Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Brentford. Born on June 26, 2001, in Gama, near Brasília, the 24-year-old striker has risen from humble beginnings marked by personal tragedy to become one of the most promising forwards in European football. Standing at 1.91 meters tall, Thiago’s journey from working as a bricklayer to support his family to scoring goals in the Premier League represents a remarkable story of determination and talent.
Full Name: Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues
Date of Birth: 26 June 2001
Age: 24 (as of 2025)
Place of Birth: Gama, Federal District, Brazil
Position: Forward
Current Club: Brentford
Early Life
Igor Thiago was born in Gama, an administrative region of Brasília in Brazil’s Federal District. His childhood was shaped by financial struggles and personal loss. When he was just 13 years old, tragedy struck when his father, José Rodrigues, passed away. This devastating loss forced young Igor to grow up quickly and take on responsibilities far beyond his years.
To help support his mother, Maria Diva Thiago, who worked as a street cleaner, Igor took on various jobs while still a child. He worked in construction as a bricklayer alongside his uncle, sold fruits and vegetables at local markets, handed out supermarket flyers, and helped customers carry groceries home. Any spare money he earned often went toward covering bus fares just to attend football training sessions.
Football was not initially part of Igor’s plans for the future. He viewed it more as a hobby than a potential career path, as his focus remained on helping his family survive day to day. His entry into organized football came through his older brother, who was already playing for Gremio Ocidental. When Igor accompanied his brother to training sessions, scouts noticed his natural ability, giving him the opportunity to join the same club. He started with futsal before transitioning to regular football.
Club Career
Early Career at Cruzeiro
After impressing at youth level with Gremio Ocidental, Igor moved to Esporte Club Verê in Paraná at the age of 16, joining their under-17 team. His performances there caught the attention of bigger clubs, leading to his recruitment by Cruzeiro’s academy in 2019.
On January 22, 2020, at just 18 years old, Igor made his professional debut for Cruzeiro in a Campeonato Mineiro match against Boa Esporte. Over the next three seasons with Cruzeiro, he primarily played in Serie B, Brazil’s second division, along with appearances in the Mineiro state championship and Copa do Brasil. During this period, he scored 10 goals in 64 appearances across all competitions, showing glimpses of his potential as a striker.
Breakthrough in Bulgaria with Ludogorets
In March 2022, Igor took a bold step in his career by moving to Europe, signing with Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad for approximately €1.32 million. He initially joined the reserve team to adapt to European football and the Bulgarian league. His impact was immediate, scoring three goals in his first four reserve team matches.
This impressive form earned him a rapid promotion to the first team. He made his senior debut for Ludogorets in a league match against CSKA Sofia, coming on as a substitute and marking the occasion with a goal. This would become a recurring theme throughout his career.
Igor’s time at Ludogorets proved to be transformative. During the 2022/23 season, he spearheaded the attack with remarkable efficiency, scoring 20 league goals and assisting 11 more. His performances helped Ludogorets win back-to-back Bulgarian First League titles in 2021/22 and 2022/23, along with the 2023 Bulgarian Cup and 2022 Bulgarian Supercup. The club achieved a domestic treble for only the second time in their history. Overall, Igor contributed 21 goals in 55 games for the Bulgarian side.
During his stay in Bulgaria, Igor obtained Bulgarian citizenship in 2023, granting him dual nationality and making him eligible to represent either Brazil or Bulgaria at international level.
Success at Club Brugge
On June 12, 2023, Igor signed a four-year contract with Belgian Pro League club Club Brugge. The €7.9 million transfer fee received by Ludogorets set a record for a Bulgarian club, highlighting the value Igor had brought to the team.
His debut season in Belgium started well, with Igor scoring in his first two league matches. He netted a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Mechelen, followed by the only goal in a 1-0 win at Westerlo. After scoring the opening goal in a 4-2 victory over Charleroi in September 2023, bringing his tally to six goals in all competitions, Igor experienced a brief dry spell lasting nine games.
