101 articles
Matheus Nunes
Matheus Nunes (Matheus Luiz Nunes), Brazilian-born Portuguese midfielder born 1998 in Rio de Janeiro; bakery worker turned Ericeirense, Estoril, Sporting, Wolves (£38m record), and Manchester City (£53m) player; Portugal international, EURO 2024 squad.
Mezian Mesloub
Mezian Mesloub Soares (Mezian Mesloub), born 2009 in Martigues, is a Lens forward and Portugal U17 international who scored seconds into his Ligue 1 debut in May 2026, son of former Lens and Algeria player Walid Mesloub.
Nani (footballer)
Nani (Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha, born 1986, Praia, Cape Verde), Portuguese winger; Manchester United 2007-2015, four Premier League titles, 2008 Champions League, Euro 2016 winner with Portugal, 112 caps; retired 2024, joined FC Aktobe 2026.
Nélson Oliveira
Nélson Miguel Castro Oliveira (born 1991, Barcelos), Portuguese centre-forward, Benfica academy product; 17 caps, 2 goals for Portugal, Euro 2012 semi-finalist; 13 clubs including Norwich, AEK, Vitória SC, now SC Farense.
Nélson Semedo
Nélson Semedo, Portuguese right-back born 1993 in Lisbon; clubs Sintrense, Benfica, Barcelona (€30M, 2017), Wolves (2020), Fenerbahçe (2025); UEFA Nations League winner with Portugal in 2019 and 2025.
Nuno Gomes
Nuno Gomes, the Portuguese former footballer Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro, is the nation's fifth-highest international goalscorer, known for his time at Benfica and starring in Euro 2000.
Nuno Mendes (footballer, born 2002)
Nuno Mendes (Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes, born 2002, Sintra) is a Portuguese left-back for Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal; Sporting CP academy product, 2025 Nations League winner, widely ranked the world's best left-back.
Nuno Tavares
Nuno Tavares (Nuno Albertino Varela Tavares), Portuguese left-back born 2000 in Lisbon; Benfica academy, Arsenal 2021, loans at Marseille and Forest, Lazio since 2025; Portugal international known for pace and attacking output.
Nuno Valente
Nuno Valente (Nuno Jorge Pereira da Silva Valente, born 1974, Lisbon), Portuguese left back; won UEFA Cup 2003 and Champions League 2004 with Porto under Mourinho, then Everton 2005-2009; 33 Portugal caps, 2006 World Cup semi-finalist; not the younger Trofense midfielder of the same name.
Otávio (footballer, born 1995)
Otávio (Otávio Edmilson da Silva Monteiro), born 1995 in João Pessoa, Brazil, is a Portuguese international midfielder; three-time Portuguese champion with FC Porto, later Al Nassr, Al Qadsiah, and a 2026 move to Qatar.
Pauleta
Pauleta (Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes, born 1973, Ponta Delgada, Azores), Portuguese striker; PSG's then-record scorer with 109 goals, Bordeaux star, Portugal's 47-goal record international scorer until Ronaldo passed him.
Paulo Ferreira
Paulo Ferreira (Paulo Renato Rebocho Ferreira), Portuguese right-back born 1979 in Cascais; won UEFA Cup and Champions League with Porto, then 217 Chelsea appearances and major honours 2004-2013, 62 Portugal caps, later Chelsea loan coach until 2022.
Paulo Futre
Paulo Futre (Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre), Portuguese left winger born 1966 in Montijo; European Cup winner with Porto 1987, 1987 Ballon d'Or runner-up, Atlético Madrid legend with two Copas del Rey, 41 Portugal caps.
Pedro Gonçalves
Pedro Gonçalves (Pote), Portuguese attacking midfielder born 1998 in Vidago; Sporting CP number 8 since 2020, three league titles, 2020/21 Primeira Liga top scorer, Portugal Euro 2020 squad member.
Pedro Neto
Pedro Lomba Neto, Portuguese winger born 2000 in Viana do Castelo; Braga, Lazio, Wolves, then Chelsea from August 2024; Conference League and Club World Cup winner 2025, Portugal Euro 2024 and Nations League 2025 squad member.
