* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:11, 8 January 2023 (UTC)
Daniel Alves da Silva (Portuguese:[dɐniˈɛwˈawvizdɐˈsiwvɐ]; born 6 May 1983) is a Brazilian former professionalfootballer who played as aright-back. Widely regarded as one of the best full-backs of all time, he is also one of the most decorated players with 43 trophies.
Starting his career atBahia in 2001, Alves went on to have a successful six-year spell withSevilla, winning twoUEFA Cups and theCopa del Rey. He joinedBarcelona for €32.5 million,[3] becoming the third-most expensive defender of all-time at the time. He won thetreble in his first season with the club and in the next season, won theSupercopa de España,UEFA Super Cup and theFIFA Club World Cup. Additionally, he helped the club to clinch another two Supercopa de España, fiveLa Liga titles and twoUEFA Champions League titles in the years that followed.
Alves was born inJuazeiro, a city in the Brazilian state ofBahia, to father Domingos Alves da Silva, a farmer. He played football with the neighboring kids. Alves' father had a passion for football as well, and eventually managed to organize his own football team. Alves, at age 6, started as awinger, but because of the lack of goals he scored, his father re-positioned him as aright back, a position he still plays up to this day. Alves worked as a farmer and a trader in his youth.[7][8]
Club career
Bahia
Alves made his professional debut forBahia in a match againstParaná Clube for the2001 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Bahia won 3–0, with Alves providing two assists and winning a penalty for the other goal. Head coachEvaristo de Macedo thereafter gave him a starting place in the team. In Bahia, he won the 2002 Copa do Nordeste. His consistently good performances landed him a transfer, at first on loan, to Spanish sideSevilla, midway through 2002.[9]
Sevilla
Alves with Sevilla in 2007
After2002–03, on loan to Sevilla from Bahia, Alves travelled to play in the2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, where he impressed as Brazil won the tournament. He was named the third-best player of the tournament and, after this, the Sevilla move was made permanent.
In June 2006, Sevilla agreed to sell Alves toLiverpool, but Liverpool were unable to match Sevilla's asking price of around £8 million.[10] In December 2006, he signed a new contract with Sevilla, tying him to the club until 2012.[11] He had a successful2006–07 season, making 47 appearances and scoring 5 goals. He played in every one of Sevilla'sUEFA Cup matches, in a competition which the club went on to win.
From his years in Spain, Alves acquired Spanish citizenship, thus allowing him to bypass any non-EU quota restrictions and exempting him from needing awork permit to play in any EU countries.[12]
On 1 August 2007, Alves toldSporTV he wanted to leave Sevilla for a European giant,[13] later reiterating his desire to leave Sevilla toMarca, saying he was flattered byChelsea's interest and that he could never turn down such an opportunity.[14] In an interview withAntena 3 on 8 August, Alves confirmed his agent had been in England for some time handling Chelsea's offer, urging Sevilla to at least consider the offer.[15]
On 16 August 2007, Sevilla rejected an unspecified Chelsea bid and, six days later, rejected another two bids from Chelsea, considering them to be "way below what was expected".[16][17] Alves later revealed his dismay with Sevilla club president José María del Nido for having knocked back Chelsea's offers for his services after his move toStamford Bridge collapsed, with Chelsea signing fellow Brazilian full backJuliano Belletti for a much lower fee.[18]After a public war of words between Alves and Del Nido,[19] as well as the death of teammateAntonio Puerta, Alves decided to stay with Sevilla, with player and president ostensibly reconciled.[20]
On 2 July 2008, Alves joinedBarcelona, leaving Sevilla in tears and saying he would love to play for the club again. He said he came to Sevilla as a boy and was leaving as a man.[21] The official price of the transfer stood at £23 million up-front, with approximately £7 million more depending on a number of performance-related factors over the next few seasons of Alves' Barcelona career, making him one of the most expensive defenders in history and the third-most expensive player bought byBarça. He signed a four-year contract with Barcelona, which included a buy-out clause of €90 million.Alves made his competitive and European debuts for Barcelona againstWisła Kraków in the2008–09 UEFA Champions League third-round qualifiers on 13 August 2008.[22] He made his La Liga debut in theLiga season-opener away toNumancia on 31 August 2008.[23] Later on in his debut season, he missed the2009 UEFA Champions League Final due to a yellow-card suspension, although Barcelona nonetheless defeatedManchester United 2–0 to complete thetreble after also winning La Liga and the2008–09 Copa del Rey.
In2011–12, Alves was part of a Barcelona team that won theCopa del Rey and theClub World Cup. In2012–13, Alves won theLiga title for the fourth time in his five seasons atBarça.
