32 Facts About Felipe Melo

Felipe Melo began his career with Brazilian teams Flamengo, Cruzeiro and Gremio, before moving to Spain in 2005, where he represented Mallorca, Racing Santander and Almeria in La Liga.

Felipe Melo spent four seasons at Galatasaray, playing 154 total games and winning eight honours, including three Super Lig titles.

Felipe Melo won the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A in 2018 and the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021 with Palmeiras, before joining Fluminense where he won the latter again in 2023, before retiring in 2025.

Felipe Melo was a Brazilian international from 2009 to 2010, earning 22 caps and scoring two goals.

Felipe Melo was part of their squads that won the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Felipe Melo began his career for Flamengo, where he made 69 appearances and scored no goals in his two-season spell with the club.

In January 2005, Felipe Melo moved abroad for the first time, joining Spanish La Liga club Mallorca, who released Andrija Delibasic to give him a place.

On 3 July 2007, Felipe Melo became Almeria's first signing ahead of their debut top-flight season.

Felipe Melo was a regular in midfield for Unai Emery's team, contributing seven goals as the Andalusians finished 8th.

Felipe Melo made his debut in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League against Slavia Prague, and scored his first goal in a Viola shirt against Atalanta in the Serie A After a very impressive debut season in the Serie A, which included 29 appearances and two goals, the Brazilian transferred to Juventus in Turin.

Felipe Melo was attributed to the nickname "Pitbull" by the team supporters because of his passionate playing style, which helped him become a fans favourite quickly; it is said that he displayed the mutual respect back with his tattoo of the club's mascot, a lion, on his arm.

Felipe Melo scored his first goal on 18 September 2011 from a 35-metre-long shot against Samsunspor.

Felipe Melo scored 12 goals in 36 league matches, and at the end of the season, he was among the champion squad.

Felipe Melo officially returned to Serie A play on 23 September 2015 against Hellas Verona, against which he scored his first goal for Inter.

Felipe Melo signed a new contract in June 2019, for two more years at Palmeiras.

Felipe Melo scored three times in that year's national competition, including in derbies against Corinthians and Sao Paulo.

Felipe Melo's team retained the continental tournament a year later with an extra-time final win over Flamengo in Montevideo.

On 13 December 2021,38-year-old Felipe Melo returned to his home state's football 18 years after leaving Flamengo, signing for Fluminense.

Felipe Melo chose the squad number 70 in allusion to the team's win in the 1952 Copa Rio 70 years earlier.

Felipe Melo's team won the 2022 Campeonato Carioca against Flamengo.

In 2023, Fluminense retained the state title against the same rival, and in September that year Felipe Melo's contract was extended to the end of 2024.

Felipe Melo won his third career Libertadores title, against Boca Juniors.

On 24 January 2025, Felipe Melo announced his retirement from football at the age of 41.

Felipe Melo was named in Brazil's final 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

On Brazil's return home after the World Cup, Felipe Melo took the brunt of the criticism of the fans as they threw insults, pushed and shoved towards the players.

Felipe Melo is able to play as a central or box-to-box midfielder, but is usually deployed as a defensive midfielder, where his stamina, power, tactical intelligence, and ball-winning abilities aid him in breaking down opposing plays, while his good all-round skills, first touch, and passing allow him subsequently to distribute the ball to his more offensive-minded teammates.

Felipe Melo is married to Roberta, and they have one daughter and three sons, Davi, Linyker, and Bernardo.

On 18 June 2013, through Twitter and Facebook, Felipe Melo offended Renato Mauricio Prado, a pundit of the Fox Sports channel.

On 4 June 2014, Felipe Melo was on vacation with his family and friend in Las Vegas.

Felipe Melo responded to the note by showing the two his middle finger and by kicking one of them.

Felipe Melo endorsed Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 Brazilian presidential election.

Felipe Melo dedicated his winning goal against Chapecoense in October 2019 to the president, a fan of Palmeiras.