![]() Moreira with the Columbus Crew in 2023 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 13 August 1994 | ||
Place of birth | Noisy-le-Grand, France | ||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Right-back, centre-back [1] | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Columbus Crew | ||
Number | 31 | ||
Youth career | |||
2000–2005 | AS Champs-sur-Marne [2] | ||
2005–2009 | US Torcy [3] | ||
2009–2013 | Rennes [4] | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2014 | Rennes B | 20 | (0) |
2013–2016 | Rennes | 58 | (0) |
2016–2018 | Lorient | 63 | (1) |
2018–2021 | Toulouse | 58 | (1) |
2018 | Toulouse B | 3 | (0) |
2021– | Columbus Crew | 110 | (4) |
International career‡ | |||
2009 | France U16 | 1 | (0) |
2013 | France U19 | 7 | (0) |
2014 | France U20 | 2 | (0) |
2015 | France U21 | 4 | (0) |
2023– | Cape Verde | 6 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:39, 15 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:27, 19 February 2024 (UTC) |
Steven Moreira (born 13 August 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back or centre-back for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer. Born in France, he plays for the Cape Verde national team.
Moreira first began with AS Champs-sur-Marne in 2000, staying there for five years until he joined US Torcy in 2005. [5] He later joined the Rennes youth academy in 2009, and secured a professional contract with the Breton side in 2013, scoring his first goal for Rennes on 19 January 2016 in a Coupe de France match, [6] netting his team's only goal in a 3–1 loss to Bourg-en-Bresse. [7] Moreria joined FC Lorient on 30 August 2016 for a reported €1.2 million, signing a four-year deal. [8] [9] He scored a goal against RC Lens in the second round of the Coupe de la Ligue in August 2016, [10] and on 29 January scored the only goal in a victory versus eventual Ligue 2 champions Reims. [11]
Moreira was transferred to Toulouse on 10 August 2018 and agreed to terms on a three-year deal. [12] [13] He incurred a three-match suspension following a red card received during a match against Marseille on 24 November 2019. [14] [15] On 15 February 2020, he was shown a red card for a foul on Adam Ounas, resulting in another three-match suspension. [16] [17] [18] He would score his only league goal for the club on 26 September 2020, contributing to a 3–1 victory at home for Les Violets. [19] On 20 March 2021, Moreira received a red card in a 1–0 defeat against Niort, serving a three-match suspension as a result. [20] [21]
In August 2021, Moreira signed with Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer on a free transfer until the end of the 2021 season, with team options to extend his contract until the end of the 2023 season. [22] [23] He would go on to appear in eight total matches in his first season, including making his team debut in the Campeones Cup victory versus Cruz Azul. [24] On 27 August 2022, Moreira scored his first goal for the Crew, a right-footed volley in the 96th minute to tie Hell is Real rivals FC Cincinnati 2–2. [25] During the 2023 season, Moreira became a key contributor at centre-back for a Columbus side that won MLS Cup. Described as having a "unique role", [26] he was given the freedom to carry the ball high into the midfield or make line-splitting passes. [27] After the final, it was announced that he extended his contract until 2025, with an option for 2026. [23] [28]
Born in France, Moreira is of Cape Verdean descent, and is a former France youth international. He played at the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 European Championship, finishing as the runner-up. [22] He was called up to the Cape Verde national team for a set of friendlies in October 2023. [29] He debuted with Cape Verde in a 5–1 loss to Algeria on 12 October 2023. [30] Moreira was part of the Cape Verde team that made the Quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. [31]
Moreira has mainly been deployed as a right-back in his career. Since 2023, he has shifted to a right-sided centre-back in a back three. Speaking about the change, Moreira said: "I no longer play in my position, which was right-back. I play as a defender in a three-man defense and I have incredible freedom. I find myself almost often in front of goal." [23]
Moreira is Muslim and fasts during the month of Ramadan. [32]
Club | Season | League | National cup [a] | League cup [b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Rennes B | 2010-11 | CFA | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
2012-13 | CFA 2 | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||||
2013-14 | CFA 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
2014-15 | CFA 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
2015-16 | CFA 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
Total | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 0 | ||||||
Rennes | 2012-13 | Ligue 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
2013-14 | Ligue 1 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
2014-15 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 0 | |||
2015-16 | Ligue 1 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | |||
2016-17 | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Total | 58 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 73 | 0 | ||||
Lorient | 2016-17 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 [c] | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
2017-18 | Ligue 2 | 35 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 41 | 2 | |||
Total | 63 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 74 | 2 | |||
Toulouse B | 2018-19 | Championnat National 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
Toulouse | 2018-19 | Ligue 1 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||
2019-20 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 0 | |||
2020-21 | Ligue 2 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 1 [c] | 0 | 34 | 1 | |||
Total | 58 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 68 | 1 | |||
Columbus Crew | 2021 | MLS | 7 | 0 | — | — | 1 [d] | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||
2022 | MLS | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 1 | ||||
2023 | MLS | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 [e] | 1 | 6 [f] | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
2024 | MLS | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 [g] | 0 | 2 [f] | 0 | 42 | 2 | ||
2025 | MLS | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 [h] | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | |||
Total | 109 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 136 | 5 | |||
Career total | 315 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 378 | 8 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Cape Verde | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
2024 | 12 | 0 | |
Total | 13 | 0 |
Columbus Crew
Individual