Nuno Santos (footballer, born 1999)

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Nuno Santos
Personal information
Full name Nuno Miguel Valente Santos [1]
Date of birth (1999-03-02) 2 March 1999 (age 26) [2]
Place of birth Porto, Portugal [2]
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) [2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Mamelodi Sundowns
Youth career
2007–2008 Boavista
2008–2010 Porto
2010–2012 Boavista
2012–2017 Benfica
2017 → Belenenses (loan)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2017–2022 Benfica B 60 (13)
2020 → Moreirense (loan) 14 (1)
2020–2021 → Boavista (loan) 29 (1)
2021–2022 → Paços Ferreira (loan) 31 (5)
2022–2023 Charlotte FC 9 (1)
2023 Crown Legacy 1 (1)
2023–2025 Vitória Guimarães 65 (5)
2025– Mamelodi Sundowns 0 (0)
International career
2015 Portugal U16 4 (0)
2016 Portugal U17 13 (1)
2017 Portugal U18 5 (2)
2017–2018 Portugal U19 11 (0)
2018–2019 Portugal U20 10 (2)
2019 Portugal U21 3 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Portugal
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner 2018
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:35, 22 September 2025 (UTC)

Nuno Miguel Valente Santos (born 2 March 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for South African Premiership club Mamelodi Sundowns.

Contents

Club career

Benfica

Born in Porto, Santos was a youth player at his city's two major teams, Boavista F.C. and FC Porto, before joining S.L. Benfica in 2012. [3] He made his debut for the reserve team in LigaPro on 8 August 2017 as the season opened with a 2–1 away loss against U.D. Oliveirense, [4] and scored his first goal the following 6 January at the end of a 3–1 defeat at FC Porto B. [5] In 2018–19 he scored a career-best seven goals (adding five in seven matches in the UEFA Youth League), subsequently renewing his contract until 2024. [6]

By then captain of Benfica B, Santos was loaned to Primeira Liga club Moreirense F.C. on 29 January 2020. [7] He made his top-flight debut four days later by starting in a 5–1 away victory over Gil Vicente FC. [8] His first goal at the level came on 11 July to win the game at B-SAD. [9]

Santos continued to be loaned the following two seasons, to Boavista [10] and F.C. Paços de Ferreira. [11] On 19 November 2021, while in service of the latter side, he put his team ahead against his parent club in the fourth round of the Taça de Portugal, but in a 4–1 loss. [12] [13]

Charlotte FC

On 5 August 2022, Santos signed a two-year deal with Charlotte FC. [14] He scored his only Major League Soccer goal on 17 September in the 3–2 away defeat of Chicago Fire FC, [15] and also spent time with the reserve team Crown Legacy FC. [16]

Vitória Guimarães

Santos returned to Portugal in July 2023, joining top-flight Vitória S.C. on a four-year contract. [17] [18] On 27 October 2024, his 43rd-minute first-time shot from near the penalty arc helped his side to earn a 2–2 draw at C.F. Estrela da Amadora, and was later voted Goal of the Month for September/October. [19] [20]

During his tenure at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Santos totalled 90 games, eight goals and 14 assists. [21]

Mamelodi Sundowns

On 23 September 2025, Santos moved to Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. of the South African Premiership. [22]

International career

Santos was part of Hélio Sousa's Portugal under-19 team that won the 2018 UEFA European Championship in Finland. He made three substitute appearances in the tournament, including one in extra time of the final. [23]

On 5 September 2019, Santos earned his first cap for the under-21s, in a 4–0 home defeat of Gibraltar in the 2021 UEFA European Championship qualifiers. [24]

