Wanderson Ferreira de Oliveira (born 4 October 1994), commonly known as Valdívia, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Jeonnam Dragons.
Early life Born in Jaciara, Mato Grosso, Valdívia played futsal until the age of 12. He subsequently moved to Rondonópolis and joined Rondonópolis Esporte Clube's youth setup.
Club career Internacional
On 15 March 2012, after being the year's Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior top goalscorer, Valdívia was signed by Internacional. Initially with the under-20s, he made his Série A debut on 6 October 2013, coming on as a second-half substitute for fellow youth graduate Otávio in a 1–0 home win against Fluminense.
After appearing rarely at the 2014 Campeonato Gaúcho, Valdívia was an important unit for the club during that year's Brasileirão, but was used mainly as a substitute; in July, already definitely promoted, he signed a new contract until 2018. He scored his first professional goal on 12 October, the winner in a 2–1 success over Fluminense also at the Beira-Rio.
During the 2015 campaign, Valdívia was one of Internacional's main assets, scoring the most goals among midfielders in Brazil with 19 goals including five goals at the 2015 Copa Libertadores. He was evaluated as the biggest contributor to the club's victory at the Gauchão that year, being named the best player of the competition. On 24 September, he further extended his contract for six more months. Despite these performances, he suffered a left knee injury in November, having to stop the upturn.
Jeonnam Dragons Since 2017, Valdívia wandered several clubs including Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. On 7 January 2023, he signed for K League 2 club Jeonnam Dragons, beginning a new challenge in South Korea. During his first season at Jeonnam, he held the record for most assists in a single K League 2 season with 14 assists, as well as scoring 14 goals. At the end of the season, he was named the K League 2 Most Valuable Player, and received various offers from K League 1 clubs. Satisfied with a life at Jeonnam, he rejected their offers in order to extend his contract with Jeonnam. He was nicknamed the "Jesus of Gwangyang" after gaining Jeonnam fans' trust, and was appointed the club's first foreign captain in the 2025 season.
Personal life Valdívia's older brothers, Adriano and Andrezinho are also footballers. The former is a right back, while the latter is a forward.
Career statistics
ClubSeasonLeagueState leagueCupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsInternacional2013Série A20————202014Série A272502120—3632015Série A2661564285—53192016Série A274—50——3242017Série B0014161—10212Total82123471741051014428Atlético Mineiro (loan)2017Série A262——20303122018Série A—20———20Total26220002030332São Paulo (loan)2018Série A50804320—203Al-Ittihad (loan)2018–19Saudi Pro League71—10——81Vasco da Gama (loan)2019Série A120————120Avaí (loan)2020Série B33611110——457Avaí2021Série B34212040——502Cuiabá2022Série A272—4040—312Jeonnam Dragons2023K League 23614—10——37142024K League 23312————3312Total3814—10——7026Career total264396783271854041871
Honours Internacional Campeonato Gaúcho: 2014, 2015 Recopa Gaúcha: 2016, 2017
Avaí Campeonato Catarinense: 2021
Cuiabá Campeonato Mato-Grossense: 2022
Individual Campeonato Gaúcho Best Player: 2015 Campeonato Gaúcho Team of the Year: 2015 Campeonato Catarinense Team of the Year: 2021 K League 2 Most Valuable Player: 2023 K League 2 top assist provider: 2023 K League 2 Best XI: 2023, 2024, 2025
References
External links Internacional profile