João Pinto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
João Pinto

Pinto in 2013
Personal information
Date of birth	(1971-08-19) 19 August 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Porto, Portugal
Height	1.71 m
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
	Bairro do Falcão
1982–1983	Águias da Areosa
1983–1988	Boavista
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1988–1989	Boavista	17	(3)
1990–1991	Atlético Madrileño	30	(9)
1991–1992	Boavista	34	(8)
1992–2000	Benfica	220	(64)
2000–2004	Sporting CP	115	(28)
2004–2006	Boavista	57	(11)
2006–2008	Braga	33	(3)
Total		506	(126)
National team
1987–1988	Portugal U16	15	(5)
1988–1989	Portugal U18	22	(11)
1989–1991	Portugal U20	18	(3)
1991–1994	Portugal U21	15	(3)
1991–2002	Portugal	81	(23)
Honours Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Championship Bronze 2000 Belgium-Netherlands FIFA U-20 World Cup Winner 1991 Portugal Winner 1989 Saudi Arabia UEFA European Under-21 Championship 1994 France UEFA European Under-17 Championship 1988 Spain
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

João Manuel Vieira Pinto (born 19 August 1971) is a retired Portuguese footballer. He mostly played as a forward. He was known for his amazing playmaking and goal-scoring skills.

João Pinto became famous playing for Portugal's national team. He was a key player in their "Golden Generation" of footballers. He played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and two European Championships. For his country, he played 151 games and scored 45 goals across all levels. For the senior team alone, he played 81 games and scored 23 goals.

At the club level, Pinto started his career with Boavista. However, he is best known for playing with two of Portugal's biggest clubs: Benfica and Sporting CP. He won one Primeira Liga title with each club. In total, he won six major titles during his club career. Over 19 seasons in the top league, he played 476 matches and scored 117 goals.

João Pinto's Football Journey

Early Days and Youth Success

João Pinto started playing football in his hometown of Porto. He played for local teams like Bairro do Falcão and Águias da Areosa FC. When he was 12, he joined the academy of Boavista F.C.. He quickly impressed everyone with his speed and excellent ball control.

Pinto was a bright star in Portugal's youth teams. He helped Portugal win the FIFA U-20 World Cup twice. This is a huge achievement, as only three players have ever won this competition twice. He made his debut in Portugal's top league, the Primeira Liga, when he was just 17 years old.

Moving to Atlético Madrid and Return to Boavista

After his great performance in the first youth World Cup, Pinto moved to Atlético Madrid in 1990. However, he played for their reserve team, Atlético Madrid B, and had a difficult season.

He then returned to Boavista. In the 1991–92 season, he played in every match and scored eight goals. He also helped Boavista win the Taça de Portugal, which is Portugal's main cup competition. They won against their city rivals, FC Porto. Soon after, he signed with S.L. Benfica.

Success with Benfica

While playing for Benfica, João Pinto's career faced a challenge in 1992. He had a collapsed lung during an international match for Portugal. Luckily, he recovered, but he couldn't help his team win the league title that season.

The next season, 1993–94, was one of his best. He played incredibly well, especially in the Lisbon derby against Sporting CP. He scored three goals and helped set up three more in a huge 6–3 win. This victory was very important for Benfica, as they went on to win the 1994 national championship.

Pinto was nicknamed "The Golden Boy." After the team captain retired in 1995, João Pinto became the new captain. However, he wasn't able to win another national title with Benfica. Before the UEFA Euro 2000 tournament, he left Benfica due to a disagreement about his salary. He was the only player in the tournament who was a free agent (meaning he didn't have a club).

Sporting CP and Later Career

After leaving Benfica, João Pinto received many offers from clubs outside Portugal. However, he decided to sign a four-year deal with Sporting CP. His first season there was not his best. But in the 2001–02 season, Sporting signed a famous goal scorer named Mário Jardel. With Jardel, Pinto returned to his best form. He helped Sporting win his second league title. Jardel even called Pinto the "father of the team." Pinto played in almost every game that season and scored nine goals.

João Pinto was a very talented player, but he also sometimes got red cards for aggressive play. He had a long-standing rivalry with Porto player Paulinho Santos. They were often sent off after clashing with each other.

