June.[10] He returned to Porto in July, after contributing with seven appearances, only one start.
Galeno was loaned to another club in the main category on 11 July 2018, Rio Ave, for the entire upcoming season.[11] He made his European debut 15 days later away to Jagiellonia Białystok in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, and on 2 August scored twice in the first half of the second leg, a 4–4 home draw that saw his team eliminated.[12]
Galeno was a regular starter for the Vila do Conde side during the year, scoring eight goals in 35 appearances overall. His first goal in the top flight came on 26 August, opening a 1–1 draw at Tondela on the third matchday.[13]
Braga
On 6 August 2019, Galeno joined Braga on a five-year deal. The transfer fee was €3.5 million to be paid in instalments, plus value-added tax to take the fee to €4.3 million; the buyout clause of €15 million meant that Porto retained 50% of his economic rights.[14]
Galeno scored his first goal in the third game of the league season, opening the score after six minutes in a 1–1 draw at Gil Vicente on 25 August 2019.[15] On 3 November, he scored twice in as many minutes in a home game against neighbours Famalicão in a 2–2 draw.[16] He played four games without scoring in the 2019–20 Taça da Liga, including the 1–0 final win over his previous team Porto on 25 January.[17] On 25 June 2020, he settled a 3–2 derby win over Vitória de Guimarães at the Estádio Municipal de Braga.[18]
On 23 May 2021, Galeno was named the man of the match after Braga defeated Benfica 2–0 in the 2021 Taça de Portugal Final, to claim the cup competition for the third time in club history.[19][20]
Galeno scored six goals in as many Europa League group games for Braga in 2021–22;[21] this included two on 30 September in a 3–1 home win over Denmark's Midtjylland.[22] In his final game on 22 January 2022, he scored a penalty to equalise in a 2–1 win at reigning champions Sporting.[23]
Return to Porto
On 31 January 2022, Porto reached an agreement to purchase Galeno for €9 million from Braga, on a contract until the summer of 2026. The buyout clause was €50 million.[24] His first goal for the club came on 13 March in a 4–0 home win over Tondela, three minutes after coming on for Vitinha.[25] Later that year, on 4 October, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 2–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.[26] On 13 December 2023, he scored a brace in a 5–3 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk which qualified his club to the Champions League knockout phase.[27]
On 15 January 2024, Galeno extended his contract with Porto until 2028, with a new release clause being set at €60 million.[28] A month later, on 21 February, he scored a late goal to secure a 1–0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.[29] Though, in the second leg on 12 March, he missed the final penalty in the shoot-out as Porto were eliminated from the tournament.[30]
International career
On 11 March 2024, Galeno received his first call up to the Brazil national football team, ahead of friendlies against England and Spain. His debut came a fortnight later, as he came off the bench for Rodrygo on the 82nd minute of the latter match, while the game was tied 2-2.[31] In stoppage time, and after Spain had scored and put the scoreline at 3-2, Galeno suffered a foul inside the box, which Lucas Paquetá converted to fix the final scoreline at 3-3.[32]
