Domestic-league season · Flamengo.
Missed 11 of Flamengo's ~38 games this season through 11 injury absences (knock, inactive, yellow cards). He still appeared 19 times — a solid return given how little of the season he was available. His rating is judged mainly on the games he was fit to play.
| Competition | Apps | G | A | Min | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Supercopa do Brasil | 26 | 5 | 0 | 1828 | 7.38 |
 Serie A | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1035 | 7.03 |
 CONMEBOL Libertadores | 4 | 1 | 0 | 385 | 7.32 |
 Carioca - 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 275 | 7.38 |
 FIFA Intercontinental Cup | 3 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 6.93 |
 FIFA Club World Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6.9 |
Cruz's current-season form is down 20% on last season (Season 15→12), while his Rating eased 53→42. His peak season for form remains 2020/21 (Season 36).
| Season | Club | Apps | G | A | Match | RTG | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | Flamengo · 1st | 19 | 0 | 0 | 7.03 | 42 | 12 |
| 2024/25 | Flamengo · 3rd | 16 | 2 | 3 | 7.47 | 53 | 15 |
| 2022/23 | River Plate · 3rd | 32 | 4 | 7 | 7.13 | 53 | 26 |
| 2021/22 | River Plate · 1st | 22 | 5 | 4 | 7.5 | 54 | 24 |
| 2020/21 | River Plate · 2nd | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7.84 | 56 | 36 |
Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year.
N. de la Cruz is a 29-year-old central midfielder at Flamengo, rated 41.5 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 236th of 427 in the Serie A. An experienced operator, he has been a rotation option this season (42.6% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.87 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Cruz.
Judged on this season alone, Cruz graded 12 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 57th of 69 of the 69 central midfielders in the Serie A, on 0 goals, 0 assists and 2.87 defensive actions per 90.
Year-on-year, that's broadly in line with last season (Season 15 → 12). Over the 5 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2020/21.
On long-term talent our Rating reads 42, 40th of 69 of the 69 central midfielders in the Serie A. At 29 Cruz is in his prime years, and a market index of 30.1 reflects that trajectory.
Read the appearance count in context: Cruz missed 11 games through injury (knock, inactive, yellow cards) out of roughly 38 this season. The 19 he did play is a solid return on the time he was fit, and his ratings are weighted toward those games rather than the ones he sat out injured.
Past his 2022/23 peak — the recent trend is downward, so buyers are paying for what's left, not what was.
2.87 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 5 clean sheets across 19 appearances. Behind a title-challenging side (1st of 20) the side controls more games, so the defensive load is lighter — the value sits as much in composure and ball progression as in raw volume.
With a Rating of 41.5, Cruz carries the 40th-highest potential of the central midfielders in the Serie A of 69. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.87 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.1× now → 0.8× projected in three years).
Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.
The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~55), then tapers with age. At 29, Cruz sits on 30.1, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Cruz's projected Rating — 41.5 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.
€17.2M total transfer fees · 2 moves
No transfer news found for this player.
