Willian (footballer, born 1988)

Willian Borges da Silva (born 9 August 1988), known mononymously as Willian, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Super League Greece club Olympiacos.

Willian
Willian with Brazil at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Willian Borges da Silva[1]
Date of birth (1988-08-09) 9 August 1988 (age 36)[2]
Place of birth Ribeirão Pires, Brazil
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
Olympiacos
Number 18
Youth career
1998–2006 Corinthians
2005Mauaense (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Corinthians 37 (2)
2007–2013 Shakhtar Donetsk 140 (20)
2013 Anzhi Makhachkala 11 (1)
2013–2020 Chelsea 234 (37)
2020–2021 Arsenal 25 (1)
2021–2022 Corinthians 35 (1)
2022–2024 Fulham 58 (9)
2024– Olympiacos 6 (0)
International career
2007 Brazil U20 12 (0)
2011–2019 Brazil 70 (9)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Brazil
Copa América
Winner 2019 Brazil
South American Youth Championship
Winner 2007 Paraguay
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 December 2024 (UTC)

Willian started his career at Corinthians, before joining Shakhtar Donetsk in August 2007 for a fee of €14 million. In his six years at the club, he won several honours, including four Ukrainian Premier League titles and the UEFA Cup in 2009. In 2013, he briefly signed for Anzhi Makhachkala before joining Chelsea for £30 million, winning the Premier League and League Cup in his second season in England.

Willian made his debut for Brazil in 2011 and has since represented his country at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2015 Copa América, the Copa América Centenario, and the 2019 Copa América, a tournament Brazil won on home soil.

Club career

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Corinthians

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Willian started playing futsal at six years old in his hometown of Ribeirão Pires. In 1998, he joined the Corinthians youth system. In 2005, at the age of 17, he was already part of the squad that won the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior. He was also among the Corinthians loanees who briefly played for Grêmio Mauaense in the 2005 Campeonato Paulista Série A3.[4]

In 2007, Willian started playing for the Corinthians first team. He made five league appearances during his first season with the senior side as Corinthians finished mid-table. His breakthrough came with Corinthians in the following campaign, featuring in 11 league matches, scoring twice, and making 29 appearances in all competitions for the club. Although they were 13th when Willian was sold,[5] they ended up finishing 17th in the Série A and were relegated for the first time in the club's history.[6]

Shakhtar Donetsk

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2007–08 season

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On 23 August 2007, Willian signed a five-year contract with Shakhtar Donetsk for a transfer fee of €14 million.[7] His debut for the club came on 15 September in a 2–1 league victory over Chornomorets Odesa, where he came on as a 57th-minute substitute, replacing fellow Brazilian Jádson.[citation needed] Willian scored his first goal for the club on 31 October in a 4–1 victory over Arsenal Kyiv in the Ukrainian Cup.[citation needed] He made his European debut on 6 November in a 3–0 Champions League defeat to A.C. Milan, coming on as a 73rd-minute replacement for Răzvan Raț.[8]

Willian ended his first season with Shakhtar with 31 total appearances, 28 of which came in the league, scoring three league goals. He helped Shakhtar to a Vyshcha Liha and Ukrainian Cup double, as they won the league by three points over Dynamo Kyiv and defeated them 2–0 in the 2008 Ukrainian Cup Final.

2008–09 season

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Willian playing for Shakhtar Donetsk in 2009

He played in the Super Cup penalty shoot-out victory over Dynamo Kyiv on 15 July, being replaced by Brandão after 46 minutes.[9] On 27 August, he scored a goal in a 3–1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.[10] On 1 November, he scored his first league goal for Shakhtar in a 3–1 win against Zorya Luhansk.[11] On 16 November, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv.[12] He scored the decisive goal in a 1–0 victory against Chornomorets Odesa on 25 April.[13]

Willian played in Shakhtar's UEFA Cup Final 2–1 extra time victory against Werder Bremen,[14] helping Shakhtar to lift the last UEFA Cup title before it was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League. He made 52 appearances in the 2008–09 season, scoring eight goals. He appeared in all but one league match, scoring five goals, and also netted a goal in a Ukrainian Cup round of 16 tie against Zakarpattia Uzhhorod, which Shakhtar won 4–1.[citation needed]

