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Simão Sabrosa facts for kids

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In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Fonseca and the second or paternal family name is Sabrosa.
Quick facts for kids
Simão
Simão Sabrosa (cropped).jpg
Simão in 2018
Personal information
Full name Simão Pedro da Fonseca Sabrosa
Date of birth (1979-10-31) 31 October 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth Constantim, Portugal
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
1990–1992 Diogo Cão
1992–1997 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1999 Sporting CP 53 (12)
1999–2001 Barcelona 46 (3)
2001–2007 Benfica 172 (75)
2007–2010 Atlético Madrid 113 (20)
2011–2012 Beşiktaş 46 (8)
2012–2014 Espanyol 60 (3)
2015 NorthEast United 10 (3)
Total 500 (124)
International career
1998–2000 Portugal U21 15 (8)
1998–2010 Portugal 85 (22)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
UEFA European Championship
2004 Portugal
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Winner 1996 Austria
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Simão Pedro da Fonseca Sabrosa, known simply as Simão, is a famous Portuguese former football player. He was born on October 31, 1979. Simão mainly played as a left winger, known for his amazing dribbling and his skill with set pieces, like free kicks.

He played for some of the biggest teams in Portugal, like Benfica and Sporting. He also spent many years playing in Spain, especially for Atlético Madrid. Simão won the Portuguese championship with Benfica in 2005 and the Europa League with Atlético Madrid in 2010.

Simão also played for the Portuguese national team for 12 years. He played in two World Cups and two European Championships. He helped Portugal finish second at Euro 2004 and reach the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup.

Simão's Club Journey

Simão started his football career at Sporting CP in Portugal. He was part of their youth system, which had also trained other famous players.

Starting at Sporting

Simão played 62 games for Sporting's main team over two years. He scored his first goal when he was only 17 years old.

Moving to Barcelona

In 1999, Simão moved to FC Barcelona in Spain. He played alongside another Portuguese star, Luís Figo. In his first year, Barcelona finished second in the league. Simão even scored in a big game against Real Madrid in 2000.

After a couple of years, Simão wanted to return to Portugal. He then signed with S.L. Benfica, a big rival of Sporting.

Becoming a Star at Benfica

Simão quickly became a favorite among Benfica fans and was made captain. For six years, he was always the top scorer for his team. In the 2002–03 season, he scored a career-best 18 goals.

In 2004, Simão helped Benfica win the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup), ending an eight-year wait for a trophy. In the 2004–05 season, he played every game and scored 15 goals as Benfica won the national championship after 11 years. He also scored important goals in the UEFA Cup that season.

Many big clubs, like Liverpool and Manchester United, showed interest in Simão. But he chose to stay with Benfica for a while longer.

Time at Atlético Madrid

Simao (Madrid)
Simão (right) speaking with referee Frank De Bleeckere during a match for Atlético Madrid

In 2007, Simão moved to Atlético Madrid in Spain. He quickly became a key player, helping the team finish fourth in the league for two seasons.

In 2009, Simão scored Atlético's 4,000th goal in the league. He also became one of the team's captains. In 2010, he scored important goals that helped Atlético win the Europa League. He played in the final game where they beat Fulham.

Simão started the 2010–11 season well, scoring three goals in the first seven games. He also captained the team when the main captain was absent, including in the UEFA Super Cup win against Inter Milan.

Playing for Beşiktaş

In December 2010, Simão moved to Beşiktaş JK in Turkey. He joined his Portuguese teammates Hugo Almeida and Ricardo Quaresma there. In May 2011, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout to help Beşiktaş win the Turkish Cup.

Short Spell at Espanyol

Simão joined RCD Espanyol in Spain in 2012. He scored his first goal for them in December, heading in from a corner kick. He left Espanyol in 2014.

Adventure in India

In 2015, Simão signed with NorthEast United FC in the Indian Super League. He captained the team in his first friendly match. He later scored important goals, including a penalty in his competitive debut and a free kick in another game.

After Retirement

After retiring from playing, Simão returned to Benfica in 2017. He was appointed as the head of international relations for the club.

Simão's International Career

Simão started playing for Portugal's youth teams early on. He won the UEFA European Under-16 Championship in 1996.

Early National Team Days

Simão made his debut for the main Portugal team when he was just 19 years old in 1998, scoring a goal against Israel. He later played in Euro 2004, where Portugal finished second. He played a key role in the quarter-final against England, setting up a goal that led to a penalty shootout, which Portugal won.

Portugal 2-3 Denmark, Simão2
Simão in a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Denmark

World Cup Appearances

Simão was also chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where Portugal finished fourth. He scored one goal in the tournament against Mexico. In the quarter-finals, Portugal again faced England in a penalty shootout, and Simão helped them win again by scoring his penalty.

