João Palhinha facts for kids
Palhinha with Braga in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | João Maria Lobo Alves Palhares Costa Palhinha Gonçalves | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 July 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lisbon, Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Bayern Munich | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Alta de Lisboa | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Sacavenense | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Sporting CP | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Sporting CP B | 21 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | → Moreirense (loan) | 29 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2022 | Sporting CP | 72 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | → Belenenses (loan) | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | → Braga (loan) | 50 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Fulham | 68 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Bayern Munich | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Portugal U18 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013−2014 | Portugal U19 | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Portugal U20 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021− | Portugal | 34 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:21, 10 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:05, 4 June 2025 (UTC) |
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João Palhinha (born on July 9, 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Portugal national team.
Palhinha grew up playing football at Sporting CP. He first joined their main team in 2017. He also spent time on loan at other clubs like Moreirense, Belenenses, and Braga. After returning to Sporting in 2020, he became a key player. He helped them win the 2020–21 Primeira Liga and two League Cups in a row (2021 and 2022).
In July 2022, Palhinha moved to the Premier League team Fulham for about £20 million. He played there for two seasons, helping the club finish in the middle of the league table both times. He then joined Bayern Munich in July 2024.
Palhinha also played for Portugal's youth team, finishing second in the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2021. He was part of the squads for the 2022 World Cup and two European Championships (2020 and 2024). He also helped Portugal win the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Time at Sporting CP
Starting Out: Sporting CP Youth
João Palhinha was born in Lisbon, Portugal. He joined the youth academy of his local club, Sporting CP, in 2012 when he was 17 years old. He played his first professional game for Sporting's B team on February 3, 2014. He came on as a substitute in a 3-2 home win against Portimonense in the Segunda Liga, which is Portugal's second division. That season, he only played two games.
On April 4, 2015, Palhinha scored his first goal as a senior player. It was a header that helped his team win 3-1 at home against Leixões.
Loan Spells and Return to Sporting
From July 2015 to January 2017, Palhinha was loaned out to two other teams in the Primeira Liga (Portugal's top league): Moreirense and Belenenses. He made his debut in the top league with Moreirense. He scored his first goal for Belenenses in a 1-1 away draw against Vitória de Guimarães.
After his loans, Palhinha returned to Sporting CP. He played his first game for their main team on January 21, 2017, in a 2-2 draw against Marítimo. He scored his first two goals for Sporting on October 12, 2017, in a 4-2 away win against Oleiros in the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup).
Palhinha then spent two seasons on loan at Braga. He played 76 games for them. During this time, he won the League Cup in 2019–20. He also helped Braga finish third in the league that season. A special moment was when he scored the only goal against Benfica, giving Braga their first win against that team in 65 years.
Becoming a Star at Sporting CP
When Palhinha returned from his loan at Braga, he wanted to play in a different league. He even trained alone for a while as his club talked with other teams. However, a move didn't happen, and his former coach at Braga, Ruben Amorim, brought him back into Sporting's main team. Amorim chose Palhinha as the team's main defensive midfielder. Palhinha then signed a new contract with Sporting until 2025. He missed the first month of the season after getting COVID-19, but he returned on October 17, starting in a 2-2 draw against rivals Porto.
On February 15, 2021, Palhinha scored his first goal for Sporting in a 2-0 home win against Paços de Ferreira. He became a very important midfielder for the team, known for winning the ball back. He made the most tackles in the league that season, with 185. He played 32 games as Sporting won the league title for the first time in 19 years. Because of his great performance, he was named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year.
In the 2021–22 season, Palhinha faced more competition for his spot from a new player, Manuel Ugarte. He also had some injuries, which limited his playing time. He felt that referees in Portugal were too strict with tackles, saying "every touch was a yellow card." Overall, he played 95 official games for Sporting, scoring seven goals. He won one national championship, two League Cups, and one Super Cup with the club.
Moving to Fulham
On July 4, 2022, Palhinha signed a five-year contract with Fulham in England. The transfer cost about £20 million. He played his first Premier League game on August 6, playing the whole 2-2 home draw against Liverpool. He scored his first goal for Fulham 14 days later, helping his team beat Brentford 3-2.