Pepe (footballer, born 1983)
Pepe (Képler Laverán Lima Ferreira, born 1983, Maceió) is a Portuguese centre back who played 334 games for Real Madrid (2007–2017), won 3 Champions Leagues, EURO 2016, and retired in 2024 with 31 titles.
Petit (Portuguese footballer)
Petit (Armando Gonçalves Teixeira), Portuguese defensive midfielder born 1976 in Strasbourg; 57 caps, 4 goals, World Cups 2002 and 2006; league titles with Boavista 2001 and Benfica 2005.
Rafa Silva
Rafa Silva (Rafael Alexandre Fernandes Ferreira Silva, born 1993), Portuguese forward; Euro 2016 winner; Braga, Benfica (94 goals, 7 titles), Besiktas, back at Benfica 2026 until 2028.
Rafael Leão
Rafael Leão (Rafael Alexandre Conceição Leão), Portuguese winger born 1999 in Almada; Sporting academy, Lille, then AC Milan 2019-2026; 2021-22 Scudetto and Serie A MVP; joined Galatasaray in August 2026 for €44 million.
Rafael Nel
Rafael Ferreira Nel (Rafael Nel), Portuguese centre-forward born 2005 in Amadora, plays for Sporting CP (number 9). Benfica and Belenenses youth product, U20 international, contract to 2029.
Raphaël Guerreiro
Raphaël Guerreiro (Raphael Adelino José Guerreiro), Portuguese left-back and midfielder born 1993 in Le Blanc-Mesnil; Lorient, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich; Euro 2016 and Nations League 2019 winner with Portugal.
Raul Meireles
Raul Meireles (Raul Jose Trindade Meireles, born 1983, Porto), Portuguese midfielder for Porto, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Fenerbahce; 2012 Champions League winner, 76 Portugal caps, retired 2016.
Renato Sanches
Renato Júnior Luz Sanches (born 1997, Lisbon) is a Portuguese central midfielder; Benfica product, Euro 2016 winner and Golden Boy 2016, Bayern €35M signing, Ligue 1 champion with Lille 2020/21, later PSG with loans to Roma, Benfica, Panathinaikos.
Ricardo Pereira (footballer, born 1993)
Ricardo Domingos Barbosa Pereira, Portuguese right-back born 1993 in Lisbon; ex-Sporting academy, Porto, Nice; Leicester City 2018-2025, 2021 FA Cup and 2023-24 Championship winner, seven Portugal caps, released 2025.
Ricardo Quaresma
Ricardo Quaresma, born 1983 in Lisbon, Portuguese winger famed for the trivela (outside-of-the-foot strike); Sporting, Barcelona, Porto, Inter (2010 Champions League), Beşiktaş; EURO 2016 winner; retired 2022. Not the Sporting defender Eduardo Quaresma.
Rodrigo Rêgo (footballer, born 2005)
Rodrigo Miguel Ferreira Rêgo, Portuguese winger born 2005 in Aveiro; youth at Porto and Famalicão, Benfica first-team debut 2025, sold to Brighton 2026 for ~€3.5m, on loan at Castellón.
Rony Lopes
Rony Lopes (Marcos Paulo Mesquita Lopes), Portuguese right winger born 1995 in Belém, Brazil; ex-Manchester City youngest scorer, Monaco, Sevilla; 2 Portugal caps; now Motor Lublin.
Rúben Dias
Rúben Dias, full name Rúben dos Santos Gato Dias, is a Portuguese center-back who joined Manchester City from Benfica in 2020, winning four Premier League titles.
Rúben Neves
Rúben Diogo da Silva Neves (born 1997), Portuguese midfielder; youngest Champions League captain (18y 221d, Porto 2015), Wolves' record £15.8m signing, now Al-Hilal captain-figure with 66 Portugal caps and 2026 World Cup.
Rúben Semedo
Rúben Semedo (Ruben Afonso Borges Semedo), Portuguese central defender born 1994 in Amadora; Sporting CP academy product sold to Villarreal for €14M in 2017, imprisoned 142 days in a 2018 Spanish criminal case, later at Olympiacos, Porto, Qatari clubs and AVS, with 3 Portugal caps.