CLEARWATER- In 1996 “The Real Deal” Evander Holyfield took down “Iron” Mike Tyson by TKO in the 11th Round to win the WBA Heavyweight Champions – one of the biggest upset victories in the history of professional boxing with Holyfield taking down Tyson despite coming in at 25-to-1 odds. It shocked the world. .
Two-years later, Evander da Silva Ferreira was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and named after the famed champion who had unified his title to become the World Champion. In the process setting an example for a young boy looking up to that warrior, and learning what it would take the shock the world in his own way.
Evander now brings his fight to FC Cincinnati. The Attacking Midfielder joins FCC as its 10th Designated Player in club history after a Cash-for-Player trade with Portland Timbers for $12 million with potential for future benefits. The Brazilian 2024 MLS MVP Finalist has concurrently signed a new contract with the club, keeping him in Cincinnati through the 2027 season with an option for 2028.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Evander and his family to Cincinnati,” said Chris Albright, General Manager, in a press release. “Evander has proven himself as one of the best players in our league, and his creativity and vision will be a great addition to our attack. He’s an excellent teammate, and we’re excited about how he’ll fit with this group. This signing is a testament to the club’s ambition and a credit to our ownership for their continued investment in this roster.”
"I'm really happy, and I’m looking forward to the start of the season," said Evander in a press release. "When I received the video of the stadium and training facility, and all the fans as well, I just got even more excited to be part of the team, to be part of the club. I'm looking forward to meeting up with the fans. I'm here to help. I'm here to do my best for the club and hopefully win some trophies.”
The attacking midfielder came to MLS by way of FC Midtjylland of the Danish Superliga, where he became a breakout star helping them win their third league title in the clubs history and two domestic cups. While in Denmark, Evander also competed in the UEFA Europa League in the 2022-23 season, where he led the tournament in assists.
His budding stardom propelled the Portland Timbers to set a club record transfer fee acquiring Evander before the 2023 MLS season.
At Portland, Evander became one of the most dynamic and offensively dominating players the league has. In 2023, his first season, he tallied 9 goals and 4 assists despite dealing with the adaptation to a new club and battling through injuries. In 2024 though, he settled into the league and had a breakout year in terms of production, scoring 15 goals and tallying 19 assists to become an MLS MVP Finalist and earn his first Best XI Award.
“I'm a player that likes to take control of the ball. I like to create plays. I like to make a lot of plays that you don't normally see during a game,” Evander explained in a sit down with FCCincinnati.com before the team departed for Honduras for the Concacaf Champions Cup. “Some dribbles, some nice plays to make the fans enjoy watching me play. I like to score goals. I like to help the team, and I’m always looking to win the game and do whatever it takes for the club.”
Evander’s recruitment to FCC was quick by relative standards, but the convergence of the star landing in Cincinnati comes after prolonged offseason of speculation about where FC Cincinnati could take its roster. With Luciano Acosta exiting the club just five days ago, Albright and the FCC brain trust moved quickly to bring in a player who profiles as not only one of the future superstars of the league, but one of the most offensively dominant players in MLS today.
Part of what makes Evander’s acquisition such a success is, in part, his familiarity with MLS and its nuances. The uniqueness of Major League Soccer is something that many new players to the league from abroad highlight during and after their first season; from the travel to the weather and the style of play, adapting right away can be incredibly complicated. It’s why a common adage in media circles around MLS (often times cited as the ‘Gass Theorem’ after commentator David Gass) that a player’s second season is where true potential can be gauged.
So FCC adds a player who not only is a Best XI talent, but is immediately ready to make an impact and is familiar with everything MLS has to offer. A unique combination of assets to add to a roster already built to compete, that just needs perhaps one final talisman to add to the group.
“I’m really excited. It's been a long time, negotiating and waiting to join the club. I'm really happy now, and I’m looking forward to the start of the season. I'm here to help. I'm here to do my best for the club and, hopefully, win some trophies,” Evander said. “Coming to Cincinnati and starting off knowing who everybody is just makes me feel able to adapt really quickly to the club. I feel like I’ve already been with the guys for a long time. So, I'm enjoying every moment, every minute that I have here and I am just looking forward to playing the game.”
“My first year (in MLS) wasn't as I wanted it to be. It wasn't very special for me. I had a lot of injuries and I didn't play as much as I wanted to, so I used that to adapt in my second year and it was very great and I felt that I adapted really quickly,” Evander continued. “I was just enjoying playing here. I was just having fun.”
It is not yet obvious exactly how Evander folds into the FC Cincinnati formula. That is for Head Coach Pat Noonan to describe and explain. He is not the same player as Acosta and does things in his own, equally excellent, way. But what is clear is that Evander represents an important addition in the attack, and looking to connect him with new teammates like Kévin Denkey, Luca Orellano and others will be important.
Evander’s story in the professional environment thus far has been about his success in Oregon and Denmark. The midfielder joined his team in Europe at 19 so as an adult it has been most of what he knows.
But his journey starts earlier than that. Evander was brought up in the Vasco Da Gama academy (notably the same club FC Cincinnati recently finalized the transfer of Luca Orellano from earlier this offseason) and made his professional debut at 18. But before his professional or academy playing days, a young Evander was brought up playing Futsal before joining the full squad and developing that way.
Futsal, an adaptation of soccer played mostly on a hard court surface like a basketball court, is a vital part of soccer culture in Brazil. The game is played in a small space, with five players on each side and with a smaller, less bouncy ball – forcing players to be more creative with their feet in order to be successful. It is a staple of the youth environment there and, in his own approximation, a vital part of how he and other Brazilian players became the players they are today.
“Every young player that starts their football career – and we started like six, seven years old – we first started with Futsal. I think it helps to get better touches, better confidence with the ball. That's why I think we, in Brazil, make a lot of technical players,” Evander explained. “So the experience starts at such a young stage. Touching the ball in such short spaces, you have to learn to dribble.”
By working and growing in the Futsal environment, Evander was able to make the jump to the full field “football” world and take his skills with him.
“I used to play a lot in the streets, having fun with friends. I think when I transferred to the big football on the grass, it just made them feel more comfortable,” the Brazilian midfielder explained. “You know, when you get the ball, when you feel the pressure from the defender, you have to know how to get away from it.
“So it's just about technique and control of the ball. It's just different. But it has helped me be the player I am.”
As a youngster in Brazil, the name Evander was unique and a little outside of the lexicon. In America the name Evander, thanks in part to the aforementioned Holyfield, is well known among sports fans. An Olympic Medalist and owner of one of the most famous boxing Heavyweight Titles in recent history, Holyfield was also one of the greatest underdogs at 25-to-1 to defeat Mike Tyson in his first chance at the WBA belt.
FC Cincinnati’s Evander however, never saw himself as the kind of underdog that Holyfield was. Probably a commonality between the two. But in that shared belief, Evander says he learned from his namesake from a young age how to follow the path of success.
“I think it's because I can look up to him and see that he was a great warrior, and that inspires me,” Evander said of Holyfield. “I'm trying to make up to the name as well, trying to do my best to own the name. He was one of the best fighters in the ring, so just trying to be one of the best players in the league.”
Despite being an underdog in the famed two fights with “Iron” Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield was known as “The Real Deal Evander Holyfield” in his own right, being the only 4-time holder of the unified Heavyweight Boxing Title of the World.
It is fitting then that FC Cincinnati have brought in their own Evander to help push forward for titles and trophies. To make history in this new era of The Orange and Blue. Perhaps, “The Real Deal on the Field” Evander da Silva Ferreira can make his mark on history with The Orange and Blue, and etch his name in glory just like his namesake did.
