David Luiz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
David Luiz

David Luiz lining up for Chelsea before the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final
Personal information
Date of birth	(1987-04-22) 22 April 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Diadema, Brazil
Height	1.89 m
Playing position	Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club	Fortaleza
Number	23
Youth career
1999–2001	São Paulo
2001–2005	Vitória
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2007	Vitória	52	(2)
2007–2011	Benfica	82	(4)
2011–2014	Chelsea	81	(6)
2014–2016	Paris Saint-Germain	56	(3)
2016–2019	Chelsea	79	(5)
2019–2021	Arsenal	53	(3)
2021–2024	Flamengo	86	(4)
2025–	Fortaleza	0	(0)
National team‡
2007	Brazil U20	6	(0)
2010–2017	Brazil	57	(3)
Honours Men's football Representing  Brazil FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 2013 Brazil
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:00, 8 December 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 07:28, 19 June 2020 (UTC)

David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born on April 22, 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer. He mostly plays as a centre-back (a defender), but can also play as a defensive midfielder.

David Luiz started his career at a club called Vitória in Brazil. He then moved to Portugal to play for Benfica for five seasons. In January 2011, he joined Chelsea in England. With Chelsea, he won the UEFA Champions League in 2012 and the UEFA Europa League in 2013.

In June 2014, David Luiz moved to Paris Saint-Germain in France. At the time, his transfer fee of £50 million was a world record for a defender. He won all four major French trophies in his two seasons there. In 2014, he was even chosen for the FIFPRO Men's World 11, which is like a dream team of the best players in the world.

He returned to Chelsea in August 2016, winning another Premier League title and a second Europa League trophy. In 2019, he moved to Arsenal, another London club. Later, in 2021, he went back to Brazil to play for Flamengo.

David Luiz first played for the Brazilian national team in 2010. He has played over 50 games for his country. He was part of the Brazil team that won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and reached the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Brazil in two Copa América tournaments.

Club Career

Early Days: Vitória

David Luiz was born in Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil. He started his football journey at Vitória after leaving São Paulo. At first, he played as a defensive midfielder. He almost left Vitória because he wasn't playing well in that position. But then, he was moved to play as a central defender, and he did much better!

He made his first appearance for Vitória in 2006. He played well in a 2–2 draw against Santa Cruz in the Copa do Brasil. Vitória was in the third division at the time, which was their lowest point. But they managed to get promoted to the second level. David Luiz played in eight of their last nine important games and scored one goal.

Moving to Portugal: Benfica

First Trophies

On January 30, 2007, David Luiz joined the Portuguese club Benfica. He came in as a replacement for another player. He made his first game for Benfica in a UEFA Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain. Benfica lost that game 2–1, but they still moved on to the next round.

On March 12, 2007, David Luiz played his first league match for Benfica. After playing ten league games that season, he officially joined Benfica for €1.5 million. He signed a five-year contract. Before the next season, he scored his first goal for the club in a friendly game. However, he only played eight league games in the 2007–08 season because of an injury.

Becoming a Key Player

On January 11, 2009, David Luiz scored his first goal for Benfica in a league game against Braga. He played most of the 2008–09 season as a left back.

However, it was in the 2009–10 season that David Luiz became a very important player and a vice-captain for Benfica. He played in almost every game (49 matches, scoring three goals). Benfica won the league that year, which was their first league title in five years! He also helped them win the Taça da Liga cup. David Luiz was even named the Portuguese Liga Player of the Year for that season.

In September 2009, Benfica sold a part of David Luiz's future transfer rights to another company. He was valued at €18 million at that time. His contract was also extended, with a release clause of €50 million.

Premier League Star: Chelsea

Instant Impact

David Luiz playing for Chelsea in 2011

On January 31, 2011, David Luiz officially moved to Chelsea in England. The transfer fee was €65 million, and he signed a five-and-a-half-year contract. As part of the deal, another Chelsea player, Nemanja Matić, joined Benfica.

David Luiz played his first Premier League game on February 6. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss against Liverpool. Eight days later, he started his first game for Chelsea in a 0–0 draw against Fulham. Chelsea fans quickly loved him. He was even named the "Man of the Match" for his great performance in that game.

