Joca (footballer, born 1996)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Figueiredoand the second or paternal family name is Fernandes.

Joca

Personal information
Full name	Jorge Samuel Figueiredo Fernandes [1]
Date of birth	(1996-01-30) 30 January 1996 (age 29) [1]
Place of birth	Braga, Portugal [1]
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) [1]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Volos
Number	8
Youth career
2006–2007	Braga
2007–2011	Sporting CP
2011−2014	Braga
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014−2018	Braga B	98	(15)
2017−2018	→ Tondela (loan)	14	(0)
2018−2020	Rio Ave	6	(0)
2020	→ Leixões (loan)	3	(0)
2020−2021	Leixões	25	(4)
2021–2024	Rio Ave	65	(7)
2024	Wuhan Three Towns	12	(3)
2025	Gençlerbirliği	14	(1)
2025–	Volos	2	(0)
International career
2015	Portugal U19	3	(0)
2016	Portugal U20	6	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:32, 1 September 2025 (UTC)

Jorge Samuel Figueiredo Fernandes (born 30 January 1996), known as Joca, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Super League Greece club Volos as a midfielder.

Club career

Braga

Born in Braga, Joca had two youth spells with local S.C. Braga, the last one starting at the age of 15. He made his senior debut with their reserves on 9 August 2014, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute in a 1–0 away loss against C.D. Tondela in the Segunda Liga; ^[2] he went to spend three full seasons with the side, always in that division.

On 11 July 2017, after scoring a career-best 12 goals during the campaign with Braga B, ^[3] Joca was loaned to Primeira Liga club Tondela. ^[4] His first game in the competition occurred on 9 September, when he featured one minute in the 2–2 home draw with F.C. Paços de Ferreira. ^[5]

Rio Ave and Leixões

On 27 July 2018, Joca signed a three-year contract at Rio Ave F.C. also of the Portuguese top tier. ^[6] In January 2020, not being part of manager Carlos Carvalhal's plans, he was loaned to Leixões S.C. until June. ^[7]

Joca joined Leixões on a permanent basis on 18 August 2020. ^[8] In July 2021, however, he returned to the Estádio dos Arcos on a one-year deal. ^[9]

Rio Ave won the second division in 2021–22, with Joca contributing three goals from 31 matches. ^{[10] [11]} He missed the vast majority of the following season with a knee injury. ^{[12] [13]}

Joca split the 2024–25 season abroad, starting it with Wuhan Three Towns F.C. in the Chinese Super League and finishing with Gençlerbirliği S.K. in the Turkish TFF 1. Lig. ^[14]

Career statistics

As of match played 2 November 2024 ^[15]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Braga B	2014–15	Segunda Liga	18	0	—		—		—		—		18	0
	2015–16	LigaPro	42	3	—		—		—		—		42	3
	2016–17		38	12	—		—		—		—		38	12
	Total		98	15	—		—		—		—		98	15
Tondela (loan)	2017–18	Primeira Liga	14	0	1	0	1	0	—		—		16	0
Rio Ave	2018–19	Primeira Liga	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		3	0
	2019–20		3	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		3	0
	Total		6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		6	0
Leixões (loan)	2019–20	LigaPro	3	0	—		—		—		—		3	0
Leixões	2020–21	Liga Portugal 2	25	4	1	0	—		—		—		26	4
	Total		28	4	1	0	—		—		—		29	4
Rio Ave	2021–22	Liga Portugal 2	31	3	5	0	4	0	—		—		40	3
	2022–23	Primeira Liga	6	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		6	0
	2023–24		28	4	0	0	2	0	—		—		30	4
	Total		65	7	5	0	6	0	—		—		76	7
Wuhan Three Towns	2024	Chinese Super League	12	3	—		—		—		—		12	3
Career total			223	29	7	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	237	29

Honours

Rio Ave

• Liga Portugal 2: 2021–22 ^[10]

References

1. "Joca" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
2. "Tondela-Sp. Braga B, 1–0: Bruno Monteiro resolve perto do fim" [Tondela-Sp. Braga B, 1–0: Bruno Monteiro decides it near the end]. Record (in Portuguese). 9 August 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
3. "VÍDEO: Heliardo andou à procura e descobriu o reforço do Tondela" [VIDEO: Heliardo was looking and found Tondela's addition] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
4. "Sp. Braga empresta Joca ao Tondela" [Sp. Braga loan Joca to Tondela] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
5. "Futebol: I Liga/ Tondela – Paços de Ferreira (ficha)" [Football: I League/ Tondela – Paços de Ferreira (match report)]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 9 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
6. "Rio Ave contrata Joca ao Braga" [Rio Ave sign Joca from Braga] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
7. "OFICIAL: Rio Ave empresta Joca e Damien Furtado" [OFFICIAL: Rio Ave loan Joca and Damien Furtado] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
8. Matos, Diogo (18 August 2020). "Joca em definitivo no Leixões" [Joca to Leixões permanently]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2024.
9. "Mercado a mexer no Rio Ave com o segundo regresso ao clube" [Market on the move at Rio Ave with second return to the club]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 1 July 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
10. Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo (15 May 2022). "VÍDEO: Rio Ave recebe troféu de campeão da II Liga em clima de festa" [VIDEO: Rio Ave get II League champions trophy in party atmosphere] (in Portuguese). CNN Portugal . Retrieved 4 May 2024.
11. "Joca iguala melhor registo" [Joca equals best record]. Record (in Portuguese). 22 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
12. "Joca operado a um joelho" [Knee surgery for Joca]. Record (in Portuguese). 14 October 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
13. Veloso Gomes, André (21 April 2024). "Recuperado de lesão, Joca volta a sorrir e já decide no Rio Ave" [Having overcome injury, Joca smiles again and is already a decider at Rio Ave]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2024.
14. Morais, Pedro (3 February 2025). "Joca ruma à Turquia para reforçar o Gençlerbirligi" [Joca heads to Turkey to bolster Gençlerbirligi]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 September 2025.
15. Joca at Soccerway

External links

• Joca at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• Joca national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)