Junior Messias
{{short description|Brazilian footballer (born 1991)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Portuguese name|||Júnior}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Júnior Messias
| full_name = Walter Messias Júnior
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|5|13|df=yes}}{{cite web | url=https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2021-08-31/official-statement-messias-junior | title=Official Statement: Messias Junior |publisher=AC Milan}}
| birth_place = Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| image = Junior Messias.jpg
| caption = Messias with Crotone in 2020
| position = Forward
| currentclub = Genoa
| clubnumber = 10
| youthyears1 = 2008–2011
| youthclubs1 = Cruzeiro
| years1 = 2015–2017
| clubs1 = Casale
| caps1 = 32
| goals1 = 21
| years2 = 2016–2017
| clubs2 = Chieri
| caps2 = 33
| goals2 = 14
| years3 = 2017–2019
| clubs3 = Gozzano
| caps3 = 51
| goals3 = 8
| years4 = 2019–2022
| clubs4 = Crotone
| caps4 = 70
| goals4 = 15
| years5 = 2021–2022
| clubs5 = → AC Milan (loan)
| caps5 = 26
| goals5 = 5
| years6 = 2022–2024
| clubs6 = AC Milan
| caps6 = 25
| goals6 = 5
| years7 = 2023–2024
| clubs7 = → Genoa (loan)
| caps7 = 9
| goals7 = 1
| years8 = 2024–
| clubs8 = Genoa
| caps8 = 19
| goals8 = 1
| pcupdate = 23:35, 2 March 2025 (UTC)
}}
Walter Messias Júnior (born 13 May 1991) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for {{Italian football updater|Genoa}} club Genoa. Capable of playing anywhere across the attacking front, he has also been deployed on occasions as an attacking midfielder.
Club career
= Early career =
Messias started his senior career in the lower-tier, non-professional Italian divisions,{{TuttoCalciatori|Messias_Junior}} being discovered by former Torino player and manager Ezio Rossi, who persuaded him to join Casale in 2015.{{cite news |url=https://www.lacnews24.it/sport/junior-messias-dallo-sbarco-in-italia-in-cerca-di-lavoro-alla-serie-a-nel-crotone_127255/ |publisher=LACNews24 |language=Italian |accessdate=23 December 2020 |date=18 November 2020 |title=Junior Messias, dallo sbarco in Italia in cerca di lavoro alla Serie A nel Crotone}}
At the end of the 2017–18 season his team Gozzano was promoted to Serie C.{{Cite web|date=31 January 2019|title=La storia di Junior, il "Messia" brasiliano che a Crotone avrà finalmente la sua chance {{!}} Sport Team Calabria|url=https://sporteamcalabria.com/la-storia-di-junior-il-messia-brasiliano-che-a-crotone-avra-finalmente-la-sua-chance/|access-date=24 November 2021|language=it-IT}} He made his professional Serie C debut for Gozzano on 23 September 2018 in a game against Cuneo, starting the game and played the whole match.{{cite web|publisher=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2018/09/23/italy/serie-c1/ac-cuneo-1905/asdc-gozzano/2918832/|title=Cuneo v Gozzano game report|date=23 September 2018}} He scored his first professional-level goal on 26 September 2018, against Piacenza.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
= Crotone =
On 31 January 2019, Messias' rights were sold to Serie B club Crotone, who loaned him back to Gozzano until the end of the 2018–19 season.{{cite press release|publisher=Gozzano|url=https://www.facebook.com/gozzanocalcio/posts/10157095361389106|title=Comunicato 04/2019|date=31 January 2019|language=Italian}} He finished his first professional-level season with 33 appearances (32 as a starter) and four goals.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}} Messias made his Serie B debut for Crotone on 24 August 2019 in a game against Cosenza, starting the game and played the whole match.{{cite web|publisher=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/08/24/italy/serie-b/fc-crotone/cosenza-calcio-1914/3122545/|title=Crotone v Cosenza game report|date=}} He was instrumental in Crotone's promotion to the Italian top flight (the second in the club history) by scoring six goals throughout the season, and was confirmed as part of the team squad for the 2020–21 Serie A campaign.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
He scored his first Serie A goal on 25 October 2020 against Cagliari, followed by two braces in December against Spezia and Parma.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}
= AC Milan =
On 31 August 2021, Messias joined AC Milan on a one-year loan deal with an option to buy.{{Cite web|title=Official Statement: Messias Junior|url=http://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2021-08-31/official-statement-messias-junior|access-date=24 November 2021|website=AC Milan}} He made his debut for the club on 3 October 2021, coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 win over Atalanta. On 24 November, he scored his first goal for Milan on his UEFA Champions League debut; he scored the only goal of a 1–0 group stage win over Atlético Madrid. Messias described his header as "the most important moment of [his] career".{{Cite web|last=Campanale|first=Susy|date=24 November 2021|title=Messias: 'Dedicated to those who believed in me'|url=https://football-italia.net/messias-dedicated-to-those-who-believed-in-me/|access-date=24 November 2021|website=Football Italia|language=en-GB}} On 1 December 2021, he received his first league start scoring a brace in a 3–0 away win for Milan against Genoa.
