Andreas Pereira
A technically gifted midfielder whose career path has taken him from the academies of Europe to the pitches of Brazil, representing the Seleção after a childhood in Belgium.
Born 1996 (age 30)·Belgian-Brazilian footballer·Birthday: January 1·Millennials
Biography
Andreas Pereira's football journey is a story of global talent and complex identity. Born in Belgium to a Brazilian father, he was snapped up by PSV Eindhoven's youth system before making a pivotal move to Manchester United's famed academy at age 16. His time at Old Trafford was defined by promise and patience, featuring loan spells across England, Spain, and Italy as he sought the consistent first-team football his skill warranted. A permanent move to Fulham in 2022 finally provided that platform, where his creativity and set-piece delivery became key assets in the Premier League. His international allegiance, a long-considered decision, ultimately went to Brazil, the nation of his father's birth, for whom he made his senior debut. In 2024, he embarked on a new chapter, returning to his roots with a transfer to Brazilian giants Palmeiras.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Andreas was born in 1996, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andreas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1996
#1 Movie
Independence Day
Best Picture
The English Patient
#1 TV Show
ER
Andreas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1996Born
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2001Started school
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2009Became a teenager
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Could drive
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2014Could vote
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2017Turned 21
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Turned 30
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Made his senior debut for the Brazil national team in 2018 after previously representing Belgium at youth levels.
- Won the UEFA Europa League with Manchester United in 2017, coming on as a substitute in the final.
- Scored a spectacular long-range goal for Fulham against Manchester City in the 2023-24 season, later voted the club's Goal of the Season.
- Helped Fulham secure a top-half Premier League finish in the 2022-23 season as a key midfield starter.
Did You Know?
His full name is Andreas Hugo Hoelgebaum Pereira, incorporating his mother's maiden name.
He is fluent in Dutch, Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish.
He scored on his first-ever start for Manchester United, in a League Cup match against Ipswich Town in 2015.
His father, Marcos Pereira, was also a professional footballer in Brazil.
“I will always fight for my place and show what I can do.”
