Nani

Early life

Nani was born on 17 November 1986 in Amadora, Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal, and is of Cape Verdean descent. He was raised by his aunt Antónia on the Santa Filomena estate in Amadora after being abandoned by his parents. At age five, his father left for a holiday in Cape Verde but never returned, and when he was 12 years old, his mother left Portugal to start a new life in the Netherlands. Nani has nine siblings from his mother, of which he is the youngest, and five from his father. Nani gained his nickname from an elder sister at a young age.

Nani's older brother taught him how to play football and he played with his childhood friend, midfielder Manuel Fernandes. When Nani was around 14, his older brother took him to train with Real Massamá. They were Nani's first club and gave him money, food, and helped him obtain an ID card and a passport. At the age of 16, Nani was training on alternate days with Sporting CP and Benfica. Nani sometimes walked miles to and from practice before Sporting offered him pre-season training. Despite growing up in the Lisbon area, Nani and his brother supported Porto as children. His footballing hero was Luís Figo.

Club career

Sporting CP

Nani joined Sporting CP from his first club, Real Massamá. After two seasons in the youth team, where he won the National Junior Championship in 2004–05, Nani was promoted to the first team early in the 2005–06 season. On 10 August 2005, he made his Sporting CP debut, coming on as a substitute for Custódio in the 73rd minute in a 1–0 home defeat to Udinese in their third-round qualifier in the UEFA Champions League. Nani made his Portuguese Liga debut on 28 August, replacing Deivid in the 76th minute of a 1–2 victory over Marítimo at the Estádio dos Barreiros. Nani scored his first Sporting goal on 30 October, opening the scoring in a 2–2 draw away to Boavista. Nani ended the first season of his career with 5 goals from 36 appearances across all competitions.

Nani first came into the spotlight after scoring in the UEFA Champions League against Spartak Moscow, scoring Sporting's goal in a 1–1 group stage match on 27 September 2006. Nani helped Sporting win the 2006–07 Taça de Portugal, lifting the trophy after a 1–0 win over Belenenses on 27 May 2007 in the final. He was then named as the SJPF Young Player of the Month for May 2007. Nani's second season with Sporting ended with similar league statistics, with 40 appearances and 6 goals in all competitions.

Manchester United

Nani was sold to Manchester United for €25.5 million, five percent of which was paid to Real Massamá, his first professional club. He passed his medical on 6 June 2007, and signed a five-year contract one month later, joining Portuguese compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he lived at the start of his Manchester United career.

Nani scored on his debut in a pre-season friendly against Shenzhen, scoring the third in a 6–0 win. He also scored in the following match against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical with a chip off the right post from the left side of the penalty area in a 3–0 win. On 5 August 2007, Nani made his competitive debut for United, coming on as a substitute in the Community Shield against Chelsea. He marked his debut with a trophy after they won 3–0 on penalties, following a 1–1 draw during normal time. This was followed up by Nani's third goal for the club three days later, when he scored against Glentoran in another 3–0 pre-season win.

Nani's Premier League debut came in United's opening match at home to Reading on 12 August as a substitute for Wayne Rooney, who had suffered a foot injury. Two weeks later, on 26 August, Nani scored his first competitive goal for United, netting a 30-yard goal in the 69th minute against Tottenham Hotspur. Nani also set up crucial goals for Louis Saha and Nemanja Vidić, allowing United to defeat both Sunderland and Everton 1–0, respectively. He returned to face his previous club, Sporting CP, in a Champions League tie in September, though it was teammate and fellow former Sporting player Cristiano Ronaldo who scored the winner in a 0–1 victory. Nani opened the scoring in a 4–1 home victory over Middlesbrough on 27 October.

On 16 February 2008, Nani put in a man of the match performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup Fourth Round, his goal and two assists helping United to a 4–0 win over their rivals. During the match, Nani was involved in an altercation with Arsenal captain William Gallas. After the match, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger was equally displeased, while Gilberto Silva said Nani had a "big head".

On 23 March, Nani set up the second and scored the final goal in a 3–0 victory over rivals Liverpool, in the 79th and 81st minutes respectively, after coming onto the pitch as a substitute. On 3 May, towards the end of a 4–1 home win over West Ham United, Nani was sent off for the first time in his United career for a headbutt on West Ham defender Lucas Neill. On 21 May, Nani came on as a substitute for Wayne Rooney in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final as United defeated Chelsea 6–5 on penalties following a 1–1 draw after extra time. Nani took and scored Manchester United's crucial fifth penalty in the shootout.

Fenerbahçe

On 6 July 2015, Nani joined Turkish club Fenerbahçe, signing a three-year deal for a £4.25 million transfer fee. He and his former United teammate Robin van Persie debuted 22 days later in a goalless home draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round of the season's Champions League, with Nani starting. He scored two goals including the winner, a free-kick in second-half stoppage time, against Antalyaspor on 30 August.

