In 2016, Pimenta won his first individual continental titles after taking the K-1 1000 and 5000 metres gold medals at the European Championships in Moscow. At the Olympics, he missed the medal places, finishing 5th and 6th in the K-1 1000 metres and K-4 1000 metres finals, respectively. The following year in July, he defended his European K-1 1000 metres title in Plovdiv, but lost the K-1 5000 metres crown to his German rival Max Hoff. However, the following month, Pimenta would beat Hoff in a sprint finish for the K-1 5000 metres gold medal at the World Championships in Račice, to win his first individual world title. On 5 March 2018, he moved from Clube Náutico de Ponte de Lima to S.L. Benfica.