An Amazing Life Story: The Player Who Made History at Barcelona
Raised in poverty, playing barefoot, overcoming a serious illness and a difficult suspension, the Brazilian forward has joined Barcelona from Manchester City. The Catalans set a club record to sign Karolin.
Last night (Tuesday), Barcelona completed a historic signing, acquiring Karolin from Manchester City. The 26-year-old Brazilian forward signed a contract through the summer of 2030, becoming the most expensive player in the club’s history with a transfer fee of €1.2 million. Including bonuses, British media report the total value could reach approximately €1.5 million—the highest amount an English Super League team has ever received for a player.
Karolin joined Manchester City from North Carolina Courage in January 2025, helping the team win its first league title in a decade and the FA Cup. With 12 goals in 26 league appearances, she has proven her ability to change the game in the final third. Barcelona stated: “Karolin’s signing is further proof of the club’s ambitions to bring together the world’s best players and continue setting the bar for excellence.”
Her path to the top was far from guaranteed. Raised by her mother alongside four siblings, the family once lived on a farm in the Campinas area due to financial hardship. She would wake up at 5:00 AM to travel to school, while her stepfather would drive her to training sessions along his delivery route.
She learned the game playing barefoot on the streets with boys. At age 11, she suffered severe leg pain and swelling. Initially misdiagnosed as a sprain, it was later revealed to be an infection that required surgery and four months of hospitalization. During this time, her weight dropped to 44 kilograms, but her mother, Tatiana, helped her recover with home-cooked meals. Despite medical advice to switch to swimming, Karolin returned to the streets to play football.
In 2018, she was named the breakthrough player of the Brazilian league after scoring 14 goals for Ponte Preta. However, a two-year suspension following a positive test for prohibited substances kept her out of the 2019 World Cup. “I didn’t do anything wrong, but this process strengthened me. I learned how to win through losses,” she said during her suspension.
She returned to the pitch in 2021 with Madrid CFF before finding success in the NWSL. In 2023, she became the first South American to be named NWSL MVP. Despite tearing her ACL shortly before the playoffs, she recovered to play in 2024. With the Brazilian national team, she has scored 15 goals in 60 appearances, winning the 2022 Copa América and a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
