Report: Gabriel Jesus draws inspiration from Barcelona legends, exceptional beginnings for Brazil stars

Gabriel Jesus is preparing to start his journey with FC Barcelona after joining the Catalan side from Arsenal, and he is ready to participate whenever head coach Hans Flick decides to field him. As his debut approaches, the Brazilian forward has many role models to draw inspiration from, as Barcelona's history has seen remarkable beginnings for several of Brazil's top stars.

Gabriel Jesus, aged 29, has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of names that have left a clear mark at FC Barcelona since their debut, including Evaristo, Romário, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho.

Evaristo de Macedo was one of the first Brazilians to make a strong impact with FC Barcelona. The club legend played his first official match for the team on September 22, 1957, against Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium, in the first round of LaLiga for the 1957/1958 season.

Evaristo made an immediate impact by scoring the equalizer for FC Barcelona in the 72nd minute. Just two days later, he participated in the opening of Camp Nou and scored a goal in FC Barcelona's emphatic 7-2 victory over the Warsaw national team.

In the winter of 1980, Brazilian striker Roberto Dinamite arrived at FC Barcelona to replace Hans Krankl, and he succeeded in making a very strong start.

Roberto made his debut on January 19 against UD Almería in LaLiga, scoring two goals, experiencing his best days in a FC Barcelona shirt since his first appearance. However, his stint did not last long, as he played only 11 matches before returning to Brazil, where he became a legend at Vasco da Gama.

Romário was one of the most prominent examples of a perfect start with FC Barcelona. After joining the club in 1993, he managed to score his first three goals for the team in his official debut.

On September 5, 1993, Romário led FC Barcelona to a 3-0 victory over Real Sociedad in LaLiga, scoring three goals in a standout attacking display, starting his journey with the team in the way he had hoped.

Ronaldo Nazário was no less dazzling in his start with FC Barcelona. The Brazilian forward arrived at the club in the summer of 1996 from PSV Eindhoven, and he spent just one season with the team, but it was an exceptional season in which he scored 47 goals in 49 matches.

In his official debut on August 25, 1996, against Atlético in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, Ronaldo scored two goals and provided an assist, contributing to FC Barcelona's 5-2 victory at Montjuïc Stadium.

In the same match, Brazilian Giovani Silva de Oliveira made his first appearance for FC Barcelona and also left his mark by scoring one goal and assisting two.

Rivaldo continues the trend of strong starts for Brazilian stars at FC Barcelona. After joining the club on the last day of the transfer window in 1997, following a standout season with Deportivo, he quickly began to compensate for the disappointment of Ronaldo's departure to Inter.

In the opening round of LaLiga, on August 31, 1997, Rivaldo scored two of FC Barcelona's three goals in a 3-0 victory over Real Sociedad.

Ronaldinho became one of the most prominent Brazilian legends of FC Barcelona in the 21st century, with a memorable debut in front of the club's fans.

Ronaldinho participated in the opening round of LaLiga for the 2003/2004 season against Athletic Bilbao, which ended with FC Barcelona winning 1-0, but his appearance in front of the Camp Nou fans came on September 3, 2003, during the famous match known as the 'Jazz Match'.

The match kicked off at 00:05 after midnight, with FC Barcelona unable to reschedule the game due to many of their players being involved with their national teams. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, but Ronaldinho stole the spotlight with a stunning goal, which was a precursor to what he would later deliver in the FC Barcelona shirt.

Neymar's start at FC Barcelona was not as strong as some of his compatriots. On August 18, 2013, he participated for the last 26 minutes in FC Barcelona's emphatic 7-0 victory over Levante, after coming on for Alexis Sánchez in the first round of LaLiga for the 2013/2014 season.

Raphinha, the current captain of FC Barcelona, did not show much in his first appearance. The former Leeds player played his first match for Barcelona on August 13, 2022, when he started as a starter against Rayo Vallecano in the first round of LaLiga, and the match ended in a goalless draw.

Raphinha had previously appeared in the pre-season in the United States, specifically on July 20, 2022, against Inter Miami, where he scored one goal and provided two assists.

Between exceptional beginnings and others that are more subdued, Gabriel Jesus enters his experience with FC Barcelona, having many Brazilian models who preceded him at the club.

Evairisto, Romário, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and others have proven that some Brazilians were able to leave their mark from their very first match, while others needed a longer time before their impact became evident.

Now, Gabriel Jesus is waiting for his chance to start a new chapter in his career with FC Barcelona, hoping that his name will also become part of the history of the Catalan club, just like many of his compatriots who came before him.