Meet Vitoria Yaya, Brazil women's midfielder named after Ivory Coast great

Vitoria Ferreira Silva is currently making waves in Brazilian football as part of the women’s national team that secured a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and she is also gaining popularity among African fans for her peculiar nickname.

The 22-year-old Corinthians midfielder is known on the football pitch as Vitoria Yaya or simply Yaya, a tribute to Ivory Coast and Manchester City legend Yaya Toure, whose style of play the Brazilian has mirrored.

Born on January 23, 2002, in Suzano and raised in Ferraz de Vasconcelos, both in the Sao Paulo state, Vitoria Yaya's football journey began at a young age.

She joined the youth setup at Centro Olimpico when she was just 13 years old, where her playing style drew comparisons to that of Yaya Toure, the legendary former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder, with the youngster showing strength, vision, and tenacity from the middle of the pitch.

The nickname "Yaya" quickly stuck, and she has proudly carried it throughout her career.

In 2017, Yaya moved to Sao Paulo FC, following a partnership between the club and Centro Olimpico, and her talent was undeniable, earning her promotion to the first team for the 2019 season.

Vitoria Yaya made an immediate impact, scoring the winning goal in her senior debut and helping Sao Paulo secure promotion to the Serie A1 as champions.

Vitoria Yaya's impressive performances caught the attention of Santos FC, who snapped her up in January 2023.

Despite being a regular starter, her time at Santos was short-lived, and by December of the same year, she decided to move on, joining Corinthians in January 2024, where she has also become a standout player, winning the Supercopa Feminino.

Vitoria Yaya's club success has also translated into opportunities on the international stage, as she is one of the few players to have represented her country at every level possible.

She represented Brazil at the 2018 South American U-17 Women's Championship and the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, earning a call-up to the senior national team in 2019 at just 17 years old.

Although she didn't see playing time during that tournament, Vitoria Yaya was able to gain valuable experience and continued to develop steadily.

She also played for Brazil at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2022, when Brazil reached the semifinals and eventually claimed a bronze medal.

The youngster’s hard work paid off in 2022 when she made her full international debut in October, going on to play 11 more times for the senior national team.

Vitoria Yaya was part of the Brazil women’s team at the Summer Olympics in Paris and played in four games as they won the silver medal following the defeat to the USA in the final, during which the star midfielder was unfortunately substituted early with an injury.