Jöel Monteiro Shines in Stat Study Among Players from 75 Leagues
After suffering their first defeat in LaLiga at the hands of Osasuna over the weekend, Barcelona is now focused on securing their first victory in the Champions League this Tuesday against Young Boys at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys.
Despite a disappointing start to the season for their opponents, Barcelona cannot afford to underestimate the challenge posed by Young Boys, who feature the “most efficient player in the world,” forward Jöel Monteiro.
A study conducted by the CIES Football Observatory highlighted Monteiro’s impressive shooting accuracy, noting that last season he had the highest percentage of shots on target among players from 74 leagues, standing at 31%. This figure surpasses that of England’s Jude Bellingham, a star player for Real Madrid, by three percentage points. The survey considered only players who logged at least 1,000 minutes up to March 2024.
Born in Sion, Switzerland, the 25-year-old Monteiro comes from a footballing family. He is the brother of defender Élton Monteiro and a cousin of Gelson Fernandes, who represented Switzerland in three World Cups (2010, 2014, and 2018) before retiring.
After starting his career at smaller clubs in his native Switzerland, including FC Azzurri, FC Conthey, Lausanne-Sport, and Stade-Lausanne, Jöel Monteiro joined Young Boys in 2021, where it took some time for him to find his footing. He broke through last season by scoring 12 goals and providing three assists across 43 matches.
His strong performances earned him his first call-up to the Swiss national team. In his debut, Monteiro played for 14 minutes during a 4-1 loss to Spain in the group stage of the Nations League.
With four goals and one assist in 13 appearances this season, the 1.92 m tall forward is the hope for Young Boys to mute the atmosphere at the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys and thwart Barcelona’s pursuit of a first win in the new format of the Champions League.