# João Pinto

João Manuel Vieira Pinto CvIH (Portuguese pronunciation:; born 19 August 1971) is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played mostly as a forward.
Blessed with playmaking and goalscoring ability, he made his name mostly at a domestic level and as a key figure in the Portuguese national team's "Golden Generation", collecting 151 caps and scoring 45 goals across all levels (81/23 for the senior team alone) and representing the country at the 2002 World Cup and two European Championships.
At the club level, Pinto started his career with Boavista, but it was mainly associated with two of the biggest clubs in the country, Benfica and Sporting CP, with which he won one Primeira Liga each for a total of six major titles. Over 19 top-division seasons, he played 476 matches and netted 117 goals.

## Career

As a youth, Pinto played for Bairro do Falcão (where he was born, in Campanhã, Porto's east side) and Águias da Areosa FC, finishing his development at Boavista F.C. after joining its academy as a 12-year-old. Early on, he impressed with his speed and ball control, and was subsequently one of the brightest stars in Portugal's wins in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Riyadh and Lisbon, being one of three players ever to have been on the winning side in this competition twice along with goalkeeper Fernando Brassard (whom however did not play in the first tournament) and Argentinian Sergio Agüero. Additionally, he made his Primeira Liga debut at only 17.
Pinto's performance in the first youth competition earned him a transfer to Atlético Madrid in 1990, but he was placed instead with the reserve team. After a forgettable season he rejoined Boavista, appeared in every match, scored eight goals and won the Taça de Portugal, in a final against city rivals FC Porto. Shortly after, he signed for S.L. Benfica.
Whilst with Benfica, Pinto's career was threatened in late 1992 by a collapsed lung during an international match for Portugal in Scotland for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, eventually recovering but being unable to help his team win the title. However, the next season, he played arguably his best football there, his best moment coming in the Lisbon derby against Sporting CP, where he scored three goals and was on the play of the remaining three in a 6–3 win at the Estádio José Alvalade; this result proved to be decisive for the club's clinching of the 1994 national championship.
Dubbed "The Golden Boy", Pinto won captaincy from veteran António Veloso after the latter's retirement in 1995, but was unable to win a national title again. Following a wage dispute with president João Vale e Azevedo, he was released from contract weeks before the UEFA Euro 2000 (making him the only free agent in the competition), where he helped the national team reach the semi-finals after scoring eight goals during the qualifying stage, netting through a header against England in a 3–2 comeback win in the group stage on 13 June 2000; he was also selected for the Euro 1996 tournament.
Subsequently, Pinto had several offers from abroad, eventually agreeing to a four-year deal at Sporting. After a relatively poor season in 2000–01, the Lions acquired four-time Portuguese Golden Boot winner Mário Jardel, and Pinto returned to his golden years in a magnificent run which ended with the claiming of his second title; named the "father of the team" by the Brazilian, took part in all but one game and scored nine goals.
Although a highly talented player, Pinto was also known for a series of red cards for aggression and bad tackles. His feud with Porto player and national teammate Paulinho Santos lasted for years, and both would be frequently ejected after hitting each other; he also stirred some controversy when he assaulted a fireman in the league fixture at Rio Ave F.C. on 20 September 1997.
The lowest point, however, was when Pinto hit Argentine referee Ángel Sánchez who had sent him off after a bad tackle early into the 1–0 loss to hosts South Korea in the third group game of the 2002 World Cup. He was suspended for six months.
Pinto ended his Portugal career with 81 caps and 23 goals. Never recovering fully from the World Cup incident, he failed to impress in the following seasons, when Sporting failed to reach the top two spots, and in 2004 he was released from contract, returning to Boavista. Although he was close to signing with Al-Hilal FC of Saudi Arabia in the January transfer window, he remained with his first professional club.
After a second season carrying Boavista's squad (who almost qualified for the UEFA Cup, with him scoring nine league goals and receiving numerous Player of the match awards), Pinto accepted the invitation of S.C. Braga's board in July 2006, signing for one year. He netted twice in 24 appearances in an eventual fourth-place finish for the Minho side, and renewed his link for the 2007–08 campaign; however, during February 2008, he trained with Toronto FC of Major League Soccer and, later that month, announced the termination of his contract at Braga, retiring shortly after aged 36.
Subsequently, Pinto worked with the Portuguese Football Federation in directorial capacities.

## Personal life

Still in his teens, Pinto had two children from his first marriage to Carla Baía; the elder, Tiago, first played professionally with C.D. Olivais e Moscavide. In 2008 he married television presenter Marisa Cruz, with the couple divorcing five years later.
Pinto's younger brother, Sérgio, was also a footballer, having competed almost exclusively in the lower leagues of Portugal and one year in England.

## Career statistics
### Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | Cup | Cup | Europe | Europe | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Boavista | 1988–89 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Boavista | 1989–90 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 5 |
| Boavista | Total | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 5 |
| Atlético Madrid B | 1990–91 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boavista | 1991–92 | 34 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 8 |
| Benfica | 1992–93 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 31 | 9 |
| Benfica | 1993–94 | 34 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 44 | 18 |
| Benfica | 1994–95 | 24 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 36 | 6 |
| Benfica | 1995–96 | 31 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 23 |
| Benfica | 1996–97 | 28 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 40 | 16 |
| Benfica | 1997–98 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 7 |
| Benfica | 1998–99 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 36 | 7 |
| Benfica | 1999–2000 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| Benfica | Total | 220 | 64 | 30 | 14 | 44 | 11 | 294 | 89 |
| Sporting CP | 2000–01 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 41 | 7 |
| Sporting CP | 2001–02 | 33 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 44 | 12 |
| Sporting CP | 2002–03 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 |
| Sporting CP | 2003–04 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 5 |
| Sporting CP | Total | 115 | 28 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 142 | 32 |
| Boavista | 2004–05 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 |
| Boavista | 2005–06 | 31 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 10 |
| Boavista | Total | 57 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 13 |
| Braga | 2006–07 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| Braga | 2007–08 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Braga | Total | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 |
| Career total | Career total | 476 | 117 | 56 | 20 | 75 | 15 | 605 | 152 |

### International

    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 |

## Honours

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