Japa (footballer, born 2004)
Brazilian footballer (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
João Wellington Gadelha Melo de Oliveira (born 2 January 2004), commonly known as Japa, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Mirassol, on loan from Cruzeiro.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | João Wellington Gadelha Melo de Oliveira | ||
| Date of birth | 2 January 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Goianinha, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mirassol (on loan from Cruzeiro) | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cruzeiro | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023– | Cruzeiro | 28 | (1) |
| 2026– | → Mirassol (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:58, 15 January 2026 (UTC) | |||
Career
Japa was born in Goianinha, Rio Grande do Norte.[1] A Cruzeiro youth graduate, he signed his first professional contract with the club on 14 December 2021.[2] On 16 May 2023, he further extended his link until 2026.[3]
Japa made his professional – and Série A – debut on 22 October 2023, coming on as a second-half substitute for fellow youth graduate Kaiki Bruno in a 1–0 away win over rivals Atlético Mineiro.[4] Definitely promoted to the first team for the 2024 season, he featured rarely before suffering a serious thigh injury in January 2025,[5] which sidelined him for more than ten months.[6]
Japa scored his first senior goal on 14 January 2026, netting his side's second in a 2–1 Campeonato Mineiro away win over Tombense.[7]
