*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:58, 27 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:48, 21 March 2024 (UTC)
He came through at
Sporting CP, first appearing with the first team in 2017 and also having loans at
Moreirense,
Belenenses and
Braga. After returning in 2020, he became a starter, notably winning the
2020–21 Primeira Liga and back-to-back
Taças da Liga in
2021 and
2022. In July 2022, he signed with Fulham for £20 million.
Born in
Lisbon, Palhinha joined local
Sporting CP's youth system in 2012, aged 17.[3] He played his first game as a professional with
the B team, coming on as a late
substitute for fellow youth graduate
Iuri Medeiros in a 3−2 home win against
Portimonense in the
Segunda Liga, on 3 February 2014;[4] it was one of only two appearances during
the season. Still in the second division, Palhinha scored his first senior goal on 4 April 2015, his header contributing to a 3−1 home victory over
Leixões.[5]
2015–20: Various loans and short return
From July 2015 to January 2017 he was loaned to
Primeira Liga clubs
Moreirense[6] and
Belenenses, respectively,[7] making his debut in the competition whilst with the former in a 0−2 home loss to
Arouca where he played 22 minutes from the bench,[8][9] and netting for the first time while at the service of the latter against
Vitória de Guimarães (1−1 away draw, 90 minutes played).[10]
Subsequently, returning to the
Estádio José Alvalade,[11] Palhinha made his competitive debut with the first team on 21 January 2017, starting in a 2−2 draw at
Marítimo.[12] He scored his first goals for them on 12 October of the same year, netting twice in a
4–2 away win over
Oleiros in the
Taça de Portugal.[13]
Palhinha spent the following two seasons on loan to
Braga.[14] He appeared in 76 competitive matches during his spell,[15] helping to a third-place finish in
2019–20[16] and notably scoring the game's only goal against
Benfica for the club's first win at that opposition in 65 years.[17]
In
2021–22, still under manager
Rúben Amorim, Palhinha began facing stiff competition from newly-signed
Manuel Ugarte.[23][24] He played 95 official games during his spell, scoring seven times.[25]
Fulham
On 4 July 2022, Palhinha signed a five-year contract with
Fulham for £20 million.[26][27] He made his
Premier League debut on 6 August, playing the entire 2–2 home draw against
Liverpool.[28] He scored his first goal 14 days later, helping the hosts to beat
Brentford 3–2.[29] He was his team's Player of
the Season with 68% of the votes, to runner-up
Bernd Leno's 17%;[30] he also managed to lead all players in tackles, with a total of 147.[31]
On 26 August 2023, Palhinha scored a late equaliser in a 2–2 away draw against
Arsenal.[32] On the summer transfer deadline day, he had his medical tests in Germany ahead of a €65 million transfer to
Bayern Munich, yet the deal collapsed as Fulham failed to find a replacement before the window shut.[33] On 14 September, he agreed to a new contract until 2028, with an option to extend a further year.[34]
In March 2021, Palhinha was called up to the full side for the first time, for
2022 FIFA World Cupqualifiers against
Azerbaijan,
Luxembourg and
Serbia.[39] He won his first
cap in the match with the first adversary, replacing
Rúben Neves late into the 1–0 victory in
Turin.[40] He scored his first goal in the same phase, closing the 3–1 away win over Luxembourg.[41]
Being selected for
UEFA Euro 2020,[42] Palhinha appeared against
France in the group stage (2–2)[43] and
Belgium in the round of 16 (1–0 loss).[44] In November 2022, he was named in the final squad for the World Cup finals in Qatar,[45] playing all three group-phase matches[46][47][48] in an eventual quarter-final exit.[49]
Style of play
Palhinha is known for his defensive positioning, stamina and tackling.[50][51][52] Described as an astute ball-winning midfielder, he is especially aggressive in stopping counter-attacks early by lunging into challenges, often preferring slide tackles in order to maximise his radius. He presses aggressively overall and records a high volume of tackles due to his proximity to the player in possession. A physical and tall player, his height helps him dominate aerial duels and his strength allows him to hold off opponents when dribbling. In open play, he oscillates between positions outside of the press and between the lines; when positioned outside of the opposition's press, he plays the role of a field general, directing teammates with his voice and hand gestures, with his vocal leadership being seen as one of his strengths.[53][54][55][56]
^Miroto Simões, Luís (4 January 2017).
"Palhinha: "Regresso agora a casa"" [Palhinha: "I return home now"]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 August 2017.
^Pereira, David (7 August 2018).
"Palhinha emprestado ao Sp. Braga até 2020" [Palhinha loaned to Sp. Braga until 2020]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 31 August 2019.
^Ferreira, Bruno José (25 July 2020).
"Sp. Braga-FC Porto, 2–1 (crónica)" [Sp. Braga-FC Porto, 2–1 (match report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
^Soares Ribeiro, João; Almeida Gonçalves, Vítor (24 September 2020).
"CSKA Moscovo prepara novo ataque a Palhinha" [CSKA Moscovo with new offensive for Palhinha]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 13 October 2021.
^Pereira, António Pedro (15 February 2021).
"Até na monotonia este Sporting brilha" [This Sporting can even shine in dullness]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 19 October 2021.
^Frias, Rui (2 June 2014).
"Seleção sub-19 garante apuramento para o Europeu" [Under-19 national team confirm qualification for European Championships]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 March 2021.