Tigrinho, or the little tiger in English, is the nickname given to FC Barcelona’s latest Brazilian striker; Vitor Roque.
Roque was signed by FCB for $43.6 million in the summer of 2023 however he stayed with Club Athletico Paranaense in Brazil until January 2024.
The 18 year-old Brazilian has finally arrived in Catalonia and last week he came on late to make his debut for his new team. The forward played less than 20 minutes as Barcelona picked up a vital win away to Las Palmas in the league.
This weekend Roque enjoayed a slightly longer cameo appearance in the cup however he will rue missed chances. Barcelona won the game but Roque missed two big opportunities to grab a first goal for his new side. Despite having just 8 touches Tigrinho got himself into some great positions and will be hungry for his next chance to score.
It is easy to forget that Roque is still a teenager who has just moved to a foreign country on a different continent. He has been thrown into the mix at one of the biggest clubs there is and with Robert Lewandowski now 36 years of age there will be pressure on Roque to look sharp and capable of taking up the reins in front of goal.
Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez will have to help the young man to manage such pressure and expectation whilst settling into life in a new city. For better or worse Vitor Roque also arrives surrounded by hype and has the history of F.C Barcelona’s many Brazilian legends lingering over his shoulders.
Some of the best Brazilians to ever play the game left a great part of their legacy in the Camp Nou. Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho all set the famous stadium alight with their samba skill. Roque faces a tough challenge in trying to emulate his heroes but this 18 year old cost a fortune because the club believe he can hit those heights.
Similar to the likes of Ronaldo Nazario, Endrick or Gabriel Jesus, Roque is short but stocky and strong as an ox, he is quick too. Last year with Club Athletico Paranaense Roque managed to rack up 21 goals in all competitions and in March he even made his international debut for Brazil. At that time he was the youngest debutant since the legendary Ronaldo.
Perhaps Roque should have already scored for his new club but he has only played 38 minutes of football across those two games; the best is yet to come. When he debuted at his first club Cruzeiro in Brazil he came on as a sub and was hauled off within minutes “because he couldn’t keep the pace” in the Brazilian second division. Since then things have gone pretty well though. Cruzeiro sold the starlet to Paranaense for around $5 million and Barcelona paid almost 9 times that figure not long afterwards.
It will be fascinating to compare the performances of Tigrinho at Barcelona and Endrick at Real Madrid. Endrick isn’t set to arrive in Spain until the summer so Roque certainly has a head start, but if both can settle in quickly and reach their full potential they might be starting players for their respective clubs before they are 20 years of age.
The days of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are long gone for Real and Barcelona. They are still the biggest clubs in Spain but a spark has been missing from the league in the absence of those legendary forwards. Could two young Brazilians take up the mantle?
Real Madrid are without a world-class forward and Robert Lewandowski isn’t getting any younger for their rivals. The young Brazilians will have to hit form early to avoid their clubs trying to bring other big name signings to take their place; Madrid might do so anyway as they have been in pursuit of Kylian Mbappe for quite a few years now.
At Paranaense Roque reached a Copa Libertadores final and won a state championship. He also helped Brazil to win the South American under-20 Championship in 2023 and finished tournament top scorer. Can he take the next step and make an impact in Europe? We are certainly excited to find out.
