Brazilian · Rio de Janeiro · Born 12 June 1992Brazilian attacking midfielder/winger known for long-range strikes and playmaking ability. Won Champions League with Bayern Munich and Copa America with Brazil.
Philippe Coutinho Correia was born on 12 June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the third and youngest son of Esmeralda Coutinho and architect José Carlos Correia, and was raised in the city's northern Rocha district, between an old favela and industrial warehouses. He joined Vasco da Gama's youth academy as a boy before Inter Milan signed him as a teenager in 2008. Coutinho spent time on loan back at Vasco da Gama and at Espanyol before establishing himself in Italian football, and Liverpool signed him in 2013. Over four and a half seasons at Anfield, he developed into one of the most gifted attacking midfielders in world football, renowned for his close control, vision, and eye for a spectacular long-range strike, becoming a fan favourite known simply as "the Little Magician." Barcelona signed Coutinho for a club-record fee in January 2018, though his time in Spain never fully matched the heights of his Liverpool form, including a loan spell at Bayern Munich in which he won the Champions League treble as a guest player against his parent club's rivals. He later returned to England with Aston Villa, with further loan spells at Qatar's Al-Duhail and back at boyhood club Vasco da Gama. Coutinho earned dozens of caps for Brazil, scoring twice at the 2018 World Cup and winning the 2019 Copa América on home soil, and returned permanently to Vasco da Gama in 2025, bringing his career full circle to the club where his journey in football first began.
Record-breaking €160m transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona
Barcelona paid £142m for him in January 2018 — then a British record transfer fee — though his time at the Camp Nou never lived up to the extraordinary outlay.
Did You Know?How They Played
Creative attacking midfielder with exceptional dribbling, vision and long-range shooting ability
Lasting Impact
Coutinho's transfer to Barcelona highlighted the modern era of inflated transfer fees in football. His creative performances for Liverpool helped establish him as one of the Premier League's most gifted playmakers during the mid-2010s.
Career Honours
- La Liga 2018, 2019
- Champions League 2020 (Bayern)
- Bundesliga 2020 (Bayern)
- Copa America 2019
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vasco da Gama | 2009–2010 | — | 31 | 19 | #10 |
| Inter Milan | 2010–2013 | £8.5m | 130 | 35 | #10 |
| Liverpool | 2013–2018 | £8.5m | 118 | 37 | #10 |
| Barcelona | 2018–2022 | £142m | 100 | 28 | #10 |
| Bayern Munich | 2019–2020 | loan | 38 | 11 | — |
| Aston Villa | 2022–2023 | loan then permanent | 54 | 5 | — |
 Brazil | — | — | 92 | 21 | — |
Brazilian Athletes