Brazil's Thiago breaks Brazil Premier League record after scoring against Sunderland - but will he get World Cup spot in Carlo Ancelotti's team?
Published 08/01/2026 at 12:19 GMT
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Brentford's Igor Thiago broke the record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian in a single Premier League campaign with his 16th of the season in his side's 3-0 win over Sunderland on Wednesday. Thiago, 24, only featured eight times in his debut campaign with Brentford but has been in stunning form this season and could be pushing for a spot with Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.
Thiago puts Brentford 3-1 up after Van Dijk gives away contentious penalty
Video credit: TNT Sports
Last summer was one of major upheaval for Brentford as they sold Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, and saw long-time head coach Thomas Frank leave for Tottenham.
The departures of their attacking duo meant Brentford lost 39 goals from last season - and saw the Bees tipped by many to lose their place in the Premier League this season.
Instead, they are in fifth place after 21 games and pushing for a place in Europe.
Their impressive form owes plenty to Igor Thiago, who on Wednesday set the record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian player in a single Premier League season.
Thiago, who joined Brentford in 2024 from Club Brugge for a club-record ÂŁ30m, scored his 15th and 16th goals of the campaign in the 3-0 win over Sunderland - with the latter clinching history.
The double saw him move ahead of former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino, Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli, and Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha - who reached 15 in a single season.
With 17 games still to play, Thiago could put some distance between his fellow Brazilians.
Thiago, 24, has also closed the gap on Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the Premier League scoring charts, with the Norway forward now just four ahead.
Antoine Semenyo, who looks poised to join City from Bournemouth, is the only other player in double figures, having scored 10 times.
Thiago hitting his spot
Thiago joined Brentford in the summer of 2024 on the back of a 29-goal season with Brugge.
His debut campaign didn’t go to plan as two knee injuries restricted him to just eight appearances.
He didn’t find the net once in his limited time on the pitch in the 2024/25 season, but has shown his quality over the last six months.
He ranks highly among most attacking metrics, including leading the way in the Premier League for shot conversion rate and big chance conversion.
Five of his league goals have been penalties, but he is only behind Haaland for shots on target (30) and big chances (26) this season.
Igor Thiago stats in 25/26 Premier League
| PL rank | |
| Goals | 2nd (16) |
| Total shots | 4th (50 |
| Shot on target | 2nd (30) |
| Shot conversion rate | 1st (32%) |
| Big chance total | 2nd (26) |
| Big chance conversion | 1st (61.5%) |
| Expected goals | 2nd (12.57) |
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews has been full of praise for Thiago, describing him as "sensational", "insatiable", and "precious to us".
He also admitted that Thiago’s stunning form had been a surprise even to him.
"I think anybody that thought he would have been this good is probably not being honest," Andrews said this week.
"Because I don’t know how many have come from the Bulgarian league to the Belgian league, had a year out injured and then affected the league like this.
"He’s been sensational. I wouldn’t be swapping him for anybody."
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'He's done it again!' - Thiago grabs his second of the game inside 20mins
Video credit: TNT Sports
Thiago's goals have helped Brentford to their joint-highest points total after 21 Premier League matches of 33.
"I wasn’t expecting to score this much but I am just keeping going," Thiago said after the win over Sunderland.
"We are having a good season. We are doing well. We just need to keep going like this, and if we do, we can achieve a good result in the end."
Will Thiago get Brazil shot at World Cup?
Thiago is yet to play for the Selecao - but he seems to be timing his form right for a shot at the World Cup this summer.
Brazil have plenty of attacking options with the likes of Vinicius Junior, Estevao, Joao Pedro, Cunha, Rodrygo, and Raphinha, but none have scored as many goals as Thiago this season.
He is the top scoring Brazilian in Europe’s top five leagues and is behind only Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in the European scoring charts.
Thiago has not won a cap at any age level for Brazil but must surely be on Carlo Ancelotti’s radar ahead of friendlies against France and Croatia in March.
"I've always dreamed of being able to play for Brazil," he told the Daily Mail in October 2025.Â
"I always ask God that when he takes me to the national team, I don't want to go just for the sake of it. When I get there, I want to stay.Â
European Golden Boot standings
| Goals | |
| 1 - Erling Haaland | 20 |
| 2 - Harry Kane | 19 |
| 3 - Kylian Mbappe | 18 |
| 4 - Igor Thiago | 16 |
"The competition is very good, because it means we have a very good attack. And I'm a good player. These are high-level players, competing in the Premier League, such a tough competition. My moment will come.Â
"I'm not in a hurry, I'm not sad or anxious about anything, because I know that, when it's my moment, I know I will go and I will stay. Without a doubt. I'm patient, I'm confident, and when the opportunity comes, I'll be ready to take it and never let it go."
Brazil start their bid for a sixth World Cup win against Morocco on June 13.
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