Honours

Benfica

Portugal

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: Portugal" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Nuno Santos" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Resendes, Manuel (18 August 2020). "Mercado: Boavista garante médio ofensivo Nuno Santos ao Benfica" [Transfer market: Boavista confirm attacking midfielder Nuno Santos from Benfica] (in Portuguese). Futebol 365. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Oliveirense-Benfica B, 2–1: Penálti tardio dá triunfo" [Oliveirense-Benfica B, 2–1: Late penalty gives win]. Record (in Portuguese). 8 August 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "FC Porto B confirma liderança com vitória frente ao Benfica B" [FC Porto B confirm lead with victory against Benfica B]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  6. ↑ "Benfica renova com Nuno Santos até 2024" [Benfica renew with Nuno Santos until 2024] (in Portuguese). TSF. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Silva, Flávio Miguel (29 January 2020). "Benfica empresta Nuno Santos no Moreirense" [Benfica loan Nuno Santos to Moreirense]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "Gil Vicente FC em "dia não" é goleado por Moreirense FC" [Gil Vicente FC on "off day" are thrashed by Moreirense FC] (in Portuguese). Barcelos na Hora. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  9. ↑ Amaro, Miguel (11 July 2020). "A crónica do Belenenses SAD-Moreirense, 0–1: só um Nuno acerta num jogo de erros" [Report on Belenenses SAD-Moreirene, 0–1: only Nuno on target in game of errors]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Oficial: Benfica empresta Nuno Santos ao Boavista" [Official: Benfica loan Nuno Santos to Boavista] (in Portuguese). Notícias ao Minuto. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Nuno Santos vai defender o amarelo" [Nuno Santos will defend yellows] (in Portuguese). F.C. Paços Ferreira. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "VÍDEO: Nuno Santos deu vantagem ao Paços na Luz e pediu desculpa" [VIDEO: Nuno Santos put Paços in front at the Luz and apologised] (in Portuguese). CNN Portugal. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  13. ↑ Marques, Pedro Miguel (19 November 2021). "Benfica 4–1 Paços de Ferreira: Águia apanha susto mas acaba a golear e segue em frente na Taça" [Benfica 4–1 Paços de Ferreira: Eagle got scare but end up thrashing and go through in Cup] (in Portuguese). SAPO . Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "Charlotte FC acquires Portuguese attacking midfielder Nuno Santos from SL Benfica". Charlotte FC. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  15. ↑ "Karol Swiderski helps Charlotte FC come back to beat Fire". Sportsnaut. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Charlotte FC loans Nuno Santos to Crown Legacy FC". Charlotte FC. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "Charlotte FC midfielder Nuno Santos joins Vitória S.C." Charlotte FC. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "OFICIAL: Nuno Santos regressa a Portugal e assina pelo Vitória" [OFFICIAL: Nuno Santos returns to Portugal and signs for Vitória] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "Remate de primeira de Nuno Santos eleito Golo do Mês da Liga Portugal Betclic" [Nuno Santos first-time shot voted Goal of the Month in Liga Portugal Betclic] (in Portuguese). Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  20. ↑ "Nuno Santos recebe prémio Golo do Mês: «Foi só uma questão de olhar bem para a trajetória da bola»" [Nuno Santos gets the Goal of the Month award: "It was only a matter of looking to where the ball was going"]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 November 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  21. ↑ "Nuno Santos deixa Vitória de Guimarães e reforça Mamelodi Sundowns" [Nuno Santos leaves Vitória de Guimarães and bolsters Mamelodi Sundowns] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 22 September 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  22. ↑ Gleeson, Nic (23 September 2025). "Sundowns sign former Portuguese youth international". African Football. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  23. 1 2 Esteves, Adérito (30 July 2018). "Conheça os 20 (mais um) campeões europeus de sub-19" [Meet the 20 (plus one) under-19 European champions] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  24. ↑ Amaro, Miguel (5 September 2019). "Portugal arranca qualificação com goleada" [Portugal start qualification with rout]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  25. ↑ "Benfica campeão nacional de juniores pela 24.ª vez" [Benfica national champions in juniors for the 24th time]. Público (in Portuguese). 19 May 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  26. ↑ "Benfica cai perante reviravolta do Salzburgo" [Benfica fall as Salzburg come from behind] (in Portuguese). UEFA. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
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