In2013–14, Alves wore shirt number 22, formerly worn by his friendEric Abidal, to whom he offered to donate part of his liver during Abidal's treatment for liver cancer.[24]
On 27 April 2014, during a match atVillarreal's stadium,El Madrigal, Alves was targeted by a Villarreal supporter,[25] whothrew a banana at him as a gesture ofracial abuse. Alves picked up the banana, peeled it and took a bite.[26] He responded to the incident by saying: "We have suffered this in Spain for some time. You have to take it with a dose of humour. We aren't going to change things easily. If you don't give it importance, they don't achieve their objective."[27] TeammateNeymar's response – to post a photograph of himself on social media also eating a banana – went viral.[28] Other footballers have also since taken photographs of themselves eating bananas.[29]Cyrille Regis, who had been racially abused while a player in the 1970s and 1980s, expressed concern that the viral campaign would detract from the important issues of combating racism in the game.[30]
Alves said that whoever threw the banana at him should be publicly shamed,[31] and on 30 April 2014, a man was arrested in connection with the incident.[32] Villarreal were later fined €12,000 for the incident.[33]
On 9 June 2015, Alves signed a two-year contract with Barcelona, keeping him at the club until 30 June 2017, with the option to extend a further year.[36]
Final season
After Barcelona were eliminated by compatriotsAtlético Madrid in the quarter-finals of the2015–16 UEFA Champions League, Alves recorded a "bizarre" video in which he impersonated his wife consoling him for the defeat, and posted it onInstagram; managerLuis Enrique subsequently dropped him from the following match againstValencia.[37]
On 2 June 2016,Roberto Fernández, Barcelona's technical secretary, announced Alves was leaving Barcelona that summer after eight years.[38] Although under contract until 30 June 2017, Alves contract had a clause allowing him to leave as a free agent.
Juventus
On 27 June 2016, Juventus announced the signing of Alves on a two-year deal with the option of a third year.[4] He made his Juventus debut on 20 August in a 2–1 home win overFiorentina inSerie A.[39] On 21 September, Alves scored his first goal with Juventus in a 4–0 home win overCagliari,[40] before opening his Champions League account with the club againstDinamo Zagreb six days later.[41] On 27 November, he suffered a broken leg in Juventus' 3–1 defeat toGenoa.[42] Alves made his return from injury as a substitute in a 1–0Derby d'Italia win overInternazionale on 5 February 2017.[43]
On 29 June 2017, Alves had his contract with Juventus terminated by mutual consent. He made 33 appearances, winning the 2016–17 Serie A title and2016–17 Coppa Italia in his one season inTurin.[5]
On 28 August 2018, Alves announced through a post on his Instagram page changing his squad number from 32 to 13 in tribute to Brazilian legend and four-timeWorld Cup winnerMário Zagallo.[51]
After his contract with the club expired on 30 June 2019, Alves became a free agent.[52]
São Paulo
On 1 August 2019,São Paulo announced the signing of Dani Alves on a contract that runs until December 2022.[53] A lifelong supporter of São Paulo, Alves had previously on numerous occasions declared his wish of playing for the club. He was received at the Morumbi stadium, in front of 44,000 fans. Idols of the club's recent history, such asHernanes,Kaká andLuís Fabiano were responsible for welcoming him.
Starting his journey in São Paulo FC at Morumbi stadium, Alves commented:
Do not stop believing in your dreams because they are possible. Now, after having gone around the world, it is the first club that I wear the shirt and I am a fan. It is a thrill to receive this mantle, and the moment has come.[54]
Alves received thenumber 10 shirt upon his arrival.[55] He made his debut on 18 August 2019, scoring the only goal in a 1–0league win overCeará at theMorumbi.[56] Despite being a right-back throughout his career, he generally played in central midfield during his time at São Paulo, mainly duringFernando Diniz's tenure between 2019 and 2021. He was also made first team captain at the time of his arrival.[57][58][59] In 2021, new managerHernán Crespo made Alves return to a more defensive role, playing him as a right-sided wingback.[60] At the same time, he gave the captain's armband toMiranda, who was returning to the club after a decade. In May, he won his only title with the club and the 42nd of his career, theCampeonato Paulista, which also ended São Paulo's 8-year trophyless period.