2009–10 season

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Willian's first goal of the season came in a 6–1 Ukrainian Cup round of 32 victory against Dniester Ovidiopol on 15 August.[15] He made an appearance in Shakhtar's 1–0 extra time defeat to Spanish side Barcelona in the UEFA Super Cup on 28 August, being replaced by Julius Aghahowa in the 90th minute of the match.[16] On 17 September, he netted the second goal in a 4–1 win against Belgian side Club Brugge in a group stage match in the Europa League.[17] He ended the season with 7 goals in 39 appearances, including 22 appearances and five goals in the league. He helped Shakhtar to victory in the Ukrainian Premier League. They finished the league with 77 points, six ahead of nearest rivals Dynamo Kyiv.[18]

2010–11 season

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Willian started the season with a goal in Shakhtar's emphatic 7–1 victory against Tavriya Simferopol in the Super Cup on 4 July.[19] He followed that up on 10 July with the second goal in the first league match of the season, a 2–0 victory over Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.[20] On 15 August, he netted the only goal in a 1–0 victory against Karpaty Lviv, scoring in first half stoppage time.[21] He also scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Illichivets Mariupol on 29 August.[22] On 8 March, he scored two goals in a Champions League last 16 tie against Roma, with Shakhtar winning 3–0 on the night and progressing to the quarter-final after winning 6–2 on aggregate.[23] He played in the 2–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv in the Ukrainian Cup Final on 25 May, being replaced by Alex Teixeira after 77 minutes.[24] He ended the season with eight goals from 43 appearances, including 23 league appearances and three league goals. Shakhtar retained their league title with a score of 72 points, seven points ahead of second placed team, Dynamo Kyiv. They added the Ukrainian Cup and Super Cup titles to clinch a domestic treble.[25]

2011–12 season

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Willian playing for Shakhtar Donetsk in 2012

The following season, Willian played the full 90 minutes in the Super Cup match against Dynamo Kyiv on 5 July, however Shakhtar lost the match 3–1.[26] On 19 October, he scored the opening goal in a 2–2 draw with Zenit Saint Petersburg in the Champions League.[27] He scored the second goal in a 2–1 win over Illichivets Mariupol on 10 March.[28] On 6 May, he played the full match in a 2–1 extra time victory against Metalurh Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup Final.[29] He finished the season with six goals, five in the league, from 37 appearances, 27 of which came in the league. Shakhtar secured the Ukrainian Premier League title for the third year in a row and the Ukrainian Cup title for a second time in a row.[30]

2012–13 season

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Shakhtar opened the season with a 2–0 win against Metalurh Donetsk in the Super Cup, however Willian failed to make the squad for the match.[31] He had to wait until the fourth league match of the season, on 6 August, before making his first appearance of the season in a 4–0 win against Volyn Lutsk.[32] He replaced goalscorer Alex Teixeira after 46 minutes. On 19 August, he scored his first goal and made two assists in a comprehensive 5–1 victory against Chornomorets Odesa.[33] Willian scored both of Shakhtar's goals in their 3–2 loss against European champions Chelsea in the group stage of the Champions League on 7 November.[34]

Anzhi Makhachkala

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On 31 January 2013, Willian moved to Anzhi Makhachkala for a fee thought to be in the region of €35million.[35][36] He originally chose to wear the number 10, however due to UEFA restrictions that states a player must wear a number used in the Champions League for the remainder of the season, he was forced to wear the number 88 he had chosen at Shakhtar.[37] After moving to Russia, Willian said he was happy to join Anzhi and wished Shakhtar Donetsk great success in the future. On his debut, Willian sustained an injury against Newcastle United in a Europa League match.[38] He scored his only Anzhi goal on 14 April 2013 in a 3–0 victory against Volga Nizhny Novgorod.[39]

In August 2013, following financial restructuring, Anzhi chose to transfer their whole squad, including recent signing Willian.[40]

