- June 28, 2026
- 11:22 pm
- World News
The Israeli club “Maccabi” Haifa announced the signing of Brazilian midfielder Bruninho, who has been playing for Lviv’s “Karpaty” for the past two years, Ukrainian media reported on June 28, 2026.
The 26-year-old midfielder is expected to join the new team in the coming days after undergoing medical tests. According to the club, the contract is for three seasons, and the transfer is a significant event not only for Israeli football but also for the Ukrainian Premier League.
Bruninho is a graduate of the Brazilian “Atletico Mineiro”. In Ukraine, he spent two seasons, becoming an important figure in the “Karpaty” lineup, and will now continue his career in one of the most famous clubs in Israel.
For the Lviv club, the sale of Bruninho looks like a continuation of an active transfer policy. Previously, “Karpaty” bought out the player’s contract for approximately 700 thousand dollars, and it is now expected that the transfer fee to “Maccabi” Haifa will be at least twice as high.
This shows that Ukrainian clubs, even in difficult conditions, continue to work with foreign footballers not only as squad reinforcements but also as assets that can bring profit in the international market.
In the Israeli context, such transfers are particularly interesting: local clubs closely monitor players from Eastern European championships, where they can find footballers with good playing experience but not yet overpriced. That is why for the audience of NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency, this story is important not only as a sports news but also as an example of the connection between Ukrainian and Israeli football.
In the past season, Bruninho played 28 matches for “Karpaty”, scored 9 goals, and made 3 assists.
For a midfielder, these are strong indicators, especially considering that we are not talking about a pure forward, but a player in the middle line. Such productivity could have been one of the key arguments for “Maccabi” Haifa in making the transfer decision.
Bruninho’s transfer to Israel complements a series of major deals by “Karpaty”. A month ago, the Lviv club sold Nazar Domchak and Baboucar Fall for a total of about 8 million euros.
Now the Brazilian midfielder, who is moving to Haifa, is added to this list. For “Maccabi”, this is a chance to get a player with European football experience, good statistics, and at an age where the player is already mature enough but can still improve.
For “Karpaty”, this is another signal that the club is capable not only of buying and developing players but also of bringing them to more prominent markets. And for Israeli fans, Bruninho’s transfer is a reason to pay closer attention to how players from the Ukrainian Premier League adapt in the Israeli championship.