On 10 September 2021, Alves' representatives communicated to São Paulo that he would no longer return to training and subsequently play for the club following a dispute over unpaid image rights.[61] His contract was terminated six days later.[62]
São Paulo FC's footballing director Carlos Belmonte stated:
Daniel Alves and Miranda were serving the Brazilian team and should have returned to start regular training for out next games [on Friday]. Miranda attended and trained normally, but Daniel Alves did not attend. We were then informed by his representatives that Daniel Alves will not return to São Paulo until the settlement of the debt that São Paulo has with the athlete. A debt that São Paulo recognises and last week made a proposal seeking the right outcome, which was not accepted by the representatives. From our point of view, we have taken the decision that Daniel Alves will no longer be available to play for São Paulo. São Paulo is more important than all of us.[62]
Since then, São Paulo has agreed, in the same month, to pay AlvesR$400,000 monthly over the next 5 years starting from January 2022. This is being done to cover the R$18 million debt at the time of the breakup, owing to the contract agreed in 2019, who São Paulo FC were increasingly unable to pay him then.[63]
Return to Barcelona
On 12 November 2021,Barcelona announced an agreement in principle to sign Alves on a deal until the end of the season. He only became available for the team's official matches starting January 2022.[64] In December 2021, he made his second debut for theBlaugrana in a friendly, honoringDiego Maradona, match againstBoca Juniors,[65][66] and made his debut in official matches for theBlaugrana on 5 January 2022, in aCopa del Rey 2–1 win overLinares Deportivo.[67] On 6 February 2022, he scored for the first time since returning, inBarça's 4–2 home win overAtlético Madrid in theleague; he also provided an assist forJordi Alba and was sent off for a foul onYannick Carrasco in the same match.[68]
On 15 June 2022, Alves announced via a post on his Instagram account that he would leave Barcelona for the second time, having made 408 competitive appearances for the club in total, the second most by a player from abroad, with only Lionel Messi having played more.[69]
UNAM
On 23 July 2022, Alves signed a one-year contract withLiga MX clubUNAM.[70]
On 20 January 2023, following his arrest for sexual assault allegation, UNAM decided to end Alves' contract with the club.[73]
International career
Early career and 2007 Copa América title
Alves made hisBrazil debut as a substitute in an unofficial friendly match against Kuwaiti clubAl-Kuwait Selection on 7 October 2006. Three days later, he earned his first internationalcap in a friendly againstEcuador. He was included in Brazil's team for the2007 Copa América. He appeared in four matches including thefinal againstArgentina on 15 July, where he gave an assist toRoberto Ayala's own goal and scored a goal himself in the 3–0 victory.[74]
2009 Confederations Cup title, 2010 World Cup, and 2011 Copa América
Despite being the most expensive right-back in history at the time, he was initially unable to hold down a regular starting spot in the Brazilian national team, withMaicon being the first choice ahead of him. Alves came on as a substitute in the2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final againstSouth Africa and scored the winner, a free-kick and a goal in the 88th minute in a 1–0 win.[75] The following summer, he was named to Brazil's squad for the2010 FIFA World Cup.[76][77] He scored another long-range free-kick againstIran on 7 October 2010. The following year, Alves was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the2011 Copa América in Argentina.[78]
On 7 May 2014, Alves was named to Brazil's squad for the2014 FIFA World Cup on home soil.[81] He lost his position as a starter during the competition due to poor performances. After Brazil defeatedColombia 2–1 in the quarter-finals, Alves and teammateDavid Luiz were applauded for comfortingJames Rodríguez, an act they were both commended for by both Rodríguez and the media for showing respect.[82]
2015 Copa América, and Copa América Centenario, and 2018 World Cup qualifying
In May 2019, he was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the2019 Copa América on home soil.[86] He went on to replaceNeymar as Brazil captain for the tournament.[87] In the team's final group match againstPeru inSão Paulo on 22 June, Alves scored in a 5–0 win, which saw Brazil advance to the quarter-finals.[88] In thefinal, on 7 July, at the Maracanã Stadium, Brazil faced Peru once again, and won the match 3–1 to win the title; Alves was subsequently named theMost Valuable Player of the tournament.[89][90] The 2019 edition of the Copa América was the 40th title of his career.[91]
2020 Summer Olympics
On 17 June 2021, Alves was named in theBrazil squad for the2020 Summer Olympics.[92] In the final, Brazil facedSpain and won the gold medal following a 2–1 victory after an extra time goal byMalcom.[93] At 38, he became the oldest footballer to ever win a medal in the men's Olympic football tournament, and the third oldest player overall behindRyan Giggs in 2012 andRicardo Piccinini in 1988.[94]
By starting in his side's final group stage fixture againstCameroon, Alves became the oldest ever player to feature in a World Cup match for Brazil, at the age of 39 years and 210 days.[96]
Regarded as one of the best full-backs of his generation, and of all time, Alves is an offensiveright-back orwing-back who is known in particular for his pace, stamina, overlapping attacking runs, andtechnical skills, which also enable him to play inmidfield, or as awinger; he is also gifted with goodcrossing accuracy and distribution, which allows him to link up with midfielders, and makes him an effectiveassist provider along the right flank. In addition to his ability tocreate chances, he is an accurate striker of the ball, and is known for his ability to score goals in particular from outside the area or long-rangeset-pieces.