Chelsea

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2013–14 season

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On 25 August 2013, English Premier League club Chelsea agreed a deal to sign Willian for a fee of £30 million, subject to a work permit hearing on 28 August 2013.[41] The deal was made official on 28 August 2013 and Willian signed a five-year contract, receiving the number 22 shirt.[42] Although regulations usually state that non-EU players must be regular internationals, Willian was given a work permit despite only having two caps at the time, as an FA panel deemed that if he were not a Brazilian, he would have been a regular international and therefore would have had more caps.[43]

Prior to signing for Chelsea, Willian had attracted interest from Chelsea's London rivals Tottenham. He completed a medical at Tottenham before meeting with Chelsea, which caused confusion as to which club he would sign for. Willian claims Chelsea was his first preference, and he would have only signed with Tottenham if the deal with Chelsea fell through.[44][45]

Willian made his debut on 18 September against Basel in the Champions League in a 2–1 home defeat.[46] After featuring in wins against Swindon Town and Steaua București in the League Cup and Champions League respectively, he made his league debut on 6 October away to Norwich City,[47] and scored in a 3–1 win.[48] He scored his second Chelsea goal on 1 January 2014 in a 3–0 victory at Southampton.[49] On 27 April 2014, Willian scored in Chelsea's 2–0 away victory against Liverpool.[50]

2014–15 season

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Willian playing for Chelsea in 2015

Willian scored his first goal of the new Premier League season in a 3–0 win over Aston Villa on 27 September.[51] On 25 November, he scored his first Champions League goal for the club in a group stage match against Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen.[52]

In extra time in a League Cup semi-final against Liverpool on 28 January 2015, he took the free-kick which was headed in by Branislav Ivanović to put Chelsea into the final.[53] On 1 March, Willian was selected to start against Tottenham in the 2015 League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, a match which Chelsea won 2–0 to win the trophy for the fifth time.[54]

Willian ended the 2014–15 season having appeared in 36 of Chelsea's 38 league matches as the club won its fifth league title.[55]

2015–16 season

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Willian for Chelsea in 2015–16

On 16 September, Willian scored directly from a free kick to open the scoring as Chelsea defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv in the club's first game of the Champions League group stage.[56] He went on to score from free kicks in the team's next three matches; Premier League matches against Newcastle United and Southampton and a 2–1 loss at Porto in the Champions League.[57] On 4 November, Willian scored his fifth free-kick of the season to give Chelsea a 2–1 win over Dynamo Kyiv,[58] and 20 days later he recorded a sixth in a 4–0 triumph at Maccabi, making him Europe's top free-kick scorer of the season.[citation needed]

On 9 December, Willian scored his fifth Champions League goal of the season in a 2–0 victory over Porto in Chelsea's final group match, ensuring the team qualified for the knockout stage as group winners.[59] He was subsequently named by UEFA as one of the top XI players of the Champions' League group stage.[60]

On 13 May 2016, Willian was named Chelsea's Fans' Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year for 2015–16.[61]

2016–17 season

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On 12 July 2016, Willian signed a new four-year contract.[62] On 27 August 2016, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win over newly promoted Burnley.[63]

On 22 April 2017, Willian scored twice in Chelsea's 4–2 FA Cup semi-final victory over rivals Tottenham at Wembley Stadium.[64]

2017–18 season

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On his 200th appearance for Chelsea, Willian scored twice and won two penalties as the Blues beat Qarabağ 4–0 at Baku National Stadium on 22 November. The win guaranteed the team progression into the knockout stages of the Champions League.[65] In his next appearance, Willian came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal of the season, to rescue a point for Chelsea in a 1–1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.[66]

2018–19 season

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Willian scored his first goal of the season, coming off the bench to complete a 4–1 come-from-behind win at home to Cardiff City on 15 September. Prior to this, he had won a penalty that Eden Hazard converted for his hat trick.[67] On 27 January, Willian, on his 550th club appearance, netted a brace in a 3–0 home win against Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the FA Cup. The first goal was his 50th for Chelsea.[68]

