Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1988 and took his first steps in football through futsal before joining Fluminense FC's youth academy at the age of 13. He broke into Fluminense's senior side in 2005, helping the club win the Rio de Janeiro state championship that year, before earning a move to Real Madrid in January 2007 for a reported fee of six million euros.
At Real Madrid, Marcelo became one of the club's most decorated players, winning six La Liga titles and five UEFA Champions League trophies, among numerous other honours. A defining night came in the 2017–18 Champions League final, where he provided two assists for Gareth Bale's goals against Liverpool. He made over 500 competitive appearances for the club, second only to Roberto Carlos among foreign players at the time of his departure in 2022.
An attacking left-back with strong technical ability rooted in his futsal background, Marcelo was known for his dribbling, overlapping runs, and creative passing rather than a purely defensive role.
He returned to Fluminense in 2023, winning the Copa Libertadores in his first season back — making him one of a small group of players to have won both the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores. He announced his retirement in February 2025.
For the senior Brazil national team, Marcelo made his debut in 2006 and earned caps across multiple World Cup cycles, also collecting Olympic bronze in 2008 and silver in 2012.
Note: this profile lists the player as a goalkeeper at Liverpool, which conflicts with all available sources. Please verify the player entry.