Dani Alves facts for kids
_(cropped).jpg)
Alves with Brazil at the 2019 Copa América
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Alves da Silva | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 6 May 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Juazeiro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Bahia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Bahia | 25 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2008 | Sevilla | 175 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2016 | Barcelona | 247 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Juventus | 19 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Paris Saint-Germain | 48 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | São Paulo | 76 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Barcelona | 14 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | UNAM | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 617 | (40) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Brazil U20 | 17 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Brazil Olympic (O.P.) | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2022 | Brazil | 126 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daniel "Dani" Alves da Silva (born 6 May 1983) is a Brazilian former professional footballer. He played as a right-back, which is a defensive player on the right side of the field. Many people think he is one of the best full-backs ever. He has won an amazing 43 trophies, making him one of the most successful players in football history!
Dani Alves started his career in 2001 at Bahia in Brazil. He then moved to Spain and played for Sevilla for six successful years. There, he won two UEFA Cups and the Copa del Rey. Later, he joined Barcelona, where he became one of the most expensive defenders at the time. He won many titles with Barcelona, including the "treble" (winning the league, main cup, and Champions League in one season).
After Barcelona, Alves played for Juventus in Italy and Paris Saint-Germain in France, winning more league titles and cups. In 2019, he returned to Brazil to play for São Paulo, winning the 2021 Campeonato Paulista. He even came back to Barcelona for a second time in 2021.
Dani Alves also had a long and successful career playing for the Brazilian national team from 2006 to 2022. He played in three FIFA World Cups and five Copa América tournaments, winning two of the latter. He also won gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He is the third most-capped player for Brazil, meaning he has played the third-highest number of games for his country.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Dani Alves was born in Juazeiro, a city in the Brazilian state of Bahia. His father, Domingos Alves da Silva, was a farmer. Dani loved playing football with other kids in his neighborhood. His father also loved football and even started his own team.
When Dani was six years old, he started playing as a winger, which is a player on the side of the field. But he didn't score many goals. So, his father moved him to play as a right-back, which is a defensive position on the right side. This became the position he played for most of his career! When he was young, Dani also worked as a farmer and a trader.
His Club Journey
Starting at Bahia
Dani Alves started his professional football career with Bahia in 2001. In his very first game, Bahia won 3–0. Dani was amazing, helping his team score two goals and earning a penalty for another! Because of his great start, his coach gave him a regular spot in the team.
In 2002, he helped Bahia win the Copa do Nordeste, a regional cup. His strong performances caught the eye of clubs in Europe. Soon after, he moved to the Spanish team Sevilla, first on loan.
Success with Sevilla
After playing on loan for Sevilla, Dani Alves played in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship (now called the FIFA U-20 World Cup). Brazil won the tournament, and Dani played so well that he was named the third-best player! After this, Sevilla decided to sign him permanently.
In 2006, Sevilla almost sold Dani to Liverpool, but they couldn't agree on a price. Dani then signed a new contract with Sevilla until 2012. He had a fantastic season in 2006–07, playing in 47 games and scoring 5 goals. He also played in every game of the 2006–07 UEFA Cup, which Sevilla won!
During his time in Spain, Dani Alves also became a Spanish citizen. This was helpful because it meant he didn't need a special work permit to play in other European countries.
In 2007, Dani wanted to leave Sevilla to join a bigger European team, like Chelsea. Sevilla, however, turned down Chelsea's offers, which made Dani upset. But after some discussions and a sad event (the death of his teammate Antonio Puerta), Dani decided to stay with Sevilla for a bit longer.
Becoming a Barcelona Legend
On 2 July 2008, Dani Alves joined Barcelona. He was very emotional when he left Sevilla, saying he came as a boy and left as a man. The transfer cost about £23 million, which made him one of the most expensive defenders in football history at that time. He signed a four-year contract with Barcelona.
Dani played his first game for Barcelona in August 2008. In his first season, he helped Barcelona win the "treble" – they won the Spanish league (La Liga), the Spanish cup (Copa del Rey), and the UEFA Champions League. Dani missed the Champions League final due to a yellow card suspension, but Barcelona still won!
In the following years, Dani continued to be a key player for Barcelona. He helped them win many more titles, including two more Champions League trophies and several La Liga titles. He played in his first Champions League final in 2011, where Barcelona beat Manchester United 3–1.
Standing Up Against Racism
On 27 April 2014, during a match, a fan threw a banana at Dani Alves. This was a racist act. Dani's reaction was amazing: he calmly picked up the banana, peeled it, and took a bite! He later said that you have to deal with such things with humor and not let them achieve their goal. His teammate Neymar also posted a photo of himself eating a banana, and this started a viral campaign against racism in football.
Dani said that the person who threw the banana should be publicly shamed. A man was later arrested, and the club was fined. This incident showed Dani's strong character and his stand against racism.
