Nuno Gomes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nuno Gomes

Gomes in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro
Date of birth	(1976-07-05) 5 July 1976 (age 49)
Place of birth	Amarante, Portugal
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1987–1990	Amarante
1990–1994	Boavista
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1997	Boavista	79	(23)
1997–2000	Benfica	101	(60)
2000–2002	Fiorentina	53	(14)
2002–2011	Benfica	192	(65)
2011–2012	Braga	20	(6)
2012–2013	Blackburn Rovers	18	(4)
Total		463	(158)
International career
1990	Portugal U15	3	(3)
1991–1992	Portugal U16	9	(4)
1992–1993	Portugal U17	5	(2)
1993–1994	Portugal U18	15	(5)
1995–1996	Portugal U20	13	(9)
1995–1997	Portugal U21	14	(5)
1996	Portugal U23	5	(1)
1996–2011	Portugal	79	(29)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Championship 2004 Portugal Bronze 2000 Belgium-Netherlands FIFA U-20 World Cup Third 1995 Qatar
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro (born on July 5, 1976), known as Nuno Gomes, is a famous Portuguese former footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a goal scorer.

He got the nickname Gomes when he was a kid. It was inspired by another great Portuguese footballer, Fernando Gomes. Nuno Gomes was known as one of Portugal's best attackers in the 1990s and 2000s. He scored many goals for both his clubs and his country. He was also good at helping his teammates score, getting many assists.

Nuno Gomes played most of his career with Benfica. He scored 166 goals in 398 games over 12 seasons for them. He also played for the Portuguese national team in two World Cups and three European Championships. He helped Portugal finish second at Euro 2004 and third at Euro 2000. He played 79 games for his country.

Nuno Gomes: A Football Journey

Playing for Clubs

Early Career at Boavista and Benfica

Nuno Gomes was born in Amarante. He started his professional football journey with Boavista. He played his first top-league game in the 1994–95 season when he was 18 years old.

In 1997, he won his first trophy with Boavista. They beat Benfica to win the Taça de Portugal, which is Portugal's main cup competition. Nuno Gomes scored a goal in the 3–2 win in the final. After this, he moved to Benfica.

At Benfica, he continued to be a top scorer. In the 1998–99 season, he scored 34 goals in all games.

Time with Fiorentina

After three seasons with Benfica, Nuno Gomes moved to Fiorentina in Italy in 2000. This move happened after he played very well in UEFA Euro 2000.

In his first year in Italy, he helped Fiorentina win the Coppa Italia, another important cup. He scored in the final against Parma, helping his team win the trophy. However, his second season was tough. Fiorentina faced money problems and was moved down to a lower league. Because of this, Nuno Gomes returned to Benfica in 2002.

Return to Benfica: A Long Stay

Back at Benfica, Nuno Gomes faced some injuries. But he still helped the team win the Portuguese Cup in 2003–04. He also helped them win the league title in the next season. He scored seven goals in 23 games that year.

His best season was 2005–06. He scored 15 goals in the league. This included two goals against Porto and three goals in one game against União de Leiria. He also scored the only goal in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira final, helping Benfica win another trophy.

Nuno Gomes celebrating a goal for Benfica in 2007

From 2006–07 onwards, Nuno Gomes had more competition for his spot. Other strikers joined the team, like Óscar Cardozo. Even so, he remained an important player. He scored his 150th goal for Benfica in a UEFA Cup game in 2008. He also passed the captain's armband to the legendary player Rui Costa.

In his final season with Benfica, 2010–11, Nuno Gomes was 34 years old. He didn't play as much, but he made the most of his time on the field. He scored his 200th goal in the Portuguese league in November 2010. He scored three goals in two league games in March 2011, showing he could still make a big impact.

Short Stays at Braga and Blackburn Rovers

Benfica decided not to renew Nuno Gomes' contract in June 2011. He was offered a job in the club's management, but he chose to keep playing. He then signed with another top Portuguese team, Braga.