On March 1, David Luiz scored his first goal for Chelsea. It helped Chelsea win 2–1 against Manchester United. On March 20, he scored his second goal for Chelsea in a 2–0 win against Manchester City. He was again named "Man of the Match" and also won the Premier League Player of the Month award for March.

David Luiz missed the first three games of the 2011–12 season because of a knee injury. He returned on September 13 in a UEFA Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen. He scored a goal from 15 yards out, helping Chelsea win 2–0.

David Luiz with a T-shirt saying "Deus é fiel" ("God is faithful") after winning the Champions League

Winning Big Trophies

On February 5, 2012, David Luiz scored a goal against Manchester United, putting Chelsea ahead 3–0. The game ended in a 3–3 draw. On February 25, he scored with a curved shot against Bolton Wanderers in a 3–0 home win.

On March 14, Chelsea played Napoli in the Champions League. David Luiz played amazingly well, helping his team win 4–1 in extra-time. He was chosen as the "Man of the Match" by UEFA. He also got this award in the first game against his old team Benfica. He had an injury and missed some important games, but he played in the Champions League final. Chelsea won the final in a penalty shootout, and David Luiz scored his penalty kick!

On September 22, 2012, David Luiz signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea. He continued to be a regular player. He scored his first goal of the new season from a free-kick in a 4–0 win against Nordsjælland in the Champions League. At the Club World Cup in 2012, where Chelsea lost in the final, he was named the second-best player of the tournament. He received the Silver Ball award. He also played as a defensive midfielder in an 8–0 win against Aston Villa, scoring another goal from a free-kick.

On April 17, 2013, David Luiz scored in a 3–0 win against Fulham. He also scored in both games of the Europa League semi-finals against Basel. His first goal was a last-minute free-kick that helped Chelsea win 2–1 away from home.

David Luiz was involved in an incident during Chelsea's 1–0 win over Manchester United on May 5. After an interaction with opponent Rafael, the United player was sent off.

French Adventure: Paris Saint-Germain

David Luiz playing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2015

On June 13, 2014, David Luiz moved to the French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The transfer fee was £50 million, and he signed a five-year contract.

He played his first Ligue 1 game on August 16, helping PSG win 2–0 against Bastia. On September 30, David Luiz scored his first goal for PSG in a 3–2 home win over Barcelona in the Champions League. Many people were surprised when he was included in the FIFA World Team of the Year at the 2014 Ballon d'Or awards.

On January 19, 2015, David Luiz scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 4–2 win against Evian. On March 11, he scored a goal when he returned to Stamford Bridge to play against his old club Chelsea in the Champions League. PSG drew 2–2 with Chelsea, which meant PSG won the game based on away goals. He said sorry for celebrating the goal, explaining it was just a sudden strong feeling.

In David Luiz's first season at PSG, the team won three domestic trophies: the Ligue 1 championship, the Coupe de France, and the Coupe de la Ligue. They also won the Trophée des Champions. In his second season, PSG won these trophies again.

Back to Chelsea

David Luiz holding the UEFA Europa League trophy after winning the final with Chelsea

David Luiz returned to Chelsea from PSG in August 2016 for about £34 million. He signed a three-year deal. His first game back was a 2–1 loss at home to Liverpool on September 16. On January 31, 2017, he scored his first goal of the season from a free-kick against Liverpool. This was his first Premier League goal since April 2013. At the end of the season, David Luiz was named in the PFA Team of the Year for 2016–17.

David Luiz played in Chelsea's first game of the 2017–18 Premier League season against Burnley on August 12, 2017. He scored a late goal in their 3–2 loss. On September 17, 2017, Luiz received a red card after a challenge during a 0–0 draw against Arsenal. Chelsea went on to win the 2017-18 FA Cup, but David Luiz was injured and missed the final.

David Luiz scored his first goal of the 2018–19 Premier League season on December 8. He headed in the second goal in Chelsea's 2–0 home win over Manchester City, who had been undefeated. He scored the winning penalty in a shootout against Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup semi-final on January 24, 2019.