In his first season, Palhinha was voted Fulham's Player of the Season by fans, getting 68% of the votes. He also led all players in the Premier League with 147 tackles.
On August 26, 2023, Palhinha scored a late goal to make it a 2-2 draw away against Arsenal. On the last day of the summer transfer window, he had medical tests in Germany to join Bayern Munich for €65 million. However, the deal didn't happen because Fulham couldn't find a player to replace him before the transfer window closed. On September 14, he signed a new contract with Fulham until 2028. He again made the most tackles in the league that season, with 154.
Joining Bayern Munich
On July 11, 2024, Palhinha officially joined Bayern Munich on a four-year deal. The transfer fee was €51 million, which could go up to €56 million with bonuses. He made his first official appearance for Bayern on August 16. He came on as a substitute in a 4-0 win against SSV Ulm in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup).
Palhinha helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga in his first season. However, he sometimes had physical problems and faced strong competition from other midfielders like Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, and Aleksandar Pavlović.
Playing for Portugal
Palhinha played for Portugal's national teams at different youth levels: under-18, under-19, and under-20. He was part of the team that finished second in the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
In March 2021, Palhinha was called up to the senior Portugal national team for the first time. This was for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He earned his first cap (played his first game) against Azerbaijan, coming on as a late substitute in a 1-0 win. He scored his first goal for Portugal in the same qualifying round, in a 3-1 away win over Luxembourg.
Palhinha was chosen for UEFA Euro 2020. He played against France in the group stage and Belgium in the round of 16. In November 2022, he was named in the squad for the World Cup in Qatar. He played in all three group-stage matches as Portugal reached the quarter-finals.
Palhinha was also part of the 26-man squad for Euro 2024. He started in Portugal's 3-0 victory over Turkey. He made three more appearances as Portugal reached the quarter-finals.
In May 2025, Palhinha was called up for the UEFA Nations League Finals. He played a small part in the semi-finals, coming on as a late substitute in Portugal's 2-1 win against hosts Germany. Portugal went on to win the tournament.
Player Style
How Palhinha Plays
Palhinha is known for his strong defensive skills, his energy, and his ability to tackle. He is very good at winning the ball back from opponents, especially by making aggressive slide tackles to stop counter-attacks. He is a tall and strong player, which helps him win aerial duels (when players jump to head the ball) and keep opponents away when he's dribbling. People describe him as a "complete midfielder" because he can break up the other team's play, pass the ball well, and help both in defense and attack.
Palhinha usually stays back in front of his team's defenders. His main job is to stop the other team's attacks and then start his own team's plays. He often passes the ball diagonally to his team's full-backs and wingers who run forward. He is also known for being a strong leader on the field, guiding his teammates with his voice and hand signals.
When he played for Fulham, Palhinha had a passing accuracy of 81.5%. His presence helped his team move the ball from defense to attack. He was always among the top players in the Premier League for tackles, interceptions, and duels won.
What People Say About Him
Many football experts think Palhinha is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Former player Rio Ferdinand was very impressed with Palhinha's first season at Fulham, saying he was "sensational" and that every team needs a player like him in front of the defenders. His teammate at Fulham, Tom Cairney, said Palhinha was "one of the best [players] he had ever seen off the ball," meaning he was amazing at getting back and winning the ball.
In March 2023, Fulham's manager Marco Silva said that Palhinha was a very important player because he covered a lot of space and allowed other midfielders to be more creative. His Portugal coach Roberto Martínez also praised him, saying Palhinha brought balance to the team with his hard work without the ball, quick ball recovery, and good passing.
Honours
Braga
- Taça da Liga: 2019–20
Sporting CP
- Primeira Liga: 2020–21
- Taça da Liga: 2020–21, 2021–22
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2021
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2024–25
Portugal
- UEFA Nations League: 2024–25
Individual Awards
- Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2020–21
- Fulham Player of the Season: 2022–23
See also
In Spanish: João Palhinha para niños