On 26 May 2016, Nani was sent off in the Turkish Cup final for sarcastically applauding the referee following a 1–0 loss to rivals Galatasaray.

Valencia

In July 2016, Nani signed for Spanish club Valencia on a three-year contract, with Valencia paying an undisclosed fee – reported at £7.2 million – to complete the transfer.

Nani was suspended for Valencia's season opener against Las Palmas as he had not served his suspension from his last game for Fenerbahçe. He debuted on 27 August in the next game, a 1–0 loss at Eibar. On 25 September, in his 500th game as a professional, he opened his Valencia account with his 100th goal to conclude a 2–1 win at Leganés. In his one season at the Mestalla, he suffered four muscular injuries over the course of the campaign – a contrast to his previous year in Turkey, where he played 64 games for club and country.

On 31 August 2017, Lazio announced the signing of Nani on a season-long loan deal. He scored his first goal for Lazio on 29 October, the final goal of a 5–1 away victory over Benevento.

Return to Sporting CP

On 11 July 2018, Sporting CP announced that Nani would be rejoining the club. He scored twice in his second game on 18 August, a 2–1 home win over Vitória Setúbal. In one of his final games on 26 January, the 2019 Taça da Liga Final in Braga, he scored Sporting's last penalty as they defeated Porto following a 1–1 draw.

Orlando City

On 18 February 2019, Nani moved to Orlando City, signing a three-year contract on a Designated Player deal. He made his club debut on 2 March, coming on as a 70th minute substitute in Orlando's season opener at home against New York City FC; the game ended in a 2–2 draw, with Nani registering an assist on Dom Dwyer's equaliser. He scored his first goals for the team on 6 April 2019, when he netted twice in Orlando's 4–3 home win over Colorado Rapids, including the game–winning penalty in the 89th minute.

On 31 July 2020, he missed a penalty in regulation time against Los Angeles FC in the quarter-finals of the MLS is Back Tournament but later assisted the last-minute equalizer and scored the winning penalty during an extra-time shootout. In the semi-finals against Minnesota United, Nani scored two first-half goals to help his team reach the final with a 3–1 win. However, Orlando City eventually finished runners-up in the tournament, losing to Portland Timbers in the final.

On 6 May 2021, Nani's goal against FC Cincinnati in a 3–0 victory five days earlier saw him awarded Goal of the Week. On 2 August, Nani was named Player of the Week for providing a goal and an assist in a 3–2 victory over Atlanta United two days earlier. On 21 May, the MLS Disciplinary Committee suspended Nani for two games for making physical contact with referee Alex Chilowicz during a match at D.C. United five days earlier on 16 May. On 26 November, Nani announced he was leaving Orlando City following the expiration of his contract.

Venezia

On 14 January 2022, he signed a contract with Italian Serie A club Venezia until the end of the 2022–23 season. The contract was terminated by mutual consent on 8 July 2022.

Melbourne Victory

On 12 July 2022, Nani signed a two-year contract with A-League Men club Melbourne Victory.

Three days later, he made his unofficial debut for his new team, coming on as a late substitute in a 4–1 loss to former side Manchester United. On 6 January 2023, during an A-League Men game against Brisbane Roar, he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in an accidental clash with opponent Connor Chapman, and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

On 31 May 2023, the club confirmed Nani's departure.

Adana Demirspor

On 13 July 2023, Süper Lig club Adana Demirspor announced the signing of Nani on a one-year contract, with an option for a further year. He was in the squad for 28 league matches and 5 European Cup qualifiers and scored 4 goals in Adana Demirspor. On 13 May 2024, it was announced that he had left the club.

Estrela Amadora

On 8 December 2024, after playing for Estrela Amadora, Nani announced his retirement from professional football.

On 14 September 2025, Nani made a guest appearance in Russia’s Media League Cup, playing for media club Alfa-Banka against Amkal and scoring from the penalty spot in a 3–1 defeat.

Aktobe

In January 2026, Nani came out of retirement to sign for Kazakhstan Premier League side Aktobe.

Nani made his Kazakhstan Premier League debut on 7 March 2026, coming off the bench in the 71st minute against FC Tobol. It took the Portuguese winger just three minutes to provide an assist for Ivan Ordets, helping his team, Aktobe, cruise to a 4-1 victory.

Nani scored his first brace in Kazakhstan on 30 April 2026, in a 2026 Kazakhstan Cup match between Aktobe and FC Yelimay. His goals helped his team advance to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Kazakhstan Cup. His first goal in the Kazakhstan Football Championship was scored on 21 June 2026, in the 22nd minute of the match against Astana.