Time at Arsenal

2019–20 Season

On August 8, 2019, Arsenal signed David Luiz from Chelsea for about £8 million. He was given the number 23 shirt. On October 6, 2019, he scored his first goal for Arsenal in a 1–0 win against AFC Bournemouth. He scored his second Arsenal goal in a 2–2 home draw against Crystal Palace. In a game against his former club Chelsea in January 2020, he was sent off after a penalty was given against his team. He received a three-match ban from domestic games. He returned in a Premier League match against Everton, where he made his first assist for Arsenal.

After football was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, David Luiz was on the bench for a match against Manchester City. However, he came into the game early due to an injury to another player. He then made an error that led to City's first goal. Later, he gave away a penalty and was sent off early in the second half. This made him the first player in five years to get a red card, give away a penalty, and make an error leading to a goal in a Premier League match.

In Arsenal's last game of the season, a penalty was given against David Luiz's team against Watford. This was the fifth penalty given against him that season, setting a Premier League record for the most penalties given against a single player in one season. On August 1, 2020, David Luiz started in the FA Cup Final against his former club Chelsea. Arsenal won their 14th FA Cup.

2020–21 Season

On August 29, 2020, David Luiz started the game and scored the fourth penalty in a shootout win against Liverpool in the 2020 FA Community Shield after the game ended 1–1.

On November 29, 2020, he was part of a head collision with Raúl Jiménez during a game.

On February 28, 2021, he scored his first Premier League goal of the season in a 3–1 away win against Leicester City. On March 6, he played his 50th league game for Arsenal in a 1–1 draw against Burnley.

On May 18, Arsenal's manager confirmed that David Luiz would leave the club when his contract ended in June 2021.

Return to Brazil: Flamengo

On September 11, 2021, David Luiz signed a 15-month contract with Flamengo. This marked his return to Brazil after playing club football in Europe for almost 15 years. He was part of the Flamengo team that played in the 2021 Copa Libertadores Final on November 27. He played the full 120 minutes, but his team lost 2–1 to Palmeiras after extra time. On October 29, 2022, he played in the 2022 Copa Libertadores Final against Athletico Paranaense, which Flamengo won 1–0. This made him the twelfth player to win both the UEFA Champions League and the Copa Libertadores.

On May 13, 2023, David Luiz scored his first goal for Flamengo. It was in a game against Esporte Clube Bahia. David Luiz scored with a header. He did not celebrate the goal. After the game, he explained why:

It's a very special city for me. I left home very early to come to Salvador. I didn't celebrate because I didn't know if it would be an impediment or not.

On December 22, 2024, Flamengo announced that David Luiz's contract would not be renewed, and he would leave the club.

Joining Fortaleza

David Luiz is set to join Fortaleza in 2025.

International Career

David Luiz playing for Brazil at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup

David Luiz played for the Brazil under-20 team in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. His team was knocked out in the round of 16.

Because of his strong season at Benfica, David Luiz was called up to the Brazilian senior squad for the first time. This was for a friendly match against the United States on August 10, 2010. Brazil won his debut game 2–0. Before this, the Portuguese Football Federation had thought about asking him to play for their national team.

David Luiz was part of almost every Brazil squad during the time Mano Menezes was the coach. He was called up for the Copa América in 2011, but he didn't play any games due to an injury. In a friendly game against Mexico in October of that year, he scored an own goal, but Brazil still won 2–1.

On September 7, 2012, David Luiz was the captain of Brazil for the first time. This was in a 1–0 win against South Africa. He was included in the squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013, which Brazil hosted. David Luiz played in all the matches and helped Brazil win their fourth Confederations Cup title. In the final against Spain, he made an amazing save right on the goal line.

David Luiz training with Brazil before the 2014 FIFA World Cup opening match, against Croatia

On June 2, David Luiz was named in Brazil's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw against Chile in the round of 16. He then scored Brazil's first penalty kick in the penalty shootout, which they won 3–2. He scored the winning goal from a 35-yard free-kick in a 2–1 win against Colombia in the quarter-final. He celebrated by running to the corner flag and kicking it. Because Thiago Silva was suspended, David Luiz was the captain for Brazil in their famous 7–1 loss to Germany in the semi-final. Brazil then lost the third-place play-off 3–0 against the Netherlands.

