Gabriel Jesus’s incredible journey from street art in Sao Paulo to being referred to by Guardiola as ‘the best in the world’ and currently being the best striker at Arsenal

ARSENAL STAR Gabriel Jesus had aspirations ten years ago of combining his creative training with professional soccer.

As Brazil prepared to host the 2014 World Cup, the 27-year-old new signing for Arsenal was seen painting on the streets of his Sao Paulo neighborhood while still a youngster. Jesus was playing for the Palmeiras youth squad when he was seventeen years old and painting on the streets of São Paulo. He had a paintbrush in his hand. This is a component of a regional celebration of the country’s 2014 World Cup hosting. Therefore, Jesus was content with his neighborhood in Jardim Peri and added his own touches to make a place known for its poor housing quality seem better.

Jesus celebrates his hometown by getting a tattoo of a little child with a soccer ball under his arm, looking back at his old neighborhood. He was motivated to focus on his career from the age of eight to fourteen by the football team Pequeninos do Meio Ambiente in the adjacent city of Tremembe.

Because he cannot afford to ride the bus, he practices every Saturday for an hour and a half by walking in his old soccer shoes and flip-flops. Perhaps that eight-mile ride helped mold him into the committed and hardworking player he is today.

After completing the exam with flying colors, his former principal at Guilherme de Almeida State University suggested he might pursue a career in biology. However, he went with football.

In 22 games, he scored 37 goals to lead Palmeiras to the 2014 u17 state championship. Academy life would have to wait because by then, elite European teams had already noticed his talent. After being promoted to the Palmeiras main team in 2015, Jesus made frequent appearances off the bench during his 37 appearances across all competitions, tallying 7 goals. It’s going to be much greater next year. He made 46 appearances while scoring 21 goals. More significantly, he will assist Palmeiras in capturing their first title in twenty-two years.

After securing a sensational transfer to Manchester City in Europe at the close of 2016, the striker made his debut for his nation, scoring twice. At nineteen years old, all of this took place. Pep Guardiola referred to Jesus as “the best in the world” after witnessing his incredible ascent and his following exploits for Man City.

Following a prosperous tenure with Manchester City, Jesus relocated to Arsenal FC in July 2022. He kept up his striker abilities at Arsenal, adjusting to the new system and bolstering the team’s оffensive potency.