About Paulinho (footballer, born July 1988)
José Paulo Bezerra Maciel Júnior (born 25 July 1988), known as Paulinho, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was known for his physicality, stamina, late attacking runs into the penalty area and ability to contribute both defensively and offensively. Paulinho began his career in Brazil and had early spells in Lithuania and Poland before establishing himself at Corinthians, where he won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the Copa Libertadores and the FIFA Club World Cup. He later played for Tottenham Hotspur, Guangzhou Evergrande, Barcelona and Al-Ahli, before returning to Corinthians and retiring in 2024. During his time at Barcelona, he won La Liga and the Copa del Rey. At international level, Paulinho represented the Brazil national team from 2011 to 2018. He was part of the squad that won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and represented Brazil at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. After failing to break through into the first team, Paulinho joined Lithuanian side Vilnius in 2006. Following one season in Poland where Paulinho made 17 league appearances, he returned to Brazil and his first club Pão de Açúcar in the summer of 2008. On 16 December, Paulinho and Corinthians won the Club World Cup in Yokohama as Paolo Guerrero scored the winner in the 1–0 victory over European champions Chelsea.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.