On 6 January 2022, against Roma, he scored the second goal in eventual 3–1 win.{{cite web |title=SENSATIONAL START TO 2022 |url=https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/serie-a/2022-01-06/sensational-start-to-2022 |access-date=6 January 2022}}
On 17 January against Spezia, Messias last minute goal and potentially the winner was controversially disallowed by the referee due to a beforehand foul on his teammate, Ante Rebic, Spezia went on to score the second and win 2–1, the referee apologized to Milan players for the incident.{{cite web |last1=Bettoni |first1=Lorenzo |title=REFEREE SERRA REVEALS WHAT IBRAHIMOVIC TOLD HIM AFTER MILAN-SPEZIA |url=https://football-italia.net/referee-serra-reveals-what-ibrahimovic-told-him-after-milan-spezia/ |website=Football Italia |access-date=22 February 2022}}{{cite web |title=AC MILAN BEATEN AT THE DEATH |url=https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/serie-a/2022-01-17/ac-milan-beaten-at-the-death |website=acmilan |access-date=22 February 2022}} On 19 February, he scored the opener against Salernitana in 2–2 draw.{{cite web |title=A DRAW IN SALERNO |url=https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/serie-a/2022-02-19/a-draw-in-salerno |website=acmilan |access-date=19 February 2022}} On 15 April, he scored against Genoa again to seal 2–0 win.{{cite web |title=AC MILAN 2-0 GENOA: RAFAEL LEAO AND JUNIOR MESSIAS GOALS SEE MILAN RETURN TO TOP OF SERIE A |url=https://www.eurosport.com/football/serie-a/2021-2022/ac-milan-v-genoa-serie-a-live_sto8881584/story.shtml |website=Euro Sport |date=15 April 2022 |access-date=16 April 2022}}
On 15 May he provided the assist to Leao against Atalanta in the first goal as Milan won 2–0,{{cite web |title=AC MILAN 2-0 ATALANTA: ROSSONERI MOVE TO WITHIN A POINT OF FIRST SCUDETTO IN 11 YEARS WITH COMFORTABLE WIN|url=https://www.eurosport.com/football/serie-a/2021-2022/serie-a-live-ac-milan-v-atalanta_sto8922790/story-amp.shtml |website=Euro Sport |date=15 May 2022 |access-date=23 May 2022}} One week later Milan was crowned The Scudetto title after 11-year absence. Overall Messias contribution in the campaign was 5 goals and 2 assists in 26 matches.
On 7 July, Milan bought him, despite the option to buy having already expired.{{Cite web |title=UFFICIALE: Milan, torna Messias. Stavolta il brasiliano si veste di rossonero a titolo definitivo - TUTTOmercatoWEB.com |url=https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/ufficiale-milan-torna-messias-stavolta-il-brasiliano-si-veste-di-rossonero-a-titolo-definitivo-1703020 |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=www.tuttomercatoweb.com |language=it}}
= Genoa =
On 11 August 2023, Messias joined recently promoted Serie A club Genoa on a season-long loan with the option to make the deal permanent, which becomes an obligation if certain conditions are met.{{Cite web|title=Official Statement: Junior Messias|url=https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2023-08-11/official-statement-junior-messias|date=11 August 2023|website=AC Milan}} On 13 January 2024, Genoa CFC paid the clause to AC Milan, totalling 3 million euros and with Messias permanently moving to the club.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-14 |title=Genoa purchase Junior Messias from Milan - Football Italia |url=https://football-italia.net/genoa-purchase-junior-messias-from-milan/ |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=football-italia.net |language=en-GB}}
Personal life
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 2 March 2025}}{{Soccerway|495025|access-date=24 November 2021}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Coppa Italia !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casale
|32 | 21 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 21 | ||||
| Chieri
|33 | 14 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Appearance in Coppa Italia Serie D|name=CISD}} | 1 | 34 | 15 | |||
| rowspan="3"|Gozzano
|Serie D |19 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 4{{efn|One appearance in Coppa Italia Serie D, three appearances and one goal in Serie D play-offs}} | 1 | 23 | 5 | |||
| 2018–19
|32 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3{{efn|Appearances in Coppa Italia Serie C|name=CISC}} | 1 | 35 | 5 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!51 | 8 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 7 | 2 | 58 | 10 | |||
| rowspan="3"|Crotone
|34 | 6 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 36 | 6 | |||
| 2020–21
|36 | 9 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 37 | 9 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!70 | 15 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 73 | 15 | |||
| AC Milan (loan)
|Serie A |26 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Champions League|name=UCL}} | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 6 | ||
| AC Milan
|Serie A |25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9{{efn|name=UCL}} | 1 | 1{{efn|Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana}} | 0 | 36 | 6 | |
| rowspan="3"|Genoa
|2023–24{{efn|Part of this season was spent on loan from AC Milan}} |Serie A |18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 18 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25
|Serie A |10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 11 | 2 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!28 | 2 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 3 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!265 | 69 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 294 | 75 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{UEFA player}}
{{Genoa CFC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Messias, Junior}}
Category:Footballers from Belo Horizonte
Category:Brazilian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Cruzeiro Esporte Clube players
Category:Brazilian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Italy