Cláudio Braga (footballer, born 1999)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cláudio Rafael Soares Braga | ||
| Date of birth | 28 October 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Mafamude, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Heart of Midlothian | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2011 | Candal | ||
| 2011–2013 | Boavista | ||
| 2013–2015 | Candal | ||
| 2015–2016 | Paços de Ferreira | ||
| 2016–2018 | Rio Ave | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2019 | Rio Ave B | ||
| 2020 | Valadares Gaia | ||
| 2020 | Fátima | ||
| 2020–2021 | Sporting Ideal | ||
| 2021 | Vila Meã | ||
| 2022–2023 | Moss | 52 | (21) |
| 2024–2025 | Aalesunds | 37 | (12) |
| 2025– | Heart of Midlothian | 18 | (8) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 December 2025 | |||
Cláudio Rafael Soares Braga (born 28 October 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian.
Career
Braga started his career with the reserve team of Portuguese side Rio Ave. In 2020, he signed for Valadares Gaia. The same year, he signed for Fátima. During the summer of 2020, he signed for Sporting Ideal. One year later, he signed for Vila Meã.[1]
Norway
Ahead of the 2022 season, he signed for Norwegian Second Division side Moss, where he made fifty-two league appearances and scored twenty-one goals, helping the club achieve promotion to the Norwegian First Division. Following his stint there, he signed for Aalesunds in 2024, where he made thirty-seven league appearances and scored twelve goals.
Heart of Midlothian
On 15 June 2025, Braga joined Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year contract.[2]
Style of play
Braga plays as a forward and is right-footed. Prior to signing for the club in July 2025, Heart of Midlothian newspaper Hearts Standard described him as a "versatile and multi-faceted forward who can play off the left or through the middle".[3]
Career statistics
- As of 22 December 2025[4]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Moss FK | 2022 | Norwegian Second Division | 24 | 11 | 3 | 2 | – | 27 | 13 | |
| 2023 | Norwegian First Division | 28 | 10 | 3 | 0 | – | 31 | 10 | ||
| Total | 52 | 21 | 6 | 2 | – | 58 | 23 | |||
| Aalesunds FK | 2024 | Norwegian First Division | 29 | 9 | 2 | 1 | – | 31 | 10 | |
| 2025 | Norwegian First Division | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | 10 | 4 | ||
| Total | 37 | 12 | 4 | 2 | – | 41 | 14 | |||
| Heart of Midlothian | 2025–26 | Scottish Premiership | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 11 |
| Career total | 107 | 41 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 122 | 48 | ||
- ^ Includes Norwegian Football Cup, Scottish Cup
- ^ Includes Scottish League Cup
References
- ^ Cláudio Braga at Soccerway
- ^ "Claudio Braga: Hearts sign Portuguese striker from Norwegian side Aalesunds". BBC Sport. 2025-06-15. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
- ^ "Hearts eye Portuguese forward and make him top target". Hearts Standard. 8 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ https://int.soccerway.com/players/cl-udio-rafael-soares-braga/624672/
External links
- Cláudio Braga at Soccerway