André Almeida

André Gomes Magalhães de Almeida (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈdɾɛ alˈmɐjðɐ]; born 10 September 1990) is a Portuguese professional footballer who last played for Benfica mainly as a right-back but also as a midfielder. He earned 8 caps for the Portugal national team from 2013 to 2015.

For other people named André Almeida, see André Almeida (disambiguation).

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Magalhães and the second or paternal family name is Almeida.
André Almeida
Almeida with Benfica in 2019
Personal information
Full name André Gomes Magalhães de Almeida
Date of birth (1990-09-10) 10 September 1990
Place of birth Lisbon, Portugal
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Full-back, midfielder
Youth career
1999–2002 Loures
2002–2003 Sporting CP
2003–2007 Alverca
2007–2009 Belenenses
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Belenenses 42 (3)
2011–2023 Benfica 193 (9)
2011 → União Leiria (loan) 11 (1)
2012–2013 Benfica B 7 (1)
International career‡
2008 Portugal U18 5 (1)
2008–2009 Portugal U19 4 (0)
2010 Portugal U20 4 (2)
2010–2012 Portugal U21 17 (0)
2013–2015 Portugal 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 April 2022
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 March 2015

Club career

Belenenses

After playing for three other youth clubs in his hometown of Lisbon, Almeida finished his formation with Belenenses. He made his top division debut on 11 January 2009 by playing one minute in a 0–1 loss against Rio Ave, and finished his first full season with 20 games and one goal as the club suffered relegation.

Almeida appeared in 18 matches in the 2010–11 campaign and scored twice, but Belenenses could only rank in 13th position in the second level.

Benfica
Almeida playing for Benfica in 2016

Almeida signed for S.L. Benfica in the 2011 summer, being immediately loaned to fellow top flight side U.D. Leiria. In December, however, he was recalled by the parent club,[2] going on to make four official appearances for the first team until the end of the season, including 90 minutes in a 2–0 home win over C.D. Santa Clara for the domestic league cup,[3] which Benfica won for the fourth time in a row.

Almeida started 2012–13 with Benfica B in division two. However, following the sales of Javi García and Axel Witsel in the last minutes of the summer transfer window, he started being called regularly to the main squad, either as a backup to Maxi Pereira at right back or in centre midfield.[4]

Almeida made his UEFA Champions League debut on 19 September 2012 in a 0–0 draw at Celtic.[5] He also played the full 90 minutes in the second group stage game between the two teams, a 2–1 home success; on both occasions, he starred in the right side of defense.[6] On 18 January 2017, Almeida scored his first goal for Benfica in a 6–2 home win over Leixões in the Taça de Portugal quarter-finals.[7]

After the departure of Jardel in June 2021, Almeida became the team's captain,[8][9] with Nicolás Otamendi taking his place in the 2022–23 season.

International career

Almeida gained 30 caps for Portugal all youth categories comprised, including 17 for the under-21 team. He made his debut with the full side on 11 October 2013, playing the full 90 minutes as a right back in a 1–1 home draw against Israel for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[10]

On 19 May 2014, Almeida was named by manager Paulo Bento in the final 23-man squad for the tournament in Brazil.[11] He made his debut in the competition on 16 June, replacing injured Fábio Coentrão in the second half of an eventual 0–4 group stage loss to Germany.[12]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 30 April 2022[13][14]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Belenenses 2008–09 Primeira Liga 400000—40
2009–10 2013010—241
2010–11 1821020—212
Total 4234030—493
União de Leiria (loan) 2011–12 Primeira Liga 1111000—121
Benfica 2011–12 Primeira Liga 30001000—40
2012–13 1405030120—340
2013–14 100304090—260
2014–15 20030206000310
2015–16 26010208000370
2016–17 141314040—252
2017–18 31220204010402
2018–19 3323040130—532
2019–20 23430001000274
2020–21 400000100050
2021–22 150311070—261
2022–23 00000000—00
Total 19392622306501030811
Benfica B 2012–13 Segunda Liga 61—61
2013–14 10—10
Total 71—71
Career total 253143122606501037616

International
National teamYearAppsGoals
Portugal[15] 201320
201450
201510
Total80

Honours

Benfica[14]

References
  1. "André Almeida". S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  2. Benfica solicita regresso de André Almeida à U. Leiria (Benfica requests André Almeida return from U. Leiria) Archived 21 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine; Mais Futebol, 23 December 2011 (Portuguese)
  3. Taca da Liga round-up Archived 22 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine; PortuGOAL, 18 January 2012
  4. "Ex-leão ganha estatuto na Luz" [Former lion André Almeida moving up the ranks at Luz]. SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). 21 September 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  5. Celtic stand firm against Benfica; UEFA.com, 19 September 2012
  6. Benfica grateful for Garay winner; UEFA.com, 20 November 2012
  7. "A very special moment" in a "just" victory Archived 31 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese)
  8. "Yaremchuk destaca regresso de André Almeida: "É uma lenda do clube"". zerozero (in Portuguese). 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  9. "O capitão voltou!" [The captain is back!]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 15 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  10. "Portugal pegged back by late Israel strike". UEFA.com. 12 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  11. "Paulo Bento announces Portugal's 23-man World Cup squad". PortuGOAL. 19 May 2014. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  12. "Muller-inspired Germany thrash ten-man Portugal". FIFA.com. 16 June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  13. André Almeida at ForaDeJogo (archived). Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  14. André Almeida at Soccerway. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  15. "André Almeida". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  16. "Especial 'Tetra'" ['Tetra' special edition]. Mística (in Portuguese). No. 33. Portugal: Impresa Publishing. April–June 2017. p. 96. ISSN 3846-0823.
  17. "Spot-on Sevilla leave Benfica dreams in tatters". UEFA.com. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
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