A smartphone app is quietly changing how Brazilian soccer clubs discover their next stars. Cuju, built by Germany’s Rogon Technologies, uses artificial intelligence to evaluate young players through standardized video drills, producing objective performance scores that replace the gut instincts of traditional scouts.
The platform has racked up around 160,000 downloads by mid-2026, with over 80,000 participants engaging in pilot programs across Brazil. Santos F.C., one of the country’s most storied clubs and the team that launched Pelé and Neymar, is among those using the app’s regional rankings to identify promising talent.
How a phone camera replaces the clipboard
Young players record themselves performing standardized drills on their smartphones, covering skills like ball control, speed, and agility. The AI system then analyzes the footage and produces objective performance scores.
The app creates regional leaderboards that give scouts from professional clubs a curated pool of talent to browse. Top-ranked players get invited to live scouting events and in-person trials, bridging the gap between digital evaluation and real-world opportunity.
