Bruna Santos Nhaia, known as Bruninha or just Bruna, is a Brazilian professional soccer player who plays as a right back. She plays for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League as well as the Brazil national team.
She became the youngest goal scorer in NJ/NY Gotham FC history at just 20 years old.
Bruninha captained Brazil's U-20 team at the 2022 U-20 World Cup, leading them to a third-place finish.
She won the 2021 Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) for her standout performance with Santos FC.
Her father was her first sports influencer, taking her to football games when she was a child. Her mother also has a strong connection to sports, but her generation didn’t have the opportunity to pursue it professionally.
As a child, Bruninha faced prejudice and judgment for being a girl playing football with boys, but this only motivated her to keep going and break barriers that tried to stop her from competing.
She said it was a dream come true for her to represent Brazil at the 2023 World Cup.
She was born in Castro, Paraná, Brazil.
| Nike |
| NWSL Championship: 2023 | 1× |
| South American Under-20 Women's Football Championship: 2022 | 1× |
| Torneio Internacional Feminino de Seleções | 1× |
| Gaúcho Women | 1× |
| Year | Club | AP | GL |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2022
-
present
|
NJ/NY Gotham FC | 57 | 2 |
|
2021
-
2022
|
Santos FC | 24 | 1 |
|
2020
-
|
SC Internacional | 6 | 1 |
| International Stats | |||
|
2021
-
present
|
Brazil | 18 | 0 |
|
2019
-
2024
|
Brazil U20 | 17 | 1 |
|
2018
-
2022
|
Brazil U17 | 3 | 0 |