2019–20 season

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In August 2019, Willian became Chelsea's new number 10 for 2019–20 season, taking over from Eden Hazard.[69] He scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 home league win over Brighton & Hove Albion on 28 September.[70] In the next fixture, Willian scored the winning goal on his 300th Chelsea appearance, a 2–1 away win against Lille in the Champions League.[71] He scored a double to beat Tottenham 2–0 away from home on 22 December.[72]

Willian scored twice in a 2–3 league defeat to West Ham United on 1 July 2020. In doing so, Willian became the first player to score a Premier League goal in every calendar month.[73] He scored in his third consecutive game from the penalty spot in Chelsea's next league match, a 3–0 win over Watford; the goal meant Willian had scored nine league goals which was his highest league total in a Chelsea shirt.[74]

On 9 August, Willian released an open letter about his departure from the club on Twitter.[75]

Arsenal

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On 14 August 2020, Willian signed for Premier League club Arsenal on a three-year contract.[76] On 12 September, Willian made his debut for the club against Fulham, recording two assists,[77] as Arsenal won 3–0.[78] On 28 February 2021, Willian registered an assist in a 3–1 win over Leicester City in the Premier League, which was his first goal/assist contribution in the league for Arsenal since November 2020.[79][80] On 9 May, Willian scored his only goal for Arsenal in a 3–1 home league win over West Bromwich Albion, sealing the Baggies' relegation to the EFL Championship.[81]

Just after a year at the club, which Willian described as "the worst time that he had lived as a professional",[82] on 30 August 2021, Arsenal announced he had left the club by mutual consent and confirmed that Willian was set to re-join his boyhood club, Corinthians.[83]

Return to Corinthians

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On 30 August 2021, Corinthians announced the return of Willian to the club on a deal running until December 2023.[84] He rescinded his contract in mid-August 2022 after complaining about virtual threats during his last months in the club.[85]

Fulham

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On 1 September 2022, Willian signed for Fulham on a one-year contract.[86] On 23 October, Willian scored his first goal for Fulham, their third goal in a 3–2 away win at Leeds United.[87] His second goal came on 12 January 2023, against his former club Chelsea, the first goal in Fulham's historic 2–1 win over their West London rivals,[88] also meaning Fulham had won 4 top flight games in a row, for the first time since April 1966.[89]

On 19 March 2023, in the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United, Willian received a red card for using his hand to block a shot from Jadon Sancho in the 70th minute, after a VAR check. During the VAR check, Fulham manager Marco Silva was given a red card for arguing with the referee. And after referee Chris Kavanagh gave Willian a red card, Aleksandar Mitrović pushed Kavanagh resulting in Mitrović receiving a red card as well. Despite leading 1–0 before the red cards, Fulham would ultimately be eliminated after a 3–1 defeat.[90][91]

In July 2023, Fulham confirmed Willian had signed a new one-year deal with the club, keeping him at Craven Cottage through the 2023–24 Premier League season.[92]

Olympiacos

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On 2 September 2024, Willian signed a contract with Greek club Olympiacos.[93]

International career

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Willian in action for Brazil against Austria in 2014

As a member of the under-20 Brazil team, Willian made his debut in the 2007 South American Youth Championship against Chile on 7 January 2007, which Brazil went on to win.[94] In 2007, he was also selected for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, but Brazil were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Spain.[citation needed]

On 10 November 2011, Willian made his senior debut for Brazil in a friendly match against Gabon.[95] On 16 November 2013, he scored his first international goal in a 5–0 win over Honduras in Miami, Florida.[96]

On 7 May 2014, Willian was selected as part of the 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[97] He came on at half-time in extra time of the round of 16 match against Chile in Belo Horizonte for his Chelsea teammate Oscar, and took a penalty in the shootout which he put wide of the goal, although Brazil nonetheless advanced.[98]

At the 2015 Copa América, Willian assisted Roberto Firmino's decisive goal in the 2–1 win over Venezuela in Santiago, a result which sent Brazil into the quarterfinals as group winners.[99]

On 5 May 2016, he was named by Brazil manager Dunga among the 23-man list for the Copa América Centenario to be held in the United States.[100]

