Under-17 top scorer signs first contract with Coritiba

Coritiba made the striker’s first professional contract official Rafael Delfes17 years old. Considered one of the great promises of the Alviverde base, the player signed a contract with the club until the end of 2028.

In 2026, Delfes is part of the Coxa group that competed in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, the country’s main youth competition, which Coxa competes with the under-17 team. The club ended up eliminated after a 2-0 defeat to Meia Noite-SP, this Thursday (8), in the group stage.

Last season, the striker stood out in the category by winning the Copa Sul title. Delfes finished as Coritiba’s top scorer and runner-up in the competition, with six goals scored in 11 matches.

In the under-17 Paranaense Championship, the young man played 13 games and found the net five times, ranking among Coxa’s top scorers, behind Felipe Mendes and Wellington Mayke, both with six goals. Overall, there were 24 games played and 11 goals scored, numbers that made the player the club’s top scorer in the category this year.

Coritiba gives space to the base in the State and renews with players

In addition to Rafael Delfes, Coritiba also renewed the contracts of two other players trained at the club. Paulo Robertowho previously played for Flamengo, signed a new contract until the end of 2026, while Guilherme Portowho competed in the Copinha, also renewed.

In parallel with the São Paulo Junior Football Cup, Coritiba also participates in the Campeonato Paranaense and, at the beginning of the competition, chose to use the under-20 team as the base of the squad.

The debut took place last Wednesday (7), at Couto Pereira, with a 3-2 defeat to Foz do Iguaçu. Despite the setback in the debut, PC positively evaluated the group’s attitude and believes that the squad improved within the match. However, it did not ease the burden on the boys, who need to go through the process.

“The result was not what was expected, but I see that they are maturing very quickly and understanding that we want them to play collectively, not individually. That is the way forward”, he concluded. In the next round, Coxa’s under-20s will host the Londrina team at Couto Pereira, on Saturday (10) at 6:30 pm.