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 48)
Place of birth	Amarante, Portugal
Height	1.81 m
Playing position	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)
National team
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)
Honours Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Championship 2004 Portugal Bronze 2000 Belgium-Netherlands FIFA U-20 World Cup Third 1995 Qatar
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

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

He got the nickname Gomes when he was a child. It was a tribute to another great Portuguese footballer, Fernando Gomes. Nuno Gomes was known as one of Portugal's best attacking players in the 1990s and 2000s. He scored many goals for his clubs and for his country. He also helped his teammates score by providing assists. He spent most of his career with Benfica, where he scored 166 goals in 398 games over 12 seasons.

Nuno Gomes 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.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out: Boavista and Benfica

Nuno Gomes was born in Amarante. He started his professional career with Boavista when he was 18 years old, in the 1994–95 season. His first big win was the Taça de Portugal in 1997, where Boavista beat Benfica 3–2 in the final. Nuno Gomes scored a goal in that exciting match.

After that win, he moved to Benfica. In the 1998–99 season, he scored 34 goals in all competitions. This helped Benfica finish third in the league.

Playing in Italy: Fiorentina

After three seasons with Benfica, Nuno Gomes moved to Fiorentina in Italy in 2000. He joined them after playing very well in the UEFA Euro 2000 tournament. In his first year in Italy, he helped Fiorentina win the Coppa Italia. He scored a goal in the final against Parma, which helped his team win the title.

However, his second season was tough because Fiorentina faced financial problems and was relegated. This led Nuno Gomes to return to Benfica in 2002.

Back Home: Second Time at Benfica

When Nuno Gomes returned to Benfica, he faced some injuries. But he still played an important role. He helped Benfica win the domestic cup in 2003–04. The next season, 2004–05, they won the league title. He scored seven goals in 23 games that season.

His best season during his second time at Benfica was 2005–06. He scored 15 league goals, including two against Porto. He also scored three goals in one game against União de Leiria. He then helped them win the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, scoring the only goal.

Gomes celebrating a goal for Benfica in 2007

From 2006–07 onwards, it became harder for Nuno Gomes to always start games. Other players joined the team, like Óscar Cardozo. But Nuno Gomes remained a valuable player. He scored his 150th goal for Benfica in a UEFA Cup game in 2008. Even when he played less in 2010–11, he still scored important goals. He scored his 200th goal in the Portuguese league in November 2010.

Later Career: Braga and Blackburn Rovers

Benfica decided not to renew Nuno Gomes' contract in 2011. He then joined another top Portuguese team, Braga. In September 2011, he scored two goals in a 3–1 win against Gil Vicente. He was mostly a backup player during his only season with Braga.

In 2012, Nuno Gomes moved to England to play for Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship. He made his debut in August and scored his first goal against Leicester City. He was released by Blackburn in June 2013, at the age of 36. After he stopped playing football, he became a director at Benfica's youth academy.

International Career

Nuno Gomes played for Portugal at all youth levels. 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.

He made his debut for the senior national team when he was 19, in a friendly game against France in 1996. His first goal for Portugal was in the opening match of UEFA Euro 2000. He scored the winning goal against England in a 3–2 victory. He scored four goals in that competition as Portugal reached the semi-finals. He was even chosen for the UEFA team of the tournament.

Nuno Gomes helped Portugal qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup by scoring seven goals in six matches. This included four goals in a big 7–1 win against Andorra. In the World Cup itself, he played twice as a substitute.

He had a better time at UEFA Euro 2004. He played in every game and scored the winning goal against Spain. This goal sent Portugal into the quarter-finals. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he scored a goal against hosts Germany in the third-place playoff.

After another great player, Pauleta, retired, Nuno Gomes was expected to take over as the main striker. He played ten matches and scored three times 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 a few players to score in three European Championships in a row.

Later, he played less for the national team. He was not chosen for the 2010 World Cup squad. In 2011, after more than two years, he played for Portugal again in a Euro 2012 qualifier. This was one of his last games for the national team.

Personal Life

Nuno Gomes has a younger brother named Tiago, who also played football as a striker. Tiago mostly played in lower leagues.

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

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

Honours

Boavista

• Taça de Portugal: 1996–97

Fiorentina

• Coppa Italia: 2000–01

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2004–05, 2009–10
• Taça de Portugal: 2003–04
• Taça da Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2005

Portugal

• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2004; third-place: 2000
• UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1994
• FIFA U-20 World Cup third place: 1995
• Toulon Tournament third place: 1996

Individual Awards

• Primeira Liga Player of the Year: 1998–99, 1999–2000
• SJPF Player of the Month: September 2005, October 2005
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2000
• Toulon Tournament top scorer: 1996

Orders

• Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)

See also

In Spanish: Nuno Gomes para niños