In May 2018, he was named in Tite's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[101]

On 7 June 2019, he received a late call-up for the 2019 Copa América to replace the injured Neymar.[102]

Style of play

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A fast, agile, and technically gifted player, Willian is known for his quick feet, acceleration, and explosive style of play, which allows him to dribble past opponents at speed whilst keeping close control of the ball which is a typical Brazilian style. He has also been known to pull off feints and tricks, such as the elastico, in order to confuse and beat defenders.[103][104][105][106] He primarily plays as a winger,[107][108][109] and his high stamina, vision, and creativity enable him to link-up play between the deeper midfielders and the forwards, and create goalscoring chances.[105][108] During the 2015–16 season, while at Chelsea, he showed his prowess at direct free-kicks,[110] with almost all his goals coming from set pieces.[108] He improved the statistics of his attacking game due to which he was called Chelsea's top performer of the season.[107][111]

Personal life

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Willian is Afro-Brazilian and is married to Vanessa Martins. They have twin daughters, Valentina and Manuella.[112][113][non-primary source needed] Like many Brazilian footballers, Willian is a devout Christian.[114]

In April 2016, Willian was named in the Panama Papers.[115]

On 13 October 2016, Willian's mother, Dona Zezé, died at the age of 57. During the game against Premier League champions Leicester City, his teammates Diego Costa and Eden Hazard dedicated their goals to Willian and his mother.[116] Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, also dedicated the victory to Willian and his family.[117]

In 2018, Willian and his teammate David Luiz acquired Babbo, an Italian restaurant located in Mayfair, London.[118]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 7 December 2024[119]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Corinthians 2006 Série A 5 0 0 0 0 0 3[c] 0 8 0
2007 Série A 15 2 4 0 0 0 14[c] 0 33 2
Total 20 2 4 0 0 0 17 0 41 2
Shakhtar Donetsk 2007–08 Vyshcha Liha 20 0 6 1 2[d] 0 28 1
2008–09 Ukrainian Premier League 29 5 5 1 17[e] 2 1[f] 0 52 8
2009–10 Ukrainian Premier League 22 5 4 1 12[g] 1 1[h] 0 39 7
2010–11 Ukrainian Premier League 28 3 4 2 10[d] 2 1[f] 1 43 8
2011–12 Ukrainian Premier League 27 5 3 0 6[d] 1 1[f] 0 37 6
2012–13 Ukrainian Premier League 14 2 2 1 6[d] 4 0 0 22 7
Total 140 20 24 6 53 10 4 1 221 37
Anzhi Makhachkala 2012–13 Russian Premier League 7 1 3 0 3[i] 0 13 1
2013–14 Russian Premier League 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Total 11 1 3 0 3 0 17 1
Chelsea 2013–14 Premier League 25 4 3 0 3 0 11[d] 0 42 4
2014–15 Premier League 36 2 2 1 4 0 7[d] 1 49 4
2015–16 Premier League 35 5 4 1 1 0 8[d] 5 1[j] 0 49 11
2016–17 Premier League 34 8 6 4 1 0 41 12
2017–18 Premier League 36 6 6 2 4 2 8[d] 3 1[j] 0 55 13
2018–19 Premier League 32 3 2 2 6 0 15[i] 3 1[j] 0 56 8
2019–20 Premier League 36 9 4 1 0 0 7[d] 1 0 0 47 11
Total 234 37 27 11 19 2 56 13 3 0 339 63
Arsenal 2020–21 Premier League 25 1 2 0 1 0 9[i] 0 0 0 37 1
Corinthians 2021 Série A 9 0 9 0
2022 Série A 14 0 2 0 8[k] 0 12[c] 1 36 1
Total 23 0 2 0 0 0 8 0 12 1 45 1
Fulham 2022–23 Premier League 27 5 3 0 0 0 30 5
2023–24 Premier League 31 4 2 0 4 1 37 5
Total 58 9 5 0 4 1 67 10
Olympiacos 2024–25 Super League Greece 6 0 1 0 4[i] 0 11 0
Career total 517 70 68 17 24 3 133 23 36 2 778 115
  1. ^ Includes Copa do Brasil, Ukrainian Cup, Russian Cup, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes Football League/EFL Cup
  3. ^ a b c Appearances in Campeonato Paulista
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Eight appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League, nine appearances in UEFA Cup
  6. ^ a b c Appearance in Ukrainian Super Cup
  7. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, ten appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  8. ^ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
  9. ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  10. ^ a b c Appearance in FA Community Shield
  11. ^ Appearances in Copa Libertadores

