Joshua Nascimento
{{Short description|Brazilian footballer (born 1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Portuguese name|Seixas|Arantes do Nascimento}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Joshua Nascimento
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|9|28|df=y}}
|birth_place = São Paulo, Brazil
|height = 1.73 m
|position = Forward
|currentclub =
|clubnumber =
|youthyears1 = 2011–2013
|youthclubs1 = Florida Rush
|youthyears2 = 2013–2015
|youthclubs2 = Santos
|collegeyears1 = 2015–2018
|college1 = Tampa Spartans
|collegecaps1 = 1
|collegegoals1 = 0
|years1 = |clubs1 = |caps1 = |goals1 =
|totalcaps =
|totalgoals =
}}
Joshua Seixas Arantes do Nascimento (born 28 September 1996) is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a forward. He is a son of Pelé.
Early and personal life
Nascimento was born to Brazilian gospel singer Assiria Seixas Lemos and Brazilian football legend Pelé.{{cite web|url=https://www.dci.com.br/esporte/futebol/conheca-os-filhos-gemeos-de-pele-joshua-e-celeste/282641/|title=Joshua e Celeste: conheça os filhos gêmeos de Pelé|trans-title=Joshua and Celeste: Meet Pele's twins|first=Beatriz|last=Fabbri|date=29 December 2022|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=dci.com.br|language=Portuguese}} He has a twin sister named Celeste.
Footballing career
=Early career=
At the age of ten, he trained with Santos, the club where his father made his name, for the first time.{{cite web|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/sports/football/etranger/fil-info/le-fils-du-roi-pele-a-santos-349467|title=Le fils du Roi Pelé à Santos|trans-title=The son of King Pelé in Santos|date=8 February 2010|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=lefigaro.fr|language=French}} He moved to the United States at the age of twelve, and joined the academy side Florida Rush three years later.{{cite web|url=https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/futebol/ultimas-noticias/2012/04/12/com-messi-como-idolo-joshua-minimiza-pressao-por-ser-filho-de-pele-e-quer-jogar-no-santos.htm|title=Filho de Pelé, Joshua é fã de Messi, afirma que "pressão é inevitável" e quer jogar no Santos|trans-title=Pelé's son, Joshua is a fan of Messi, says that "pressure is inevitable" and wants to play for Santos|date=12 April 2012|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=uol.com.br|language=Portuguese}}{{cite web|url=https://theminaretonline.org/2015/09/23/taking-over-the-family-business/|title=Taking over the family business|first=Marcus|last=Mitchell|date=23 September 2015|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=theminaretonline.org}}
He returned to Brazil in 2013, joining Santos on a permanent deal.{{cite web|url=https://www.lavoz.com.ar/deportes/futbol/joshua-nascimento-hijo-de-pele-firmo-contrato-con-el-santos/|title=Joshua Nascimento, hijo de Pelé, firmó contrato con el Santos|trans-title=Joshua Nascimento, Pelé's son, signed a contract with Santos|date=22 March 2013|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=lavoz.com.ar|language=Spanish}}{{cite web|url=https://globoesporte.globo.com/sp/santos-e-regiao/futebol/times/santos/noticia/2013/08/joshua-celebra-dia-dos-pais-raro-com-pele-e-fala-de-uma-obsessao-do-rei.html|title=Joshua celebra Dia dos Pais raro com Pelé e fala de uma 'obsessão' do Rei|trans-title=Joshua celebrates rare Father's Day with Pelé and talks about an 'obsession' of the King|first=Fernando|last=Prandi|date=11 August 2013|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=globoesporte.globo.com|language=Portuguese}} While at Santos, he refused to wear his father's famous number 10 shirt, and attempted to ignore comparisons between himself and his father, stating "he was him and I am me."{{cite web|url=https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/futebol/ultimas-noticias/2013/03/30/filho-de-pele-rejeita-10-do-santos-e-diz-nao-ter-contato-com-neymar.htm|title=Filho de Pelé "rejeita" 10 do Santos e diz não ter contato com Neymar|trans-title=Pelé's son "rejects" 10 from Santos and says he has no contact with Neymar|date=30 March 2013|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=uol.com.br|language=Portuguese}} He made his debut for the Santos under-20 side in October 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.lavoz.com.ar/deportes/futbol/debuto-en-el-santos-joshua-seixas-arantes-do-nascimento-el-hijo-de-pele/|title=Debutó en el Santos Joshua Seixas Arantes do Nascimento, el hijo de Pelé|trans-title=Joshua Seixas Arantes do Nascimento, the son of Pelé, made his Santos debut|date=13 October 2014|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=lavoz.com.ar|language=Spanish}}
=Collegiate soccer=
Having suffered numerous injuries while at Santos, Nascimento returned to the United States to enroll at the University of Tampa in 2015. However, his time in Tampa was also marred by injury, and he was redshirted in his first season with the university's soccer team, the Tampa Spartans.{{cite web|url=https://www.tampaspartans.com/sports/msoc/2015-16/bios/nascimento_joshua_aajw?view=bio|title=Joshua Nascimento|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=tampaspartans.com}} He made one appearance in 2016, but this would be his only playing time until his graduation in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://mvasports.com/staff-directory/josh-nascimento/754|title=Joshua Nascimento|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=mvasports.com}}
Later life
Having been raised mostly in the United States, he decided to remain there following his decision not to pursue a career in professional football, and he was named as a representative for Santos in North America in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.gazetaesportiva.com/times/santos/com-filho-de-pele-no-projeto-santos-anuncia-representacoes-internacionais/|title=Com filho de Pelé no projeto, Santos anuncia "representações internacionais"|trans-title=With Pelé's son in the project, Santos announces "international representations"|first=Lucas|last=Musetti Perazolli|date=20 November 2020|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=gazetaesportiva.com|language=Portuguese}} He joined the SIMA Pre-Academy, a soccer academy for children, in 2021. He has also worked as a fitness instructor and soccer coach in soccer academies across Orlando, as well as completing an internship in the Santos academy physiology department.
Having graduated university with a Bachelor of Science in human performance and exercise physiology, Nascimento had an internship with Belgian football team Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in March 2022, in the hope of working as a physical trainer.{{cite web|url=https://www.leparisien.fr/sports/au-debut-ils-ne-savaient-pas-qui-jetais-le-fils-du-roi-pele-raconte-son-stage-chez-le-leader-de-d1-belge-08-04-2022-Y4FMWTQ2BVABNHJ3UFN5IPV5EQ.php|title="Au début, ils ne savaient pas qui j'étais" : le fils du Roi Pelé raconte son stage chez le leader de D1 belge|trans-title="At the beginning, they did not know who I was": the son of King Pelé recounts his internship with the leader of Belgian D1|first=Christophe|last=Lacaze-Eslous|date=8 April 2022|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=leparisien.fr|language=French}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hln.be/belgisch-voetbal/joshua-nascimento-zoon-van-pele-liep-als-physical-coach-een-week-stage-bij-union-mijn-hart-gestolen~a910a8f8/|title=Joshua Nascimento, zoon van Pelé, liep als physical coach een week stage bij Union: "Mijn hart gestolen"|trans-title=Joshua Nascimento, son of Pelé, did a one-week internship at Union as a physical coach: “Stolen my heart”|first=Bart|last=Fieremans|date=8 April 2022|accessdate=1 February 2023|website=hln.be|language=Dutch}}
He currently works as a physical trainer at the Soccer Institute of the Montverde Academy.
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nascimento, Joshua}}
Category:Footballers from São Paulo
Category:University of Tampa alumni
Category:Brazilian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Tampa Spartans men's soccer players
Category:Brazilian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States