# Mica Pinto

Michael "Mica" Gonçalves Pinto (born 4 June 1993) is a Luxembourgish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for First Professional Football League club CSKA Sofia and the Luxembourg national team.
He spent the early part of his career in the Segunda Liga, mainly with Sporting CP B. He totalled 102 matches in the competition over five seasons, adding six appearances in the Primeira Liga for Belenenses. He then played six years in the Dutch Eredivisie and one in the country's Eerste Divisie, representing Fortuna Sittard, Sparta Rotterdam and Vitesse.
Pinto represented Portugal at youth level, before switching to Luxembourg in 2020.

## Club career

Born in Diekirch, Luxembourg of Portuguese descent, Pinto joined Sporting CP's youth academy at the age of 14. He spent three full seasons with the reserve team in the Segunda Liga, making his debut in the competition on 11 August 2012 in a 1–0 away loss against U.D. Oliveirense and scoring his first goal on 24 February 2013 to help the hosts defeat S.C. Freamunde 5–1.
On 15 August 2015, Pinto was loaned to Spanish Segunda División B club Recreativo de Huelva alongside his teammates Kikas and Luís Ribeiro, with an option to buy. The following January, he terminated his contract alleging unpaid wages.
Pinto signed a permanent deal with C.F. Os Belenenses on 27 May 2016, with Sporting retaining 50% of his rights. He played his first match in the Primeira Liga on 19 August, coming on as a last-minute substitute in the 0–0 home draw with Boavista FC. Ahead of the 2017–18 campaign, he was loaned to C.F. União of the second tier.
In the January 2018 transfer window, Pinto agreed to a two-and-a-half-year contract at Fortuna Sittard of the Dutch Eerste Divisie. He contributed one goal from 14 appearances until the end of the season, as his side returned to the Eredivisie after a 16-year absence.
Pinto made his debut in the Dutch top flight on 11 August 2018, playing the entire 1–1 away draw against Excelsior Rotterdam. On 30 December 2019, Sparta Rotterdam announced that he would be joining the club the following month, and he eventually signed a contract until June 2021 with the option of one more year.
Pinto spent the 2023–24 campaign with SBV Vitesse, leaving by mutual consent at its conclusion. In August 2024, he signed for Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia.

## International career

Also eligible to represent Luxembourg, Pinto appeared for Portugal at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Turkey. He started all four games during the tournament, which ended in round-of-16 exit.
Pinto made his full debut for Luxembourg in a friendly against Liechtenstein on 7 October 2020.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 15 March 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Sporting CP B | 2012–13 | Segunda Liga | 35 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 35 | 1 |
| Sporting CP B | 2013–14 | Segunda Liga | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 0 |
| Sporting CP B | 2014–15 | Segunda Liga | 37 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | 0 |
| Sporting CP B | Total | Total | 84 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | 1 |
| Recreativo | 2015–16 | Segunda División B | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 0 |
| Sporting CP B | 2015–16 | Segunda Liga | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 |
| Belenenses | 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 |
| União Madeira (loan) | 2017–18 | LigaPro | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 0 |
| Fortuna Sittard | 2017–18 | Eerste Divisie | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 1 |
| Fortuna Sittard | 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | 0 |
| Fortuna Sittard | 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Fortuna Sittard | Total | Total | 49 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 50 | 1 |
| Sparta Rotterdam | 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Sparta Rotterdam | 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 1 |
| Sparta Rotterdam | 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 0 |
| Sparta Rotterdam | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | 3 |
| Sparta Rotterdam | Total | Total | 84 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 88 | 4 |
| Vitesse | 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 1 |
| CSKA Sofia | 2024–25 | First League | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 292 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 310 | 8 |

### International

    As of match played 18 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Luxembourg | 2020 | 5 | 0 |
| Luxembourg | 2021 | 11 | 1 |
| Luxembourg | 2022 | 10 | 0 |
| Luxembourg | 2023 | 5 | 0 |
| Luxembourg | 2024 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 38 | 1 |

### International goals

    Scores and results list Luxembourg's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 1 September 2021 | Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | Azerbaijan | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours

Individual
* Eredivisie Team of the Month: October 2022, March 2023, April 2023