However, everything changed in December 2023. A double in a 5-0 Conference League win over Beşiktaş sparked an incredible goalscoring run. Over the next 12 games spanning December 2023 and January 2024, Igor scored 18 goals, failing to find the net in only one match. After that single blank, he then scored in eight consecutive games.
By the end of the season, Igor had netted 29 goals and provided six assists across all competitions. His outstanding performances helped Club Brugge win the Jupiler Pro League for the 19th time and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League. For his efforts, Igor was named the 2023/24 UEFA Conference League Young Player of the Season.
Move to Brentford
On February 14, 2024, Premier League club Brentford announced they had reached an agreement to sign Igor on a five-year deal, which would officially begin on July 1, 2024. While the club did not disclose the fee, reports suggested it was in the region of a club-record £30 million. In Belgian terms, this represented a new Pro League record sale of €38 million.
Igor officially joined Brentford on July 1, 2024, becoming the club’s first Brazilian player and wearing the number 9 shirt. However, his start at the club was immediately derailed by injury. On July 20, 2024, during a pre-season friendly, Igor suffered a meniscus injury that required surgery. Initially expected to be out for several months, complications arose when a joint infection developed following the procedure, further extending his absence.
Igor made his Brentford debut on November 23, 2024, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute against Everton in a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park. However, he managed only three more league appearances before the joint infection sidelined him again. He did not return to action until May 4, 2025, appearing in Brentford’s 4-3 home victory against Manchester United.
The 2024/25 season was largely written off due to injury, with Igor making just eight appearances across all competitions without scoring a single goal. Despite the frustration, both the player and club remained optimistic about his future contributions.
The 2025/26 season has seen Igor finally showcase why Brentford paid a club-record fee for his services. On August 17, 2025, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 away defeat against Nottingham Forest in the opening game of the Premier League season. On September 27, 2025, Igor announced his arrival in English football with a first-half double in a 3-1 victory against Manchester United.
As of November 2025, Igor has been in sensational form, scoring eight goals in 11 Premier League appearances during the 2025/26 season. His performances have placed him behind only Erling Haaland in the Premier League goalscoring charts, making him the highest-scoring Brazilian in Europe’s top five leagues.
Religion
Igor Thiago practices Roman Catholicism. His faith has been an important part of his life, particularly during challenging times. Reports indicate that he maintains a serious approach to his religious beliefs and avoids nightlife distractions, preferring to focus on his family and career. His Catholic faith appears to have provided him with strength throughout his journey from poverty in Brazil to success in European football.
Personal Life
Igor Thiago is married and has two young children, aged two and four as of 2025. He moved to England with his wife and children when he joined Brentford. Despite his rising profile in the Premier League, Igor maintains a private family life, rarely sharing details publicly.
His children have become a source of motivation for him. In interviews, Igor has spoken about how becoming a father changed his perspective and strengthened his determination to succeed. He mentioned that his children see him as an inspiration and that their passion for watching him play drives him to be even better.
Family remains central to everything Igor does. The memory of his late father and the sacrifices his mother made for him continue to motivate his career. He has spoken about how every goal he scores takes him back to the hardships his family endured during his childhood in Gama. His success has allowed him to provide for his mother and give his own children the stability he lacked growing up.
Igor’s older brother played a crucial role in his football journey, as it was through accompanying his brother to Gremio Ocidental that Igor first caught the attention of scouts and began his own football career.
Salary
At Brentford, Igor Thiago earns an estimated base salary of £2,600,000 per year, which works out to approximately £50,000 per week. This figure excludes performance-related bonuses. His contract with the Premier League club runs until June 30, 2029, representing a five-year deal that began when he officially joined on July 1, 2024.
The salary reflects both his market value and the club-record £30 million transfer fee Brentford paid to Club Brugge for his services. His estimated net worth is between £18 million and £25 million as of 2025, driven largely by his transfer fees and salary earnings.