Winning the Champions League Again
On 6 June 2015, Dani Alves played in another Champions League final. Barcelona won their fifth European Cup by beating Juventus. This victory was special because it meant Barcelona became the first club to win the treble twice! Dani Alves was one of the few players who were part of both treble-winning teams.
In June 2015, Dani signed a new two-year contract with Barcelona.
Final Season
On 2 June 2016, Barcelona announced that Dani Alves would be leaving the club after eight amazing years. Even though he had a contract, there was a special rule that allowed him to leave for free.
Moving to Juventus
On 27 June 2016, Dani Alves joined Juventus in Italy. He signed a two-year deal. He played his first game for Juventus in August. In September, he scored his first goal for the club. Later that year, he broke his leg in a game but recovered quickly.
In May 2017, Dani played a big role in helping Juventus reach the Champions League final. He scored a goal and set up another in the semi-final against Monaco. A few days later, he scored the first goal in the 2017 Coppa Italia Final, which Juventus won. On 3 June, he played in his third Champions League final, but Juventus lost to Real Madrid.
.jpg)
On 29 June 2017, Dani Alves and Juventus agreed to end his contract. He played 33 games for them, winning the Serie A league title and the Coppa Italia cup in his one season there.
Time at Paris Saint-Germain
On 12 July 2017, Dani Alves joined the French team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for free. He signed a two-year contract. In his first game for PSG, he scored a goal and helped set up the winning goal in a cup final against Monaco.
In May 2018, he played in the 2018 Coupe de France Final, which PSG won. He had to leave the game early due to an injury. In August 2018, Dani changed his jersey number to 13 to honor Brazilian football legend Mário Zagallo. His contract with PSG ended on 30 June 2019, and he became a free agent.
Back Home with São Paulo
On 1 August 2019, Dani Alves signed with São Paulo in Brazil. He had always wanted to play for this club. He was welcomed by 44,000 fans at the stadium! Famous players like Kaká were there to greet him.
Dani was given the number 10 jersey. He scored in his first game for São Paulo, helping them win 1–0. Even though he was known as a right-back, he often played in the middle of the field for São Paulo. He was also made the team captain. In 2021, he won his only title with the club, the 2021 Campeonato Paulista, which was São Paulo's first trophy in eight years!
In September 2021, Dani Alves left São Paulo due to some contract disagreements.
A Second Chance at Barcelona
On 12 November 2021, Barcelona announced that Dani Alves would be returning to the club until the end of the season. He could only play in official games starting in January 2022. He made his official return on 5 January 2022 in a cup game. On 6 February 2022, he scored his first goal since returning to Barcelona.
On 15 June 2022, Dani Alves announced he would leave Barcelona for the second time. He played a total of 408 games for the club, which is the second-highest number of games played by a foreign player for Barcelona, only behind Lionel Messi.
Playing for UNAM
On 23 July 2022, Dani Alves signed a one-year contract with Liga MX club UNAM in Mexico. For the 2022–23 season, he changed his shirt number to 77.
Playing for Brazil
Early Wins and World Cups
Dani Alves played his first game for the Brazilian national team in October 2006. He was part of Brazil's team for the 2007 Copa América tournament. He played in four games, including the final against Argentina, where he helped Brazil win 3–0 by assisting a goal and scoring one himself!
Even though he was a very expensive right-back, he didn't always start for Brazil, as another great player, Maicon, often played ahead of him. Dani came on as a substitute in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final and scored the winning goal with a free-kick in the 88th minute! Brazil won that tournament. The next year, he was chosen for Brazil's team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Olympic Gold and Copa América Wins
Dani Alves was also part of the Brazil team that won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup at home. He started in the final, where Brazil beat Spain 3–0. He was also in Brazil's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. After Brazil won against Colombia in the quarter-finals, Dani and his teammate David Luiz were praised for comforting the opposing player, James Rodríguez, showing great sportsmanship.
Dani played in the 2015 Copa América and Copa América Centenario tournaments. He helped Brazil qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but he couldn't play in the tournament because of a knee injury.
In May 2019, he was chosen for Brazil's team for the 2019 Copa América in Brazil. He became the captain of the team for the tournament. In a group game against Peru, Dani scored a goal in a 5–0 win. In the final, Brazil played Peru again and won 3–1, taking home the title! Dani Alves was named the best player of the tournament. This was his 40th career trophy!
On 17 June 2021, Dani Alves was named in the Brazil squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics (which were held in 2021). In the final, Brazil won the gold medal by beating Spain 2–1. At 38 years old, Dani became the oldest footballer to ever win a gold medal in the men's Olympic football tournament!
In November 2022, Dani Alves was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
How He Plays
Dani Alves is considered one of the best full-backs of all time. He is known for being a very attacking right-back. He is fast, has great energy, and loves to run forward to help the attack. He is also very skilled with the ball and can pass it well, making him great at setting up goals from the right side of the field. He can even score goals from far away or from free-kicks!