A difficult moment in his career happened during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In a match against South Korea, he was sent off early in the game. He reacted poorly to the referee's decision, which led to a six-month suspension from football.

After this incident, Pinto's performance was not the same. Sporting CP didn't finish in the top two spots in the league. In 2004, he left Sporting and returned to his first professional club, Boavista. He had a strong second season with Boavista in 2005–06, scoring nine league goals.

In 2006, he joined S.C. Braga. He played for Braga for two seasons before retiring from football in February 2008 at the age of 36. After retiring, João Pinto worked in leadership roles for the Portuguese Football Federation.

João Pinto's Family Life

Pinto in 2011

João Pinto became a father when he was still a teenager. He had two children with his first wife, Carla Baía. His older son, Tiago, also became a professional footballer. In 2008, João Pinto married television presenter Marisa Cruz, but they divorced five years later.

João Pinto's younger brother, Sérgio, also played football. He mostly played in the lower leagues in Portugal and for one year in England.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Goals for Portugal

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pinto goal.

List of international goals scored by João Pinto

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	20 November 1991	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Greece	1–0	1–0	Euro 1992 qualifying
2	19 June 1993	Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal	Malta	3–0	4–0	1994 World Cup qualification
3	13 October 1993	Estádio das Antas, Porto, Portugal	Switzerland	1–0	1–0	1994 World Cup qualification
4	9 October 1994	Daugava Stadium (Riga), Riga, Latvia	Latvia	1–1	3–1	Euro 1996 qualifying
5	9 October 1994	Daugava Stadium (Riga), Riga, Latvia	Latvia	2–0	3–1	Euro 1996 qualifying
6	18 December 1994	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Liechtenstein	4–0	8–0	Euro 1996 qualifying
7	19 June 1996	City Ground, Nottingham, England	Croatia	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 1996
8	5 October 1996	Olimpiysky National Sports Complex, Kyiv, Ukraine	Ukraine	1–1	1–2	1998 World Cup qualification
9	7 June 1997	Estádio das Antas, Porto, Portugal	Albania	1–0	2–0	1998 World Cup qualification
10	14 October 1998	Štadión Pasienky, Bratislava, Slovakia	Slovakia	1–0	3–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
11	14 October 1998	Štadión Pasienky, Bratislava, Slovakia	Slovakia	2–0	3–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
12	26 March 1999	Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal	Azerbaijan	2–0	7–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
13	26 March 1999	Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal	Azerbaijan	5–0	7–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
14	9 June 1999	Estádio Municipal de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Liechtenstein	2–0	8–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
15	9 June 1999	Estádio Municipal de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Liechtenstein	5–0	8–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
16	9 June 1999	Estádio Municipal de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Liechtenstein	6–0	8–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
17	18 August 1999	Estádio Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal	Andorra	2–0	4–0	Friendly
18	9 October 1999	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Hungary	2–0	3–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
19	12 June 2000	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	England	2–2	3–2	UEFA Euro 2000
20	16 August 2000	Estádio do Fontelo, Viseu, Portugal	Lithuania	1–0	5–1	Friendly
21	6 June 2001	Estádio José Alvalade (1956), Lisbon, Portugal	Cyprus	5–0	6–0	2002 World Cup qualification
22	6 June 2001	Estádio José Alvalade (1956), Lisbon, Portugal	Cyprus	6–0	6–0	2002 World Cup qualification
23	6 October 2001	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Estonia	1–0	5–0	2002 World Cup qualification

Football Achievements and Awards

Boavista

• Taça de Portugal: 1991–92

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 1993–94
• Taça de Portugal: 1992–93, 1995–96

Sporting CP

• Primeira Liga: 2001–02
• Taça de Portugal: 2001–02
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2000

Portugal National Team

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1989, 1991
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 1994
• UEFA European Under-18 Championship runner-up: 1988, 1990
• UEFA European Under-16 Championship runner-up: 1988

Individual Awards

• CNID Footballer of the Year: 1992, 1993, 1994
• Portuguese Golden Ball: 1993, 1996
• SJPF Player of the Month: February 2006

See Also

In Spanish: João Pinto para niños

• List of association football families