William Carvalho facts for kids
Carvalho with Portugal at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 7 April 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Luanda, Angola | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Betis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Algueirão | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Mira Sintra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2011 | Sporting CP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2018 | Sporting CP | 143 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | → Fátima (loan) | 13 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | → Cercle Brugge (loan) | 47 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Betis | 162 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Portugal U17 | 25 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Portugal U18 | 8 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Portugal U19 | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Portugal U20 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Portugal U21 | 15 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2022 | Portugal | 80 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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William Silva de Carvalho (born on April 7, 1992) is a Portuguese professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the La Liga club Real Betis.
William spent most of his career with Sporting CP. He started playing for their first team when he was 18. He played 193 games for them and helped them win the Portuguese Cup in 2015. In 2018, he joined Betis. There, he has played over 200 games and won the Spanish Cup in 2022.
Since 2013, William has also played for the Portuguese national team. He has played in three World Cups and two European Championships. He was part of the team that won the European Championship in 2016.
Contents
William Carvalho's Early Life
William Carvalho was born in Luanda, Angola. He moved to Portugal when he was very young. His grandfather, Praia, and his uncle, Afonso, were also footballers. They played for an Angolan club called Progresso Associação do Sambizanga.
William's Club Football Journey
Starting at Sporting CP
After moving to Portugal, William first played football in the streets. He was then recruited by Recreios Desportivos de Algueirão. In 2004, he joined União Sport Clube de Mira Sintra. He was the youngest player there and also their captain.
William joined Sporting CP's youth team when he was 13. He played his first official game for Sporting's main team on April 3, 2011. This was a 1–1 draw against Vitória S.C. in the Primeira Liga. After that, he spent six months on loan at C.D. Fátima in Portugal's third division.
Still with Sporting, William then played for one and a half seasons on loan at Cercle Brugge K.S.V. in Belgium. He started there in January 2012. He played with other Sporting teammates who were also on loan. He scored his first professional goal on April 7 in a 6–4 win. A year later, he helped his team reach the Belgian Cup final. They lost 2–0 to K.R.C. Genk.
William came back to Sporting for the 2013–14 season. He became a key defensive player for the new coach, Leonardo Jardim. He scored his first goal for Sporting on October 27. It was an equalizer in a game they eventually lost 3–1 to FC Porto. Many big European clubs noticed him that summer.
In the 2014–15 season, William received his first ever red card. This happened in a 1–1 draw against Académica de Coimbra. He then won his first trophy, the Portuguese Cup, that season. He played the whole game in the final against S.C. Braga.
There were many rumors that William would move to English clubs like Arsenal. However, his manager, Jorge Jesus, said William would stay. In July 2015, Sporting announced that William had a stress fracture in his leg. This meant he couldn't play for three months. In 2017, there were talks with West Ham United, but he remained at Sporting.
On May 15, 2018, William and some of his teammates were injured in an incident at the club's training ground. This happened after the team finished third in the league and missed out on the Champions League. Despite this, William and the team agreed to play in the Portuguese Cup final that weekend. They lost to C.D. Aves.
Moving to Betis
On July 13, 2018, William Carvalho joined Real Betis in Spain. He signed a five-year contract. He made his La Liga debut on August 17. His team lost 0–3 at home to Levante UD.
On September 15, 2019, William was sent off in a 1–1 draw against Getafe CF. A few days later, he suffered a back injury and did not play again until February. He only played 13 games that season.
On September 20, 2020, William scored his first goal for Betis. It was in a 2–0 home win against Real Valladolid. He scored again six days later in a 3–2 loss to Real Madrid.
In September 2022, William extended his contract with Betis until 2026. On September 13, 2024, during a game against CD Leganés, he suffered a serious leg injury. This injury means he will miss the rest of the season.
Playing for Portugal
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William could have played for either Portugal or Angola. He chose to play for Portugal. Even when he was playing for Portugal's under-20 team, Angola tried to call him up, but he said no.
William first played for the Portugal under-21 team on October 15, 2012. He scored two goals during the qualifiers for the 2015 European Under-21 Championship.
He was first called up to the main Portugal team in November 2013. This was for the 2014 FIFA World Cup play-off games against Sweden. He played his first game for Portugal on November 19. He came on as a substitute in a 3–2 win.
On May 19, 2014, William was chosen for the 23-player squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He played his first World Cup game on June 22. He played the second half of a 2–2 draw against the United States. He also played the full 90 minutes in the next game, a 2–1 win against Ghana. However, Portugal was eliminated from the tournament.
William played every game at the 2015 European Under-21 Championship. He was named the best player of the tournament. Even though he missed a penalty in the final against Sweden, his overall performance was excellent.
At UEFA Euro 2016 in France, William was suspended for the semi-final game. But he returned for the final, where Portugal beat France 1–0. He scored his first international goal on November 13, 2016. It was in a 4–1 win against Latvia during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
In May 2018, William was chosen for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He also played in UEFA Euro 2020, where Portugal reached the round of 16. William was also part of the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
How William Plays Football
William Carvalho mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. He can also play as a central midfielder or a central defender. He is known for his excellent passing and how well he controls the game. He is also praised for being calm on the field and for his strong physical presence.
Even though William is not the fastest player, he makes quick decisions. People often compare his playing style to the famous footballer Patrick Vieira.
Career Statistics
Club Games
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting CP | 2010–11 | Primeira Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 42 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | |
| 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 43 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Primeira Liga | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 38 | 1 | ||
| Total | 143 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 11 | ||
| Fátima (loan) | 2011–12 | Segunda Divisão | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 3 | |||
| Cercle Brugge (loan) | 2011–12 | Belgian Pro League | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 1 | |||
| 2012–13 | Belgian Pro League | 28 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 47 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 3 | ||
| Betis | 2018–19 | La Liga | 30 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 27 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 2 | ||||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 33 | 2 | 8 | 2 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 49 | 4 | |||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 33 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 162 | 8 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 213 | 11 | ||
| Career total | 365 | 24 | 39 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 471 | 28 | ||
International Games
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 1 | |
| Total | 80 | 5 | |
- Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Carvalho goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 November 2016 | Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé, Portugal |  Latvia |
2–1 | 4–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 31 August 2017 | Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal |  Faroe Islands |
3–1 | 5–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 7 September 2019 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia |  Serbia |
1–0 | 4–2 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 4 | 10 September 2019 | LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania |  Lithuania |
5–1 | 5–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 5 | 5 June 2022 | Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal |  Switzerland |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
William's Football Achievements
Sporting CP
- Taça de Portugal: 2014–15
- Taça da Liga: 2017–18
Betis
- Copa del Rey: 2021–22
Portugal U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2015
Portugal
- UEFA European Championship: 2016
- UEFA Nations League: 2018–19
- FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2017
Individual Awards
- SJPF Young Player of the Month: August 2013, September 2013, October 2013, November 2013, March 2014, April 2014
- SJPF Player of the Month: October 2013, November 2013, December 2013, March 2014
- LPFP Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2013–14
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Player of the tournament: 2015
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the tournament: 2015
Orders
Commander of the Order of Merit
See also
In Spanish: William Carvalho para niños
