Bruno (beach soccer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bruno Malias Mendes | ||
| Date of birth | 29 March 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2010 | Milano Beach Soccer | ||
| 2010 | Sporting Portugal (beach soccer) | ||
| 2010 | Boca Juniors (beach soccer) | ||
| 2011 | Botafogo (beach soccer) | ||
| 2012 | Santos FC (beach soccer) | ||
| 2013 | Corinthians (beach soccer) | ||
| International career | |||
| 2003–2015 | Brazil | (214) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015 | Seychelles | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Bruno Malias Mendes (born 29 March 1980), commonly known as Bruno Malias or simply Bruno, is a Brazilian former beach soccer player who played as a forward.[1] He is widely regarded as one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the sport, particularly for his contributions to the Brazil national beach soccer team, with which he won four consecutive FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup titles.[2] He has since retired from playing and currently serves as a Vereador (city councilor) in Vitória, Espírito Santo, having been elected in 2024 for the 2025–2028 term with the PSB.[3][4][5]
Early life
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Malias moved to Vitória at age 12.[6] He debuted for the Brazil national team in 2003 and became a mainstay in the forward line during Brazil's golden era in the 2000s.[7]
Club career
Malias played for several club sides in international beach soccer circuits, including stints in Europe and South America. In 2013, he joined Corinthians alongside teammate Bruno Xavier.[8]
International career
Malias was a key member of Brazil's national team during their unprecedented run of four straight FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup victories from 2006 to 2009. He earned individual accolades, including the Bronze Ball (third-best player) and Bronze Shoe (third-top scorer) at the 2006 tournament, and the Bronze Shoe again in 2007.
He is noted as having participated in every edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup up to at least the early 2010s, and he scored the competition's 1,600th goal in one edition.[7] As of 2025 FIFA records, he ranks among the all-time top goalscorers in World Cup history with 39 goals in 37 appearances.[9]
For the Brazil national team overall, as of the latest available records, Malias had scored 214 goals, ranking him seventh on the all-time list for the Seleção.[10] He retired from international play in the mid-2010s, with no further caps or goals recorded in subsequent tournaments.[11][12]
Managerial career
Post-retirement, Malias served as head coach of the Seychelles national beach soccer team in 2015 where the team placed 5th at the inaugural COSAFA tournament in April 2015 and prepared them for the 2015 CAF Beach Soccer Championship.[13] He also collaborated on beach soccer infrastructure projects in Vitória (2018),[14]
Politics
Malias entered politics, being elected as a vereador (councilor) in Vitória in 2024 for the 2025–2028 term.[12]
Honours
International
- FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup: Winner: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009[11]
- FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL): Winner: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011
- Mundialito: Winner: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011
- Copa Latina: Winner: 2005, 2006, 2009
Individual
- FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Top Scorer Bronze Ball (third place): 2006
- FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Top Scorer Bronze Shoe: 2006, 2007
References
- ^ "Bruno Malias Mendes". FIFA.
{{cite web}}: Check|archive-url=value (help) - ^ "Bruno Malias on Brazil reaching 400 goals & their UAE 2024 Dubai hopes". FIFA. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Bruno Malias". Câmara Municipal de Vitória. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Bruno Malias official website". Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Eleições 2024: veja lista dos 21 vereadores eleitos em Vitória". G1. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Bruno Malias Instagram profile". Instagram. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Bruno: I'm not stopping yet". Beach Soccer Worldwide. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Bruno Xavier and Bruno Malias go to Corinthians". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Top goalscorers in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup history". FIFA. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Brazil national beach soccer team". Wikipedia. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Bruno Malias on Brazil reaching 400 goals & their UAE 2024 Dubai hopes". FIFA. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Bruno Malias official website". Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Bruno Malias now in charge of Seychelles National Team". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Bruno Malias collaborates to create Beach Soccer ground in Vitoria". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2026.