Deyverson’s tattoos point to a handful of specific things in his life: a song by his then-partner, two Palmeiras titles, fourteen friends, a favorite comedy and a celebratory kiss for his family. He’s explained several of the references himself, which makes their meaning clearer than guessing from a match photo.
After Palmeiras won the 2021 Copa Libertadores, he tattooed the trophy and his best-player award alongside Predestinado (“predestined”). He had scored the extra-time winner against Flamengo in Montevideo. When the wording was later linked to Gabigol, Deyverson said he chose it because people had used the word about his goal, not to provoke another player. In June 2021, he also marked Palmeiras’ 2018 Brazilian championship, where he scored the title-clinching goal. In August 2020, he shared a photo of fourteen friends’ names tattooed on his left leg.
Other pieces show a more playful side: the Chaves line Ninguém tem paciência comigo (“Nobody has patience with me”) and a kiss near his waist. He said the latter was for family members watching in the stadium after an Alavés goal in 2017.
The song-title lettering on his right forearm
After scoring for Palmeiras against Melgar in March 2019, Deyverson pointed to Coração é quem manda on his right forearm. The title translates loosely as “The heart is in charge” and belonged to a song by his then-partner, singer Camila Nogueira.
The photograph shows him holding out the arm and pointing directly at the lettering. It’s a clear reference, not a mark that needs to be decoded from a distant view. The image documents what the tattoo meant to him at that time; it doesn’t establish whether it has since changed or what he thinks about it now.
Love and football in 2019
Palmeiras beat Melgar 3-0, with Deyverson scoring the third goal after a spell out of the side. In another frame from the celebration, he makes a heart with his hands. He later spoke about people who had supported him and about learning from mistakes that had affected the team. The tattoo point and the heart gesture both make sense as personal messages inside a public match celebration.
The personality behind the celebrations
Deyverson’s celebrations are expressive: he points, gestures and plays to the cameras. His affection for Chaves, a Mexican comedy popular with Brazilian audiences, also comes through in the line he chose for a tattoo.
In a 2018 interview after a win over São Paulo, he joked that people had no patience with him and admitted he sometimes needed to rein himself in. He also apologized to children who might copy his behavior. The humor and the acknowledgment of his mistakes were both part of what he said.
The night in Montevideo
In the 2021 Libertadores final, Palmeiras and Flamengo were level after normal time. Deyverson came on in extra time and scored the 2-1 winner. In September 2024, playing for Atlético-MG, he again came off the bench to score twice, this time against Fluminense as his side reached the semifinals.
The photograph above is from a separate Palmeiras match in October 2018, not the final in Montevideo. It captures the same kind of open celebration, while the final remains the night most closely tied to his Libertadores tattoo.
A player in motion
Against São Paulo, the photograph catches Deyverson airborne and watching the ball. It gives a different view from the relaxed featured portrait: he’s a center-forward in the middle of a physical contest.
When Palmeiras signed him in 2017, he called the move the realization of a dream. The tattoo stories and dramatic goals sit within that longer working life, alongside ordinary matches and decisions about selection. The interview below, recorded after Cuiabá beat Flamengo in 2023, gives a sense of his post-match manner in his own words.