Despite not being particularly imposing physically, he possesses significant strength and tenacity, which along with his energy, anticipation and work-rate, enable him to intercept passes or chase down and press opponents when not in possession, thus allowing him to aid his team both offensively and defensively. However, despite his skill and offensive ability, he has drawn criticism at times in the media for neglecting the defensive aspect of his game.[97][98][99][100][101][102]
During his time with Paris Saint-Germain, he also played as acentral midfielder on occasion.[103] He continued to play in a free role in midfield during his time with São Paulo,[104] citing his desire to play in the middle in order to have more touches on the ball as the reason for this tactical switch, as out wide he had felt more isolated, and less capable of creating chances for his team.[105] Regarding his unique interpretation of the full-back role throughout his career, Alves commented in 2019:
I'm a full-back who plays a combination game. But here – because of the characteristics of Brazilian football, the way the team plays and, a lot of times, the teammates – you don't have so many [short-passing] combinations. If I play in the position I did for 20 years, I can't interfere as much in the game. When I get involved, I help my teammates to become better. It's been like that my whole career – at Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and PSG. Those clubs have a history of having done that for a while. Here, the coach changes all the time and you're always trying to adapt to the coach you have. In my position in the middle I'm better for my teammates. I'll be sincere, I created a new way of playing as a full-back. No false modesty. I am always adapting to my teammates. If they're wide, I'll go into the middle. If they're attacking, I'll help with the control. If the ball's on the other side, I tuck in. I play as a creative midfielder from the back. Barcelona gave me this understanding. When I played with Xavi orRakiti[ć], there was always a player controlling the game. If I was wide, Xavi or Rakiti[ć] were behind me. Seeing them play, I thought: 'When you have a winger who stays wide, you need to stay in the area of control.' At São Paulo, my challenge is to be able to understand my teammates and to combine with them as well as possible.[104]
On 29 September 2011, Alves was appointed as aSpecial Olympics Ambassador for its Global Football program, charged with promoting respect and inclusion in football for people with intellectual disabilities, particularly in the run up to the 2014 World Cup.[108] On 24 April 2015, Alves publicly expressed his support for the campaign for international recognition of theArmenian genocide.The Embassy of Armenia in Spain would thank Alves the same day, with a comment on its officialFacebook account.[109][110] Alves would apologize to hisTurkish fans 3 days later on 27 April 2015, stating: “I’d like to offer my most sincere apologies to all my Turkish fans. I never thought that this photo would cause you any offence, I have a lot of friends …” on hisTwitter account.[111] Along with his ex-teammate turned rapper,José Manuel Pinto, Alves released a song called "Suave" on YouTube on 15 June 2018.[112]
In September 2021, Alves indicated he was a supporter ofJair Bolsonaro after posting slogans in favor of the Brazilian president.[113] That same year, Alves was appointed as anEarthshot Prize council member, an environmental initiative led byPrince William, Duke of Cambridge.[114] In addition to his native Portuguese, Alves also speaks English and Spanish.[115][116]
After Alves was arrested on sexual assault charges, his wife Joana Sanz separated from him in March 2023; she publicly stated that he had caused great emotional hurt to her, and that she wanted to "close this chapter of her life".[117][118]
Sexual assault charges, conviction and acquittal
On 20 January 2023, Alves was arrested by Catalan police andremanded in custody withoutbail on charges ofsexual assault.[119][120][121] The alleged assault occurred at aBarcelona nightclub on 30 December 2022.[122][123] The complainant had filed an official complaint on 2 January 2023.[124][125]El Periódico de Catalunya reported that the complainant alleged to police and in court that after a waiter led her to meet Alves at the nightclub's VIP area, Alves twice made her touch his penis against her will, then ordered her to follow him into the nightclub's bathroom, prevented her from leaving the bathroom, threw her onto the ground, slapped her, tried to force her to fellate him, put her against the sink, then moved her to the toilet, raped her and ejaculated.[126][127] According toEl Periódico, semen that matched Alves' DNA was collected from samples from inside the complainant's vagina, from her underwear, from her dress, and from the bathroom floor; the complainant was documented by a hospital to have suffered a knee injury consistent with her allegations; and investigators found seven fingerprints around the bathroom that matched the complainant's account of events, with the complainant giving her account without knowing that investigators had such evidence.[127][128]
