When Débora Bebê left Recife at 19, Botafogo did not offer her an immediate place in the first team.
The club added her to its under-20 squad, helped her with accommodation and left open the possibility of training and competing with the senior side. Bebê arrived as Sport’s leading scorer in the Série A2, but had to prove all over again that she was ready for the next step.
It was not the first time.
Her journey had begun in 2019 with Ipojuca, when she was 15. A season later, she moved to Náutico before joining Sport in 2021, initially with the under-18s and later as part of the first-team squad.
At Ilha do Retiro, she began turning her ability to reach the box into goals.
She won the Pernambuco state championship in 2022, contributed to promotion to the second national tier and finished as the team’s leading scorer in the 2023 Brasileirão A2. Among her goals that season was Sport’s equaliser against Fortaleza.
Botafogo signed her a few months later, but did not fast-track her into the senior side.
Bebê returned to youth football. She became the under-20 team’s number ten, scored in the Copa Rio and was involved in the move that produced Botafogo’s equaliser against Flamengo in the final before they won the title on penalties. The team also reached the final of the inaugural women’s Copinha that season.
Her progress earned her a first call-up in January 2024 for a Brazil under-20 training camp at Granja Comary.
At Botafogo, she also began to develop into more than an attacker.
She had arrived after standing out for her goals, but the club began using her in midfield. Botafogo describe her as a creative, quick and direct player, capable of organising play, carrying the ball towards the box and arriving in scoring positions.
The decisive step came with the first team.
Bebê helped Botafogo return to the top division and scored in the 5-2 victory over Mixto that secured promotion in 2025. The Gloriosas later reached the Série A2 final, where they were beaten by Santos.
It was the second promotion of her young career.
The first had come with Sport. The second followed after she left her home city, accepted a return to under-20 football and worked her way into the senior squad. Botafogo credit Bebê with 40 appearances and six goals since she joined the club in 2023.
Now 22, she begins her first experience outside Brazil with Madrid CFF.
She arrives as more than a player with potential. Bebê has already been a top scorer, won titles at youth level, been called up by Brazil’s under-20s and contributed to two promotions. To reach the top flight, she first had to accept starting again.