Even though he isn't the biggest player, he is strong and determined. He works hard to win the ball back from opponents. Sometimes, people have said he focuses more on attacking than defending, but his overall skill and energy make him a fantastic player.
During his time at Paris Saint-Germain and São Paulo, he sometimes played as a central midfielder. He liked playing in the middle because it allowed him to touch the ball more and create more chances for his team.
Off the Field
Dani Alves is a black Brazilian and has faced racist comments while playing in Spain. He has always stood up against racism.
In 2011, Dani Alves became an ambassador for the Special Olympics Global Football program. This means he helps promote respect and inclusion in football for people with intellectual disabilities. In 2015, he publicly supported the campaign for international recognition of the Armenian genocide. He later apologized to his Turkish fans, saying he didn't mean to offend anyone.
In 2018, Dani Alves released a song called "Suave" on YouTube with his former teammate, José Manuel Pinto. In 2021, Dani Alves was also chosen as a council member for the Earthshot Prize, which is an environmental project led by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Besides his native Portuguese, Dani also speaks English and Spanish.
Career Stats
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bahia | 2001 | Série A | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2002 | Série A | 19 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 31 | 5 | |||
| Total | 25 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 37 | 5 | ||||
| Sevilla | 2002–03 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| 2003–04 | La Liga | 29 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 36 | 2 | ||||
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 33 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 47 | 2 | |||
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 36 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | — | 52 | 3 | |||
| 2006–07 | La Liga | 34 | 3 | 8 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 57 | 5 | ||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 33 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 4 | ||
| Total | 175 | 11 | 26 | 1 | — | 45 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 250 | 16 | |||
| Barcelona | 2008–09 | La Liga | 34 | 5 | 8 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | — | 54 | 5 | ||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 29 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 48 | 3 | ||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 35 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 33 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 3 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 30 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 27 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | La Liga | 30 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | — | 46 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 29 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 48 | 1 | ||
| Total | 247 | 14 | 43 | 2 | — | 82 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 391 | 21 | |||
| Juventus | 2016–17 | Serie A | 19 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 6 | |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 5 |
| 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
| Total | 48 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 73 | 8 | ||
| São Paulo | 2019 | Série A | 20 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 2 | ||||
| 2020 | Série A | 30 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 6 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 53 | 7 | ||
| 2021 | Série A | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 1 | ||
| Total | 56 | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | 20 | 5 | 95 | 10 | |||
| Barcelona | 2021–22 | La Liga | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| UNAM | 2022–23 | Liga MX | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 597 | 35 | 94 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 162 | 15 | 51 | 7 | 909 | 67 | ||
Notes:
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2006 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 126 | 8 | |
- Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Alves goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 July 2007 | Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela |  Argentina |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2007 Copa América Final | |
| 2 | 6 June 2009 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay |  Uruguay |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 3 | 25 June 2009 | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa |  South Africa |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup | |
| 4 | 7 October 2010 | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  Iran |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 5 | 11 October 2010 | Pride Park Stadium, Derby, England |  Ukraine |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 6 | 3 June 2014 | Estádio Serra Dourada, Goiás, Brazil |  Panama |
2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly | |
| 7 | 29 March 2016 | Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay |  Paraguay |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 8 | 22 June 2019 | Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, Brazil |  Peru |
4–0 | 5–0 | 2019 Copa América |
Trophies and Awards
Dani Alves has won many trophies with his clubs and country:
Bahia
- Copa do Nordeste: 2002
Sevilla
- Copa del Rey: 2006–07
- Supercopa de España: 2007
- UEFA Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07
- UEFA Super Cup: 2006
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Juventus
- Serie A: 2016–17
- Coppa Italia: 2016–17
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2017–18, 2018–19
- Coupe de France: 2017–18
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2017–18
- Trophée des Champions: 2017
São Paulo
- Campeonato Paulista: 2021
Brazil U20
Brazil Olympic
- Summer Olympics: 2020
Brazil
- Copa América: 2007, 2019
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2009, 2013
Individual Awards
- FIFA U-20 World Cup Bronze Ball: 2003
- UEFA Cup Most Valuable Player: 2005–06
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017
- ESM Team of the Year: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
- FIFA FIFPro World11: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
- La Liga Defender of the Season: 2008–09
- FIFA Confederations Cup Team of the Tournament: 2013
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15
- France Football World XI: 2015
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2016–17
- IFFHS Men's World Team: 2017
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2017–18
- Copa América Golden Ball: 2019
- Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2019
- IFFHS CONMEBOL Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
- Campeonato Paulista Team of the Tournament: 2020
Records
- Most UEFA Super Cup titles: (4) (shared with six players) (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015)
- Most UEFA Super Cup final appearances: (5) (shared with four players) (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015)
See also
In Spanish: Dani Alves para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with the most official appearances
- List of FC Barcelona players (100+ appearances)
- List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)
- List of world association football records
