Kauã Elias Nogueira (born 28 March 2006) is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk.
Early life Elias was raised by his grandfather, José Elias, a former goalkeeper who played amateur football in the Uberlândia municipality, and his grandmother, Lucilene De Faria. His parents also had an important part of Kauã's upbringing but Kauã spent most part of his childhood with the paternal side of the family.
Club career Early career Having played football on the fields of Uberlândia with his grandfather, Elias started his career with futsal school Praia Clube. His performances eventually led to him being noticed by a scout from professional side Fluminense in mid-2016. He was invited to trial with the club in Xerém, but his grandfather was initially reluctant to take him due to the high costs of travel. However, after hearing what he described as a "divine voice" while napping, telling him to take his grandson to the trial, the two embarked on the trip to Xerém and Elias' trial was successful.
Though he was a forward, Elias would get more assists than goals in his early career with Fluminense. His grandfather offered him for every goal he scored, as in incentive to encourage him to be more clinical in front of goal, but soon had to retract his offer, as Elias would score too many goals. This bet would prove fruitful for both Elias and Fluminense, as he continued this prolific form as he progressed through the academy, finishing as top scorer at a number of international tournaments.
He signed his first professional contract with the club in June 2021, keeping him with the club until 2027, with a release clause to foreign clubs worth an estimated . On 11 October 2023, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.
Shakhtar Donetsk On 8 February 2025, Elias signed a five-year contract with Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Later that year, on 14 May, he scored his first goal for the club against Dynamo Kyiv in the Ukrainian Cup final, which ended in victory following a penalty shoot-out. On 3 August 2026, he scored his first hat-trick in a 5–1 victory over Kudrivka.
International career Elias was first called up to the Brazil under-17 team in January 2023. He was then called up again for the 2023 South American U-17 Championship, and in the first game against Ecuador, he scored two goals, though his side went on to draw the game 2–2.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueState leagueNational cupContinentalTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsFluminense2023Série A00000010102024Série A3064031604372025Série A31———31Total337403170478Shakhtar Donetsk2024–25Ukrainian Premier League90—11—1012025–26Ukrainian Premier League186—1017536112026–27Ukrainian Premier League63—001073Total339—211855315Career total6614405225510023
Honours Fluminense Copa Libertadores: 2023
Shakhtar Donetsk Ukrainian Premier League: 2025–26 Ukrainian Cup: 2024–25
References
External links