Christopher Martins

Last updated

Christopher Martins
Christopher Martins Pereira 2022.jpg
Martins with Spartak Moscow in 2022
Personal information
Full name Christopher Martins Pereira [1]
Date of birth (1997-02-19) 19 February 1997 (age 28)
Place of birth Luxembourg City, Luxembourg [2]
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) [3]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Spartak Moscow
Number 35
Youth career
Racing FC
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2012–2013 Racing FC 8 (0)
2013–2019 Lyon B 45 (2)
2017–2019 Lyon 2 (0)
2017–2018Bourg-Péronnas (loan) 17 (1)
2018–2019Troyes (loan) 30 (2)
2019–2022 Young Boys 48 (4)
2022Spartak Moscow (loan) 10 (1)
2022– Spartak Moscow 73 (11)
International career
2012 Luxembourg U17 6 (0)
2012 Luxembourg U19 3 (1)
2014 Luxembourg U21 2 (0)
2014– Luxembourg 75 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 August 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 27 March 2025

Christopher Martins Pereira (born 19 February 1997) is a Luxembourgish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or central midfielder for Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow and the Luxembourg national team.

Contents

Club career

Martins is a youth exponent from Racing FC in Luxembourg City. He transferred to the Lyon Academy in 2013. [4] [3]

Martins made his Lyon debut on 10 September 2017 in a Ligue 1 match against Guingamp. He started the match and was replaced by Jordan Ferri after 51 minutes in a 2–1 home win. [5]

Martins in 2018. Christopher Martins Pereira 2018.png
Martins in 2018.

In June 2019 he signed for Swiss club Young Boys. [6] He won both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 Swiss Super Leagues with the club.

On 31 January 2022, he joined Russian giants Spartak Moscow on a short-term loan. [7] In their announcement of the transfer, Young Boys said that Spartak was expected to buy him out at the conclusion of the loan. [8] Martins won the Russian Cup on 29 May 2022, with him starting in the 2-1 final victory against Dynamo Moscow in what is known as the Oldest Russian derby. On 3 June 2022, Spartak confirmed Martins' permanent transfer, and his signing until 2026. [9] On 14 July 2025, Martins's contract with Spartak was extended to June 2028. [10]

International career

Martins represented Luxembourg at youth international levels, playing for them in the under-17, under-19, and under-21 age groups. [3] [11]

He was eligible to represent either Luxembourg, France, or Cape Verde at international level; he rejected a call-up from Luxembourg's senior team in March 2013 as he had not decided which nation he wished to represent. [12] [13] After being called up again by Luxembourg, he made his debut on 8 September 2014, at the age of 17. [14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 August 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Racing-Union 2012–13 Luxembourg National Division 8080
Lyon B 2013–14 CFA 2 1010
2014–15 CFA 2142142
2015–16 CFA 2100100
2016–17 CFA 2180180
2017–18 CFA 21010
2018–19 CFA 21010
Total452452
Lyon 2017–18 Ligue 1 200020
FBBP01 (loan) 2017–18 Ligue 2 171312 [a] 0222
Troyes (loan) 2018–19 Ligue 230210312
Young Boys 2019–20 Swiss Super League 222313 [b] 0283
2020–21 Swiss Super League112003 [c] 0142
2021–22 Swiss Super League1501010 [d] 0260
Total48441160685
Young Boys U21 2019–20 1. Liga 1010
Spartak Moscow (loan) 2021–22 Russian Premier League 10140141
Spartak Moscow 2022–23 Russian Premier League18251233
2023–24 Russian Premier League264111375
2024–25 Russian Premier League233106339
2025–26 Russian Premier League621072
Total7311278000010019
Career total2342139101602029131
  1. Appearances in Ligue 2 relegation play-offs
  2. One appearance in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of 27 March 2025 [4]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Luxembourg 201440
201560
201670
201780
201881
201950
202020
202190
202260
202390
202490
202520
Total751
Scores and results list Luxembourg's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Martins goal. [4]
List of international goals scored by Christopher Martins
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
18 September 2018 Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, LuxembourgFlag of Moldova.svg  Moldova 4–04–0 2018–19 UEFA Nations League D

Honours

Young Boys

Spartak Moscow

References

  1. "UEFA Nations League 2021: Booking List before League phase Matchday 6" (PDF). UEFA. 16 November 2020. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  2. "Christopher Martins Pereira". OL Web (in French). Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Christopher Martins Pereira at Soccerway . Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Christopher Martins Pereira". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  5. "Lyon vs. Guingamp - 10 September 2017 - Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  6. "L'OL vend Christopher Martins Pereira aux Young Boys de Berne". 13 June 2019.
  7. "Кристофер Мартинс — новый игрок "Спартака"!" (in Russian). FC Spartak Moscow. 31 January 2022.
  8. "Martins wechselt zu Spartak Moskau" (in German). Young Boys. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  9. ""Спартак" выкупил трансфер Мартинса у "Янг Бойз"" (in Russian). FC Spartak Moscow. 3 June 2022.
  10. "Контракт с Мартинсом продлен!" (in Russian). FC Spartak Moscow. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  11. Christopher Martins UEFA competition record ( archive )
  12. "Christopher Martins-Pereira convoqué avec le Luxembourg" (in French). Le Libéro Lyon. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  13. "L'énigme Christopher Martins-Pereira" (in French). Le Libéro Lyon. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  14. Didier Hiégel (8 September 2014). "De l'audace, de l'audace encore de l'audace" (in French). Luxemburger Wort. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  15. "Young Boys wins Swiss league title in 54th week of season". Washington Post. Associated Press. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  16. "Schweizerischer Fussballverband - Statistik und Resultate". www.football.ch (in German). Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  17. ""Спартак" обыграл "Динамо" и стал 4-кратным победителем Кубка России" (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 29 May 2022.