João Palhinha

João Palhinha
João Maria Lobo Alves Palhares Costa Palhinha Gonçalves (born 9 July 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Fulham and the Portugal national team.
He came through at Sporting CP, first appearing with the first team in 2017 and also having loans at Moreirense, Belenenses and Braga. After returning in 2020, he became a starter, notably winning the 2020–21 Primeira Liga and back-to-back Taças da Liga in 2021 and 2022. In July 2022, he signed with Fulham for £20 million.
A former Portugal youth international, finishing second at the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Palhinha made his full debut in 2021 and was part of the squads at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Sporting CP
2012–15: Early career
Born in Lisbon, Palhinha joined local Sporting CP's youth system in 2012, aged 17. He played his first game as a professional with the B team, coming on as a late substitute for fellow youth graduate Iuri Medeiros in a 3−2 home win against Portimonense in the Segunda Liga, on 3 February 2014; it was one of only two appearances during the season. Still in the second division, Palhinha scored his first senior goal on 4 April 2015, his header contributing to a 3−1 home victory over Leixões.
2015–20: Various loans and short return
From July 2015 to January 2017 he was loaned to Primeira Liga clubs Moreirense and Belenenses, respectively, making his debut in the competition whilst with the former in a 0−2 home loss to Arouca where he played 22 minutes from the bench, and netting for the first time while at the service of the latter against Vitória de Guimarães (1−1 away draw, 90 minutes played).
Subsequently, returning to the Estádio José Alvalade, Palhinha made his competitive debut with the first team on 21 January 2017, starting in a 2−2 draw at Marítimo. He scored his first goals for them on 12 October of the same year, netting twice in a 4–2 away win over Oleiros in the Taça de Portugal.
Palhinha spent the following two seasons on loan to Braga. He appeared in 76 competitive matches during his spell, helping to a third-place finish in 2019–20 and notably scoring the game's only goal against Benfica for the club's first win at that opposition in 65 years.
2020–22: Breakthrough and departure
Having started the 2020–21 campaign training on his own in the midst of negotiations with Al Nassr and CSKA Moscow, Palhinha was eventually reintegrated into Sporting's main squad and ended up contributing 32 appearances for the champions, with a goal in the 2–0 home defeat of Paços de Ferreira; consequently, he was named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year alongside five of his teammates.
In 2021–22, still under manager Rúben Amorim, Palhinha began facing stiff competition from newly-signed Manuel Ugarte. He played 95 official games during his spell, scoring seven times.
Fulham
On 4 July 2022, Palhinha signed a five-year contract with Fulham for £20 million. He made his Premier League debut on 6 August, playing the entire 2–2 home draw against Liverpool. He scored his first goal 14 days later, helping the hosts to beat Brentford 3–2. He was his team's Player of the Season with 68% of the votes, to runner-up Bernd Leno's 17%; he also managed to lead all players in tackles, with a total of 147.
On 26 August 2023, Palhinha scored a late equaliser in a 2–2 away draw against Arsenal. On the summer transfer deadline day, he had his medical tests in Germany ahead of a €65 million transfer to Bayern Munich, yet the deal collapsed as Fulham failed to find a replacement before the window shut. On 14 September, he agreed to a new contract until 2028, with an option to extend a further year.
International career
Palhinha represented Portugal at under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels. He participated in the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where his team finished second.
In March 2021, Palhinha was called up to the full side for the first time, for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan, Luxembourg and Serbia. He won his first cap in the match with the first adversary, replacing Rúben Neves late into the 1–0 victory in Turin. He scored his first goal in the same phase, closing the 3–1 away win over Luxembourg.
Being selected for UEFA Euro 2020, Palhinha appeared against France in the group stage (2–2) and Belgium in the round of 16 (1–0 loss). In November 2022, he was named in the final squad for the World Cup finals in Qatar, playing all three group-phase matches in an eventual quarter-final exit.
Style of play
Palhinha is known for his defensive positioning, stamina and tackling. Described as an astute ball-winning midfielder, he is especially aggressive in stopping counter-attacks early by lunging into challenges, often preferring slide tackles in order to maximise his radius. He presses aggressively overall and records a high volume of tackles due to his proximity to the player in possession. A physical and tall player, his height helps him dominate aerial duels and his strength allows him to hold off opponents when dribbling. In open play, he oscillates between positions outside of the press and between the lines; when positioned outside of the opposition's press, he plays the role of a field general, directing teammates with his voice and hand gestures, with his vocal leadership being seen as one of his strengths.
Career statistics
Club
International
Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Palhinha goal.
Honours
Braga
Taça da Liga: 2019–20
Sporting CP
Primeira Liga: 2020–21
Taça da Liga: 2020–21, 2021–22
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2021
Individual
Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2020–21
Fulham Player of the Season: 2022–23
References
External links
1995 births
Living people
Portuguese men's footballers
Footballers from Lisbon
Men's association football midfielders
Primeira Liga players
Liga Portugal 2 players
Sporting CP B players
Sporting CP footballers
Moreirense F.C. players
C.F. Os Belenenses players
S.C. Braga players
Premier League players
Fulham F.C. players
Portugal men's youth international footballers
Portugal men's international footballers
UEFA Euro 2020 players
2022 FIFA World Cup players
Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in England