International

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As of match played 15 November 2019[120]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Brazil 2011 2 0
2013 2 1
2014 14 3
2015 14 2
2016 11 1
2017 10 1
2018 12 0
2019 5 1
Total 70 9
As of match played 15 November 2019. Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Willian goal.[119]
List of international goals scored by Willian
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 16 November 2013 Sun Life Stadium, Miami, United States   Honduras 4–0 5–0 Friendly
2 3 June 2014 Estádio Serra Dourada, Goiânia, Brazil   Panama 4–0 4–0
3 9 September 2014 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States   Ecuador 1–0 1–0
4 12 November 2014 Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey   Turkey 3–0 4–0
5 13 October 2015 Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil   Venezuela 1–0 3–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 2–0
7 11 October 2016 Estadio Metropolitano de Mérida, Mérida, Venezuela   Venezuela 2–0 2–0
8 5 September 2017 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia   Colombia 1–0 1–1
9 22 June 2019 Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, Brazil   Peru 5–0 5–0 2019 Copa América

Honours

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Shakhtar Donetsk

Chelsea

Brazil U20

Brazil

Individual

References

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  2. ^ "Willian". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Willian: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  4. ^ Souza, Marcelo (4 September 2022). "A Carreira de Willian em Números". Futebol Stats (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2007". o Gol (in Portuguese).
  6. ^ "Corinthians fecha ano trágico com o rebaixamento à segunda divisão". Esporte (in Portuguese). 2 December 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
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  19. ^ "Shakhtar vs Tavriya 7–1". Retrieved 24 September 2012.
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  23. ^ "Shakhtar vs Roma: match report". Retrieved 24 September 2012.
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  37. ^ Виллиан выбрал номера 10 и 88 (in Russian). FC Anzhi Makhachkala. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.[permanent dead link]
  38. ^ "Willian delighted to sign for Anzhi Makhachkala". Goal.com. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  39. ^ "Volga Nizhny Novgorod vs. Anzhi Makhachkala - Football Match Summary - September 22, 2013". ESPN. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  40. ^ "Tottenham and Chelsea transfer target Willian poised for bargain move as Anzhi slash budget". Daily Mirror. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  41. ^ "Willian: Chelsea confirm deal for Brazil midfielder". BBC Sport. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  42. ^ "Willian transfer completed". Chelsea F.C. 28 August 2013. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  43. ^ Sheen, Tom (29 August 2014). "Marcos Rojo: Why is it taking so long for Manchester United to get a work permit?". The Independent. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  44. ^ Steinberg, Jacob; Hytner, David (23 August 2013). "Tottenham express outrage after Chelsea hijack Willian transfer". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  45. ^ "Willian reveals secrets of Tottenham transfer saga: 'I was stuck in their office for 8 hours'". Eurosport. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  46. ^ "Chelsea 1–2 Basel" BBC Sport. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  47. ^ "Norwich City 1–3 Chelsea" BBC Sport. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  48. ^ "Match day results". Premier League. 5 October 2013. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  49. ^ " BBC Sport. 1 January 2014 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  50. ^ "Match Report: Liverpool 0 Chelsea 2". Chelsea F.C. 27 April 2014. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  51. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (27 September 2014). "Chelsea 3–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  52. ^ "Schalke 0–5 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 25 November 2014.
  53. ^ McNulty, Phil (27 January 2015). "Chelsea 1–0 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  54. ^ "Terry drives Chelsea to Capital One Cup final win over Tottenham". The Guardian. 2 March 2015.
  55. ^ "22 Willian". Premier League. Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
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