In his only season with Braga, he scored two goals in a 3–1 win against Gil Vicente. He was mostly a backup player during this time.

In July 2012, Nuno Gomes moved to England. He signed a two-year deal with Blackburn Rovers, who played in the EFL Championship. He made his debut in August and scored his first goal against Leicester City.

He was released by Blackburn Rovers in June 2013, at 36 years old. After he stopped playing, he became a director at Benfica's football academy.

Playing for Portugal

Nuno Gomes played for Portugal at every age level, from youth teams to the senior national team. He scored many goals for the youth teams. He helped the under-20 team finish third in the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored four goals in that tournament. The next year, he played in the 1996 Summer Olympics, where Portugal finished fourth.

Senior Team Debut and Euro 2000

Nuno Gomes played his first game for the senior Portugal team when he was 19. This was in a friendly match against France in 1996.

He scored his first goal for Portugal in their opening game at UEFA Euro 2000. He scored the winning goal as Portugal came back from being two goals down to beat England 3–2. He ended the tournament with four goals. Portugal reached the semi-finals but lost to France. Nuno Gomes was chosen for the UEFA team of the tournament.

World Cups and Euro 2004

Nuno Gomes scored seven goals in just six games to help Portugal qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This included four goals in a huge 7–1 win against Andorra. In the World Cup itself, he didn't play much, only appearing twice as a substitute. In November 2003, he scored three goals in just 21 minutes against Kuwait.

Things went much better for Nuno Gomes at UEFA Euro 2004. He played in every game. He came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal against Spain. This goal sent Portugal, who were the hosts, into the quarter-finals.

He was often injured during the qualifying games for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He only played four times and scored one goal. In the World Cup finals, he didn't play much, but he scored a goal with a header against host nation Germany in the third-place playoff game.

Later International Career

After the famous striker Pauleta retired, many expected Nuno Gomes to take his place as the main striker. He played ten games and scored three goals in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. He was the captain for Portugal at the finals and scored against Germany in the quarter-finals. This made him one of only four players to score in three European Championships in a row.

Later, when Carlos Queiroz became the coach, Nuno Gomes was not picked as often. This was because he wasn't playing as much for his club, Benfica. He was not chosen for the 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This was the first major tournament he missed.

In October 2011, after more than two years away from the national team, Nuno Gomes, then 35, played again. He came on in the last minute of a 5–3 win against Iceland in a Euro 2012 qualifier. Four days later, he played against Denmark. This was his last full game for Portugal. Because he wasn't playing much for his club, he was not picked for the Euro 2012 finals.

Personal Life

Nuno Gomes has a younger brother named Tiago, who was also a footballer and a striker. Tiago mostly played in lower leagues.

Nuno Gomes has been married twice. He has a daughter named Laura, born in 1999, from his first marriage. In July 2006, he married Patrícia Aguilar, and they had a son named Nuno in July 2010.

He was featured on the cover of the Portuguese version of the video game FIFA Football 2002.

Honours

Nuno Gomes won many trophies and awards during his career:

Club Trophies

• Boavista

* Taça de Portugal: 1996–97 (Portuguese Cup)

• Fiorentina

* Coppa Italia: 2000–01 (Italian Cup)

• Benfica

* Primeira Liga: 2004–05, 2009–10 (Portuguese League) * Taça de Portugal: 2003–04 (Portuguese Cup) * Taça da Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 (Portuguese League Cup) * Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2005 (Portuguese Super Cup)

International Achievements

• Portugal

* UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2004 * UEFA European Championship third-place: 2000 * UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1994 * FIFA U-20 World Cup third place: 1995

Individual Awards

• Primeira Liga Player of the Year: 1998–99, 1999–2000
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2000

Images for kids

• 

  Nuno Gomes celebrating a goal for Benfica in 2007

See also

In Spanish: Nuno Gomes para niños