In Euro 2008, Portugal was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Germany. Simão was the top scorer for Portugal during the qualifying games for the 2010 FIFA World Cup with four goals.

He was selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He scored a goal in a big 7–0 win against North Korea. In August 2010, Simão decided to step down from the national team. He had played 85 games for Portugal and scored 22 goals.

Simão's Life Outside Football

Simão has also been involved in other projects. He released a DVD called Como Se Faz um Campeão (How to Make a Champion). He also worked as a football expert and interviewer for a TV channel called Sport TV HD. Simão was featured on the cover of the Portuguese version of the video game FIFA 10 and appeared in an advertisement for McDonald's.

Career Statistics

Club Performance

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sporting 1996–97 Primeira Liga 2 1 1 0 0 0 3 1
1997–98 21 1 3 0 2 0 26 1
1998–99 30 10 1 0 2 0 33 10
Total 53 12 5 0 4 0 62 12
Barcelona 1999–2000 La Liga 21 1 4 0 7 0 32 1
2000–01 25 2 4 1 9 0 38 3
Total 46 3 8 1 16 0 70 4
Benfica 2001–02 Primeira Liga 26 11 1 0 — 27 11
2002–03 33 18 0 0 — 33 18
2003–04 31 12 4 1 10 2 45 15
2004–05 34 15 4 3 10 4 48 22
2005–06 24 8 3 2 8 2 35 12
2006–07 24 11 3 1 12 4 39 16
Total 172 75 15 7 40 12 227 94
Atlético Madrid 2007–08 La Liga 30 7 3 0 8 3 41 10
2008–09 33 7 3 0 8 2 44 9
2009–10 34 2 8 3 17 2 59 7
2010–11 16 4 1 1 7 1 24 6
Total 113 20 15 4 40 8 168 32
Beşiktaş 2010–11 Süper Lig 15 5 5 3 — 20 8
2011–12 31 3 2 0 9 2 42 5
Total 46 8 7 3 9 2 62 13
Espanyol 2012–13 La Liga 26 3 1 0 — 27 3
2013–14 34 0 2 2 — 36 2
Total 60 3 3 2 — 63 5
NorthEast United 2015 Indian Super League 10 3 — — 10 3
Career total 500 124 53 18 103 19 656 161

International Performance

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Portugal 1998 1 1
1999 0 0
2000 5 0
2001 5 0
2002 4 0
2003 8 3
2004 12 1
2005 5 2
2006 12 5
2007 6 2
2008 9 4
2009 11 3
2010 7 1
Total 85 22
Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sabrosa goal.
List of international goals scored by Simão Sabrosa
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 18 November 1998 Bonfim, Setúbal, Portugal  Israel 2–0 2–0 Friendly
2 30 April 2003 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands  Netherlands 1–1 1–1 Friendly
3 20 August 2003 Estádio Municipal, Chaves, Portugal  Kazakhstan 1–0 1–0 Friendly
4 11 October 2003 Restelo, Lisbon, Portugal  Albania 2–2 5–3 Friendly
5 13 October 2004 José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal  Russia 5–1 7–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 3 September 2005 Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal  Luxembourg 5–0 6–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 6–0
8. 3 June 2006 Saint-Symphorien, Metz, France  Luxembourg 1–0 3–0 Friendly
9 2–0
10 21 June 2006 Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany  Mexico 2–0 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup
11 15 November 2006 Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal  Kazakhstan 1–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
12 3–0
13 6 February 2007 Emirates Stadium, London, England  Brazil 1–0 2–0 Friendly
14 12 September 2007 José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal  Serbia 1–0 1–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
15 31 May 2008 Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal  Georgia 2–0 2–0 Friendly
16 20 August 2008 Estádio Municipal, Aveiro, Portugal  Faroe Islands 2–0 5–0 Friendly
17 6 September 2008 Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta  Malta 3–0 4–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
18 19 November 2008 Bezerrão, Gama, Brazil  Brazil 2–4 2–6 Friendly
19 10 October 2009 Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal  Hungary 1–0 3–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
20 3–0
21 14 October 2009 D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal  Malta 2–0 4–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
22 21 June 2010 Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa  North Korea 2–0 7–0 2010 FIFA World Cup

Simão's Achievements

Simão won many trophies and awards during his career:

Benfica

Atlético Madrid

Beşiktaş

  • Turkish Cup: 2010–11

Portugal National Team

Individual Awards

  • Bola de Prata (Top Scorer in Portuguese League): 2002–03
  • LPFP Primeira Liga Player of the Year: 2006–07
  • Cosme Damião Awards – Footballer of the Year: 2006
  • CNID Best Portuguese Athlete Abroad: 2010

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Simão Sabrosa para niños

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