Alves has given at least five different accounts of the incident.[129]El Periódico detailed three versions.[127] In the first version, Alves told media outletAntena 3 that he did not know the woman, and accused her of trying to become famous by making her allegation.[127] He implied that he entered the bathroom not knowing that she was already inside using it, but this was contradicted by surveillance footage.[127] After understanding that evidence had been collected against him and the above account was part of the evidence, Alves changed his story in court.[127] In the second version, Alves admitted that he had entered the bathroom first before the woman, and that inside the bathroom, he had defecated in the toilet with the woman beside him, and nothing sexual occurred.[127] When Alves was questioned on why the woman would remain in the small bathroom with him for 15 minutes doing nothing, or why his semen had been found on the bathroom floor, Alves changed his story again.[127] In the third version, he said that the woman had performedfellatio on him in the bathroom.[127] On 17 April 2023, Alves testified in court to a different version of events, claiming that he had consensual sexual intercourse with the woman during the incident; Alves also said that he earlier denied the sexual activity because he wanted to save his marriage.[117][130] By February 2023, at least eight witnesses provided testimony, and it was reported that the crime could receive prosecution through Spain's recently passed2022 consensual sex law which expanded the legal definition of sexual assault in Spain.[131] In his fifth version, which was detailed byEl Periódico on 17 January 2024, Alves claimed he was severely impaired by alcohol consumption.[132]
El Periódico reported in July 2023 that Alves' trial in Spain was originally scheduled to take place between October and November 2023, and no pretrial release should be granted to him until his trial finishes.[133] However, when he was formally indicted on 2 August 2023, it was determined that a trial date would be set for later in the year or early in 2024.[134] He had previously been denied bail in May 2023 and was still in prison by February 2024.[135][136] On 20 December 2023, a Barcelona-based court scheduled for his trial to begin on 5 February 2024.[137][138] His trial would then begin on the scheduled date, and it lasted for three days.[135] The trial was also regarded as the first high-profile trial to be held under Spain's 2022 sex crime law.[139]
During the first day of his trial, the presiding Provincial Court of Barcelona rejected Alves' bid to have the trial suspended.[135] The woman who accused Alves of sexually assaulting her provided testimony via a closed-door session, talking from behind a screen and having her voice distorted in order to protect her identity.[135] During the second day of the trial, Alves' wife Joana Sanz was among the witnesses who testified.[140]Catalan News described Sanz as appearing "very cold towards her husband" during the testimony.[140] Friends of Alves who testified claimed they drank alcohol "from lunch until dawn," with Sanz even claiming that Alves appeared "reeking of alcohol" after arriving home.[140] The first two days of the trial saw testimony from the alleged victim, witness, police and experts.[141] The third and final day of the trial saw, among others, Alves himself give testimony, where he again denied raping the accuser and claimed that the encounter between him and his accuser was consensual.[142][141]
On 22 February 2024, Alves was found guilty of rape, and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison and ordered to pay €150,000 in damages to the victim.[143][144] Alves' lawyer said that she would appeal against the verdict.[145] After the sentence, Barcelona retired him from the "Legend" section.[146] However, the club would reinstate his likeness on the website days later.[147]
On 20 March 2024, Alves was released from jail on a €1,000,000 bail.[148] However, he was ordered to turn his Spanish and Brazilian passports over to the police, effectively prohibiting him from leaving Spain; to appear before a court weekly; and to keep distance from the victim. The ruling which was not unanimous can still be appealed. The victim's lawyer reacted saying "to me, it's a scandal that they let a person who they know can get a million euros in no time walk free."[149]
On 28 March 2025, this conviction was overturned by the Spanish court, due to the lack of reliability of the accuser's testimony and inconsistencies in the previous sentence.[150][151]
On May 7, 2025, the Spanish prosecutor's office appealed to the Supreme Court the annulment of the rape conviction of Dani Alves. The prosecution considers that the decision is based on “erroneous”, “even arbitrary” conclusions and that it “morally condemned” the complainant.[152]
Tax fraud case
On 16 November 2023, Alves won a tax fraud case against him which was related to alleged improper reporting to Spain tax authorities concerning his image rights earnings during the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons while he was aBarcelona player after appealing to aSpanish high court.[153] He also received a €3.2 million ($3.4 million) payout from money that was confiscated from him.[153]
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