David Luiz was part of Brazil's squad for the 2015 Copa América in Chile. He played in central defense for the first two group matches. Brazil was knocked out by Paraguay in the quarter-finals.

On November 13, 2015, David Luiz received his first red card in his career. This was in a 1–1 draw against Argentina in a 2018 World Cup qualifying game. In 2016, David Luiz and Thiago Silva were not chosen for the squad that went to the Copa América Centenario in the United States.

How He Plays

David Luiz captaining his country in the 7–1 defeat to Germany

David Luiz mainly plays as a centre back. But he can also play as a defensive midfielder or a full back. People praise him for his strength, hard work, and good technique. He is also good at passing the ball from defense. He is confident with the ball and can start attacks with long passes.

He is known for his powerful shots from far away and can score from long-range free kicks. Some people have compared him to another Brazilian player, Lúcio. In the past, he was sometimes criticized for not being consistent in defense. He was also known for making strong tackles and sometimes causing fouls. However, in the 2016–17 season, he improved a lot when he returned to Chelsea. His new manager, Antonio Conte, used him as a central defender in a three-man defense. David Luiz played very well in this new role. Conte praised him for becoming calmer and more focused. He called David Luiz "crucial" to the team's success and one of the best defenders in the world.

Personal Life

Luiz celebrates his goal by pointing to the sky after scoring against Colombia at the World Cup.

David Luiz is a very religious Evangelical Christian. He has said that Kaká is his role model. He believes his faith helps him play better and improve. He also said, "Everything in life belongs to God. Our purpose has already been mapped out." He was baptized in May 2015 by his Brazil and PSG teammate Maxwell.

Earlier in his career, fans in Brazil said David Luiz looked like the Brazilian basketball player Anderson Varejão because of their similar hairstyles. In England, opposing fans sometimes called him The Simpsons character Sideshow Bob. David Luiz even used this nickname himself sometimes!

David Luiz is also a Portuguese citizen. He got this citizenship while playing for Benfica in Portugal. Portugal wanted him to play for their national team, but he chose to play for his home country, Brazil.

In 2018, David Luiz and his teammate Willian bought an Italian restaurant called Babbo in Mayfair, London.

Career Statistics

Club Stats

International Stats

As of 13 June  2017 (2017 -06-13)^[update] Brazil score listed first, score column indicates score after each David Luiz goal.

List of international goals scored by David Luiz

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	28 June 2014	Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil	Chile	1–0	1–1	2014 FIFA World Cup
2	4 July 2014	Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil	Colombia	2–0	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup
3	18 November 2014	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–0	2–1	Friendly

Trophies and Awards

David Luiz (left) with Ramires after the Champions League final in 2012

Team Trophies

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2009–10
• Taça da Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2016–17
• FA Cup: 2011–12, 2017–18
• UEFA Champions League: 2011–12
• UEFA Europa League: 2012–13, 2018–19

Paris Saint-Germain

• Ligue 1: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Coupe de France: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Coupe de la Ligue: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Trophée des Champions: 2015, 2016

Arsenal

• FA Cup: 2019–20
• FA Community Shield: 2020

Flamengo

• Copa Libertadores: 2022
• Copa do Brasil: 2022, 2024
• Campeonato Carioca: 2024

Brazil

• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2013

Individual Awards

Luiz, Cássio and Paolo Guerrero (from left to right) accepting their individual awards after the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup Final

• LPFP Primeira Liga Player of the Year: 2009–10
• Premier League Player of the Month: March 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2012
• FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014
• FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2014
• FIFA FIFPro World XI 2nd team: 2013
• FIFA FIFPro World XI 3rd team: 2015, 2017
• Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2014–15, 2015–16
• PFA Team of the Year: 2016–17 Premier League
• ESM Team of the Year: 2016–17
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
• Best Centre-back in Brazil (Troféu Mesa Redonda): 2022
• Copa Libertadores Team of the Tournament: 2022
• South American Team of the Year: 2022

See also

In Spanish: David Luiz para niños