Before 12 years ago, nobody was looking at Gabriel Jesus as a global football star. In 2014, the Brazilian was just 17 years old when he appeared in a famous photo helping paint the streets of Jardim Peri in São Paulo ahead of Brazil hosting the World Cup.
Today, that image looks like a chapter from a completely different story. Jesus, who started his journey on the streets of São Paulo, became an international player and went on to wear the shirts of Palmeiras, Manchester City and Arsenal before reaching one of the biggest stages of his career with Barcelona.
Jesus’ career began to change quickly after that period. Following his emergence at Palmeiras, he attracted attention and moved to Manchester City, where he spent six years and won four Premier League titles before joining Arsenal in 2022.
With Brazil, Jesus also became part of the generation that represented the national team at major tournaments, transforming from a young talent in São Paulo into an international player with a long career at the highest level.
Then came the next chapter in the summer of 2026.
Barcelona announced the signing of Jesus from Arsenal, with media reports putting the transfer fee at around £8.6 million. The Brazilian forward became one of the new faces of the Catalan club’s project and signed a three-year contract.
The move to Barcelona came after four years at Arsenal, where Jesus made 123 appearances in all competitions and scored 32 goals. Before that, he scored 95 goals in 236 appearances for Manchester City.
And so, the famous image of the teenager painting the streets of São Paulo ahead of the World Cup became one of the clearest snapshots of a footballer’s entire journey.
In 2014, Jesus was a 17-year-old dreaming of a better future.
In 2026, he is a Barcelona player.
From the streets of São Paulo.. to the shirt of one of the biggest clubs in world football.
It has been a long journey, but it has now reached one of its most beautiful chapters.
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