After winning the Betway Premiership Player of the Month for September and October, Lucas Ribeiro Costa has made waves once again, proving why he is one of the best players currently in the top flight of South African football. Born on the 9th of October 1998 in Santa Helena, Brazil, he signed for Mamelodi Sundowns on the 6th of July 2023.

His main position is as a second striker. However, his versatility—one of his strongest assets as a player—allows him to play on either flank. Being left-footed makes Ribeiro a danger man on either side of the wing, enabling him to cut in and take chances himself or deliver a cross for the waiting striker in the opposition box.

Having started his professional football career in 2017 with Moto Club U20s in the 2016/2017 season, he then moved on to Pinheiro S19 at the start of the 2017/2018 season. The following year, he was picked up by French outfit Valenciennes FC B, who currently ply their trade in the fifth tier of French football. He slowly began to make a name for himself in the lower leagues of French football before securing a move to Belgium in 2020.

In the 2020/2021 season, Lucas Ribeiro wore the colors of Royal Excelsior Virton. In less than a year, he found his next move, still in Belgium—this time for R Charleroi SC. By this point in his career, Ribeiro had gained a transfer value of 325,000 Euros. His value began to rise as clubs started circling around for the talented Brazilian attacker.

Due to the global pandemic, Ribeiro found himself being loaned out to multiple clubs between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He played for clubs such as RWD Molenbeek, Royal Excel Mouscron, and SK Beveren. By then, his football journey had seen him floating between the tiers of Belgian football. After his spell in Belgium, Lucas Ribeiro Costa was ready for a new challenge.

In the 2023/2024 season, South African powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns acquired the services of the talented Brazilian forward, who would slot into their team effortlessly. At the time of writing, Ribeiro has competed in four competitions: the Betway Premiership, MTN8, Carling Knockout, and CAF Champions League. He has featured 12 times, scoring in seven of those matches while setting up four goals for his teammates.

So far this season, he has played the majority of his games on the right wing, featuring in that position eight times, where he registered four goals and three assists. His second-most played position was on the left, where he scored three goals. He has played center forward once so far this season and registered one assist. (via Transfermarket)

Lucas Ribeiro has made an impact wherever he has been, whether that was in the Challenger Pro League, where he scored 18 goals and registered 11 assists in a total of 66 appearances, or in the Betway Premiership, where in 23 appearances he has scored 16 goals while assisting his teammates six times. (via Transfermarket)