General · EdgepediaSeptember 17, 20264 min read

João Mário (footballer, born 1993)

João Mário (João Mário Naval da Costa Eduardo; born 1993 in Porto) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder, most recently for AEK Athens of Super League Greece, and who was a member of the Portugal squad that won UEFA Euro 2016.

Key fact	Detail
Full name	João Mário Naval da Costa Eduardo¹
Born	1993, Porto, Portugal; height 1.79 m; right-footed¹^•²
Position	Attacking midfield; also central midfield and left winger¹
International career	56 caps and 3 goals for Portugal; Euro 2016 winner¹^•³
Record transfer	Inter Milan paid €45 million for him in 2016⁴
Current club	AEK Athens, signed as a free agent on 2 September 2026, contract to 30 June 2028⁵
Career output	73 goals and 62 assists in 504 official matches⁶

Youth career and Sporting breakthrough

João Mário began in FC Porto's youth setup, which he attended from 2002 to 2004 before moving to Sporting CP's academy, where he stayed from 2004 to 2012¹. The Portuguese Football Federation's Euro 2016 media guide records that he relocated with his brother, the footballer Wilson Eduardo, from Porto to Odivelas for the move, and that he carried the nickname Pantufas (Slippers)⁷. On the pitch he progressed through a series of positions, from center-back to defensive midfielder, then central and attacking midfielder, and was also used as a second forward or right-sided midfielder⁷.

The 2015/16 season at Sporting was his breakout: 7 goals and 12 assists in 45 games in all competitions, played largely as a right-sided midfielder⁷. That form made him one of the leading players in the Portuguese league and drew offers from abroad; Sporting rejected bids of €35 million from Inter Milan and €40 million from Liverpool in August 2016, according to reporting that cited A Bola³.

Euro 2016

At UEFA Euro 2016 in France, João Mário was one of the revelations of the Portugal squad under coach Fernando Santos. He started six of the seven matches Portugal played in the tournament and accumulated 562 minutes on the pitch³. Portugal won the final against the host nation, giving him a major international title at age 23⁴.

Inter Milan and the loan years

Inter Milan completed the transfer after the tournament, paying €45 million for the international⁴. The move did not bring continuity: from 2016 to 2021 he made only 69 appearances for Inter and scored 4 goals⁴. During those seasons he sought minutes on loan at West Ham United, Lokomotiv Moscow, and, in a return, Sporting⁴.

Benfica revival

In July 2021 he rescinded his Inter contract and signed for Benfica as a free agent, with the transfer recorded on 13 July 2021⁴^•⁵. His first season was one of adaptation, but in 2022/23 he became the leading scorer of the Portuguese league from midfield. By February 2023 he had 12 goals in 19 league matches, including all 8 penalties he had taken, and analytics from the firm Olocip valued him at 10.15 for the season, ahead of Galeno (8.11) and Taremi (8.0), both of Porto⁴. He also scored 4 goals in that season's Champions League group stage⁴.

He left Benfica in September 2024 for Besiktas after three seasons and 149 appearances for the Lisbon club⁸.

Besiktas and AEK Athens

Besiktas signed him from Benfica for a €2.0 million fee on 1 July 2025⁵. His spell in Turkey included a loan to AEK Athens beginning 12 September 2025; he returned to Besiktas on 30 June 2026 and then joined AEK permanently as a free agent on 2 September 2026, on a contract running to 30 June 2028⁵.

International record and career totals

Transfermarkt credits him with 56 senior caps and 3 goals for Portugal, and lists him as a former international¹. Across all clubs and the national team, his career record stands at 73 goals and 62 assists in 504 official matches, of which 3 goals came for Portugal⁶.

References

Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026