Balancing wholehearted tenacity and commitment off the ball with composure and quality in possession, Joao Gomes has flourished during his three years in gold and black.
The midfielder has already racked up more than a century of appearances for Wolves, having first become a fixture in the side back in the 2023/24 season following a move from Flamengo the previous January.
Growing up in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, the kind of Premier League stardom he has experienced during the last few years must have felt a lifetime away – but Gomes was born with a belief that one day he would be able to live out his dreams.
“I’m from a community where there’s not a lot to do,” Gomes explained. “We don’t have as many opportunities as someone from here [in England], but you have talented people who are never found due to that lack of opportunity.
“You can find people a lot better than me, but who never got the same chances in life. My dream is to build an academy there to offer the chances to those with talent that are often wasted away.”
It didn’t take him long to become fully acclimatized to a new continent, country and club. Brought in by Julen Lopetegui, Gomes got his Wolves career off to the best possible start when handed his debut away at Southampton in February 2023.
Minutes after his arrival onto the pitch, Wolves were back level, and with just three minutes left on the clock, Gomes picked up the ball in the middle of the Southampton half, raced towards and the box and let fly. Although his initial effort was blocked, he quickly pounced on the rebound at the edge of the box to side-foot a perfectly placed finish into the top corner of the net.
“I always dreamt about playing in the Premier League and when I came here, it went beyond my expectations. It was truly something amazing and magical.
“I don't think it’s easy for anyone to move to the Premier League, even more so when you’re coming from a league that’s a bit quieter, and then you come here and things are much quicker, they’re much more attacking, but you also have to have a good defence.
“Everyone needs a certain period to adapt and everyone needs a period of adjustment to the Premier League, so I think that’s extremely normal.”
He was given that period of adjustment as Gomes was eased in gently by Lopetegui.
Gomes turned out just a handful of times in his debut Premier League campaign, as he backed up the likes of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Mario Lemina, but believes that period proved to be of great benefit.
“These six months made all the difference. When I first arrived, I didn’t know a single English word – absolutely none. But little by little you are taught the language and learn to listen to everyone around you, and I think that helped me improve as an individual and to fully adjust.
“It was a big change because I left Rio with 38 degrees weather and landed in the UK with zero degrees weather. Brazil was very sunny and here it’s very cold. There are other things to consider such as family and friends who are hard to leave behind, but my wife, who is here with me, is instrumental.
“She is the one who gives me all the support to disconnect as soon as I get on the pitch and focus solely on my work, and when I first played, thank God, I was able to score because it was almost as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I definitely felt that pressure was taken off me.”
Taking over the role – and squad number – left by Neves upon his departure from Molineux in the summer of 2023, Gomes became one of the first names on the teamsheet under Gary O’Neil, but it was during a very productive February of 2024 when Gomes showed his full potential.
Starring in a 4-2 win away at Chelsea, in which he was key in helping Mathues Cunha bag a hat-trick, a return visit to the capital two weeks later saw the Brazilian strike not only his first goal of the season, but his second, as he helped Wolves to the perfect away performance – and completed the first brace of his career.
“I think it was the first time in my career that I’ve scored two goals in a match. That’s really rare, especially for a player like me that barely gets to the box.
“I scored at least one in Brazil, against Sao Paulo FC, but that was a long time ago.”
While with his goal celebration, Gomes announced he and his wife Mylla were expecting their first child. The birth of his son, Pedro, in April rounded off a memorable first full season in England for Gomes.
However, becoming a new father also gave the midfielder a new outlook, not only on football, but life in general.
“It was very difficult, especially in the first few weeks. I remember running from training to go home to give more support to my wife. Obviously everything gets more intense, everything gets more rushed, but that’s normal for any father of a family. It’s not different for me because I’m a footballer.
“But nowadays, I look at everything with a more affectionate eye. I value the time I spend in my home, with my family.
“I think I’ve started to see everything in a different way. We start to care less about irrelevant things and we start to give more importance to something that is much more valuable than anything else, in this case, our own time with our family.”
Gomes creeped closer to his 100th Wolves appearance last season as he produced the best goalscoring season of his career – four goals and two assists – to claim the 2024/25 Supporters’ Player of the Season Award.
That positive relationship with the Wolves fans has come because the Brazilian and his family have embedded themselves in the local community, but leafy (and often rainy) Tettenhall is a million miles away from what he was used to growing up in sunny Rio.
“They’re wonderful people,” Gomes said about his fellow Wulfrunians. “They’re very passionate about football, but they can tell the difference between who I am on and off the pitch. They respect me a lot.
“Nowadays I can go out for a walk like a normal person and, of course, you have people stopping you here or there but it’s not over the top like it was in Rio.
“I like the nature here. There are so many green areas out in the open for you to go visit with your wife and dogs and have a picnic. Those are the little things that matter and that I’m passionate about. I’m not one to go out. I’d rather stay at home to enjoy the company of the people I love and admire.
“Here I have a great house and car, so I didn’t feel much of a difference from Rio to here. It was mostly the weather but apart from that, I truly feel at home.”
This season has seen Gomes take on a leadership role within the group. Gomes is one of six players - alongside Toti, Matt Doherty, Jose Sa, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Hee Chan Hwang - to have worn the armband at various stages throughout the campaign.
Gomes led the team out for a Premier League fixture for the first time against Brighton & Hove Albion on appearance number 98, and despite another 90-minute display full of heart and determination, he was ultimately not able to secure the Old Gold their first three points of the season.
Today's skipper ©️ pic.twitter.com/SgdjRXgxO7
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 5, 2025
Although it wasn’t a 100th game to savour, as Wolves fell to a home defeat to Burnley, Gomes has proved in his three years in gold and black to be one of the most impressive signings the club has made in the 2020s.
And with a World Cup coming up in June, the midfielder is eager to be in contention for a place on the plane to North America, but knows his performances at club level over the next few months are going to make or break whether he represents his country this summer and achieve another lifelong dream.
But if he continues to produce like he has under Rob Edwards, including more goals like his most recent finish in the win over Aston Villa in February, then Gomes will do his chances no harm at all.
“I’m always working towards it. I know I have to do well here at Wolves for me to go, and I know my team also has to do well, because I think that’s one of the determining factors.
“For me, all I’m thinking about is what I can do at Wolves first to earn a call-up to the national team.
“Obviously playing for their country at a World Cup is a dream for everyone. But for me, I need to focus on the job that I’m doing here first, mainly to get Wolves out of this situation, which is the most important thing right now, and then we’ll see what happens.”
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2025/26 matchday programme. This season's programmes are all available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
