Edmilson de Paula Santos Filho (born 19 April 1997), simply known as Edmilson, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Kazakhstan Premier League club Kairat.
He spent his early senior career in Portugal, and was the joint top scorer in 2022–23 as Länk Vilaverdense won promotion from Liga 3. He then moved to Celje, winning the Slovenian PrvaLiga and the Slovenian Football Cup in his respective seasons.
Career Early career Born in Mogi das Cruzes in São Paulo state, Edmilson scored 12 goals in as many games for A.D. Marco 09 in the Porto Football Association's premier district league, leading to a transfer to Vilaverdense FC of the third-tier Campeonato de Portugal in January 2021. His first full season with the team from Vila Verde saw them promoted to Liga 3. In 2022–23, he was the league's joint second top scorer with 12 goals from 26 games, adding another on 21 May 2023 in a 2–1 home win over S.C. Braga B in a successful playoff campaign.
Celje On 28 June 2023, Edmilson signed a two-year contract at NK Celje, runners-up of the previous season of the Slovenian PrvaLiga. He made his debut on 27 July in his first game in continental competition, scoring in a 4–3 home loss to Vitória de Guimarães in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League; his opponents were from the Minho Province, where his previous club was from. He scored six times in his first league season, including a first-half hat-trick on 21 October in a 4–0 win at NK Rogaška, as his team won the league.
Edmilson scored another hat-trick on 30 October 2024 in an 8–0 win away to fifth-tier NK Hodoš in the last 32 of the Slovenian Football Cup. On 19 December, he scored twice in a 3–2 home victory over The New Saints of Wales in the league phase of the Conference League. Celje ended the season by winning the national cup, and Edmilson was released at the end of his contract. He played 73 games over all competitions, and scored 19 goals.
Kairat On 13 June 2025, Edmilson signed a two-year contract with FC Kairat, champions of the Kazakhstan Premier League. His club became only the second from their nation to reach the UEFA Champions League league phase, in which they debuted with the competition's longest ever trip to Sporting CP in Portugal; he scored a consolation goal in a 4–1 loss.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsVelo Cube2019Campeonato Paulista Série A3———0000Marco2019–20 Porto Football Association63———632020–21 Porto Football Association1212———1212Total1815———1815Vilaverdense2020–21Campeonato de Portugal4200——422021–22Campeonato de Portugal23910——2492022–23Liga 3281332—203315Total552442—206126Celje2023–24Slovenian PrvaLiga2061141—2582024–25Slovenian PrvaLiga27633192—4911Total471244233—7419Kairat2025Kazakhstan Premier League8400121—2052026Kazakhstan Premier League23900101103310Total311300222105415Career total15064864551020675
Honours Celje Slovenian PrvaLiga: 2023–24 Slovenian Football Cup: 2024–25
Kairat Kazakhstan Premier League: 2025
References