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Pula Moscow

Pula Moscow

Career

Pula left São Paulo, won the Brazilian title with Carlos Barbosa in 2001 and moved to Moscow in 2004. There he played for Arbat, spent ten years at Dinamo, became a Russian citizen in January 2008 and played for the Russian national team until 2014. He returned to Brazil in 2018 to be close to his family, and the last club on record in his career is São Paulo, where he played in 2021 and 2022.

Timeline

  1. Born in São Paulo

    Vágner Kaetano Pereira was born in São Paulo on 2 December 1980. He came up through the youth ranks of the Faben club.1,2

  2. Brazilian champion with Carlos Barbosa

    At Carlos Barbosa, where he played from 2000 to 2004, he won the Brazilian Championship and the Taça Brasil in 2001 and the South American club championship in 2002 and 2003.2

  3. Career in Russia

    Move to Moscow

    He goes to Russia and plays for Arbat, in Moscow.2,3

  4. Arrival at Dinamo Moscow

    Signed by Dinamo Moscow, where he stays until 2016, with 276 matches and 95 goals.2

  5. Winning goal in the UEFA Futsal Cup

    In Murcia, he scores Dinamo's winner in a 2-1 victory over Boomerang Interviú, with 26 seconds left in the final.4,3

  6. Russian citizenship

    Receives Russian citizenship in January 2008 and is called up to the national team.2

  7. Nine goals in a World Cup match

    In Brasília, he scores nine in Russia's 31-2 win over the Solomon Islands, a record registered by Guinness.5,6

  8. Golden Boot

    Finishes the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil as top scorer, with sixteen goals.7

  9. European runner-up

    Scores the comeback goal against Serbia in the Euro quarter-finals and reaches the final with Russia, who take silver. He repeats the silver in 2014.8,2

  10. Honoured Master of Sports of Russia

    Receives the title by order of the Russian Ministry of Sport.9

  11. Second World Cup

    Plays the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand for Russia.10,2

  12. Intercontinental Cup

    Wins the Intercontinental Cup with Dinamo.2

  13. Leaving Dinamo

    After ten years at Dinamo, signs with KPRF, of Moscow. In 2017 he moves to Avtodor, of Smolensk.2,11

  14. Return to Brazil

    Returns to Brazil and plays for Magnus, of Sorocaba, winning the 2018 Intercontinental Cup with them.2,12

  15. Santo André

    Agrees terms with Santo André Futsal, close to family, in the east of São Paulo.13

  16. Youth director at Nacional

    Takes over as football director of the youth categories at Nacional, of São Paulo.12

  17. São Paulo Futebol Clube

    Plays for São Paulo's futsal side in 2021 and 2022, the last club on record in his career.14,2

  18. Talk on racism in sport

    Speaks on combating racism and a culture of respect at the seminar of Grêmio's Athlete Development Programme.15

Why he played for Russia

In an interview with Moscow 24 in December 2012, Pula said Brazil never called him up to the national team, and that in Russia he was given that chance and decided to take it.

He told Russia Beyond Brasil in April 2012 that he made the decision to naturalise together with Dinamo's management.

On coming home, he told Arquibancada Tricolor in June 2021 that family drove the decision, because he saw his mother growing older and wanted to be near her.16,17,14

Russian learned by ear

In the same Moscow 24 interview, Pula described how he learned the language. He listened constantly, came home and wrote things down. That is how he learned it.16

Pula Moscow
Keman, CC BY-SA 3.0

Talk business

Talk business

Sources

  1. Вагнер Перейра Каетано (Пула), perfil na Associação de Futsal da RússiaАссоциация мини-футбола России. 2 December 2018. RU. archived copy. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  2. Пула (футзалист)Wikipédia em russo. RU. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  3. Winning feeling has Pula purringUEFA. 29 April 2007. EN. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  4. Pula pounces to crown DinamoUEFA. 28 April 2007. EN. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  5. Most goals scored by a football (soccer) player in a FIFA Futsal World Cup matchGuinness World Records. 6 October 2008. EN. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  6. Rússia goleia Ilhas Salomão por 31 x 2 e bate recordeCorreio Braziliense. 6 October 2008. PT. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  7. Award-winning players at the FIFA Futsal World CupFIFA. 4 October 2024. EN. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  8. Pula strike sends Russia past SerbiaUEFA. 7 February 2012. EN. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  9. Приказ «О присвоении почетного спортивного звания „Заслуженный мастер спорта России“» от 27 марта 2012 г. № 50-нгMinistério do Esporte, Turismo e Política da Juventude da Rússia. 27 March 2012. RU. archived copy. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  10. As maiores vitórias de todos os tempos na Copa do Mundo de FutsalLiga Nacional de Futsal. 18 March 2024. PT. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  11. Пула стал игроком МФК КПРФRusfutsal. RU. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  12. Paulista A3. Nacional anuncia ex-seleção russa como diretor das categorias de baseFutebol Interior. 11 December 2019. PT. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  13. Santo André futsal acerta com fixo PulaDiário do Grande ABC. 26 January 2019. PT. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  14. AT entrevista Pula e Gabriel Lima, estrelas do futsal TricolorArquibancada Tricolor. 12 June 2021. PT. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  15. Combate ao racismo e cultura de respeito é tema do próximo seminário do PDA GrêmioPortal Brazuca. 26 June 2026. PT. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  16. Пула. Первый подарок бразильскому мальчику, это мячМосква 24. 4 December 2012. RU. Accessed on 1 October 2026
  17. Jogadores brasileiros contam como é a vida na RússiaRussia Beyond Brasil. 7 April 2012. PT. Accessed on 1 October 2026