International career

Portugal under–21

Nani was the youngest member of the Portugal U21 squad at the 2006 UEFA Under-21 Championship, making his debut on 23 May 2006 in a 1–0 defeat to France. He appeared in all three matches, scoring no goals, before Portugal bowed out in group stages. During the 2007 European Under-21 Football Championship, he made four appearances, scoring one goal in a 4–0 victory against Israel U21 in a group stage match on 16 June 2007, and had to be taken off during the match after a right ankle injury.

Portugal senior team

Nani made his first appearance for the senior Portuguese team on 1 September 2006, and marked his debut with a goal in Portugal's 4–2 friendly defeat to Denmark. Nani was omitted from Portugal's 1–1 draw with Armenia, but was recalled for Euro 2008 qualifiers against Poland and Serbia in September. He also provided the assist for Ricardo Quaresma's goal in a friendly against Italy on 6 February 2008. Nani was ruled out of Portugal's friendly with Greece in March 2008 due to injury.

Nani was a regular member of the Portugal squad in Euro 2008 qualification, and scored one of the goals in the 2–1 away win over Belgium on 2 June 2007. Nani received a call-up to Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man squad for Euro 2008 alongside Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. During the campaign, Nani played three matches and started just one, but did provide the assist for Hélder Postiga's goal during a substitute appearance in the 3–2 quarter-final defeat to Germany on 19 June.

Nani's fourth international goal came in Portugal's final friendly match before their World Cup qualifying campaign started, a 5–0 victory over the Faroe Islands on 20 August 2008. Nani scored the final goal of a 4–0 victory over Malta as Portugal started qualification for the 2010 World Cup on 6 September. He opened the scoring in the 3–2 home loss against Denmark four days later. Nani helped Portugal book a play-off place for the World Cup as he netted in the 4–0 home win over Malta on 14 October 2009. Nani was influential in the play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina, setting up Bruno Alves for the only goal in the first leg. Raul Meireles' goal in the second-leg sealed Portugal's place at the World Cup in South Africa.

On 1 June 2010, Nani netted Portugal's third in a 3–1 victory over Cameroon. Following that game Nani was named in Carlos Queiroz 23-man squad for the tournament, However, on 8 June, Nani was ruled out of the tournament through a shoulder injury and was replaced by Benfica midfielder Ruben Amorim.

Nani scored twice and assisted once in Paulo Bento's first game in charge of Portugal in a 3–1 Euro 2012 qualifying win over Denmark on 8 October 2010. Nani scored twice and set up another again in a 5–3 win over Iceland on 7 October 2011.

Nani started in the opening match of the 2014 World Cup for Portugal against Germany. After the match, he stated how the team played well despite the loss and how "the referee has discriminated against us, but that's normal, Portugal against big teams never get help". In the team's second fixture, Nani scored the opening goal for Portugal in a 2–2 draw with the United States.

Style of play

In the early stages of his career at Manchester United, Nani's ability and playing style often invited comparisons with club and international teammate Cristiano Ronaldo; however, Nani's style developed into more that of a traditional winger than Ronaldo's evolution into a centre forward.

While being able to play on both wings, Nani was more comfortable on the right side, where he was known to utilise his pace along with intricate dribbling skills and trickery to create space in wide areas and provide crosses for teammates. Though capable of cutting inside from either wing to strike at goal from distance, Nani scored fewer goals but produced a substantially higher proportion of assists than his compatriot Ronaldo. Due to his potent attacking talents, he could play a variety of additional roles as a forward, including as an inverted winger on the left, second striker, or even in a more central position as a main striker, as he played frequently for Portugal.

Celebration

Nani celebrated goals with a somersault referred to in Portuguese as a "mortal" ("leap of death"), similar to that of Obafemi Martins and Lomana LuaLua. The celebration derived from Nani's background in capoeira, which he used to practice as a child. For a while, it was reported that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had banned Nani's celebration due to fear for his safety. However, Nani denounced the reports in August 2007, stating it was "not true" and that "Ferguson has never spoken to me about this subject and I am going to continue to celebrate goals in this way. The conversations he has had with me are normal conversations, like he has with all players".

Career statistics

Club

As of match played on 14 June 2026

International

Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Nani goal.

Honours

Sporting CP

Taça de Portugal: 2006–07, 2014–15, 2018–19

Taça da Liga: 2018–19

Manchester United

Premier League: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13

Football League Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10

FA Community Shield: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011

UEFA Champions League: 2007–08

FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Portugal

UEFA European Championship: 2016

Individual

SJPF Young Player of the Month: May 2007

PFA Team of the Year: 2010–11 Premier League

Premier League top assist provider: 2010–11

Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2010–11

SJPF Player of the Month: October/November 2014

Sporting CP Footballer of the Year: 2015

MLS All-Star: 2019, 2021

Orders

Commander of the Order of Merit