Renato calls up academy gem to Grêmio's senior squad for first time

Renato calls up academy gem to Grêmio's senior squad for first time Attacking midfielder João Borne has been named in Grêmio’s first-team matchday squad for the first time. The news was first reported by ge. Considered one of the brightest prospects in the Tricolor’s youth academy, the 18-year-old caught coach Renato Portaluppi’s attention during training over the international break. Borne was among 12 youngsters called up to supplement training sessions at the Luiz Carvalho training center last week. On Friday, he was the standout player in the Gre-Nal derby in the Under-20 Copa Sul: wearing the number 10 shirt and the captain’s armband, he opened the scoring in Grêmio’s 3–0 win. Born in Maceió, Alagoas, the youngster joined the Rio Grande do Sul club’s under-14 side in 2022 after being recommended by former center-forward Capitão in partnership with a football school in Alagoas. The midfielder has posted impressive numbers at youth level: last year, he was the second-highest scorer in the Brazilian Under-17 Championship (15 goals in 22 matches), helping his team finish as runners-up. In early 2026, he was a regular starter during Grêmio’s run to the Copinha semifinals, recording five goals and three assists in eight matches. A right-footed, attack-minded player, Borne earned his place in the first-team squad on merit, even though the team has no absences in its creative midfield positions. The player, whose contract with Grêmio runs until July 2028, is expected to be on the bench and available to Renato this Wednesday (7), when the team faces Remo at 7:30 p.m. at Mangueirão stadium in the Brazilian Championship. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.