.jpg) Nunes training withSporting CP in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matheus Luiz Nunes[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1998-08-27)27 August 1998 (age 27)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil[3] | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder,right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester City | ||
| Number | 27 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2016 | Ericeirense | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2018 | Ericeirense | 13 | (2) |
| 2018–2019 | Estoril | 6 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Sporting CP | 76 | (7) |
| 2022–2023 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 36 | (1) |
| 2023– | Manchester City | 53 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | Portugal | 17 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:24, 22 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17:03, 16 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Matheus Luiz Nunes (born 27 August 1998) is a professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder orright-back forPremier League clubManchester City and thePortugal national team.
Nunes started his career withEriceirense, before moving toLigaPro sideEstoril. During his time with the club, Nunes played mostly in thereserve team, before moving toPrimeira Liga sideSporting CP in January 2019. With Sporting, Nunes won aPrimeira Liga title and back-to-backTaças da Liga in2021 and2022, while being part of the squad that won adouble in 2021. In August, Nunes signed withPremier League sideWolverhampton Wanderers for a club-record transfer worth €45 million (£38 million), before moving to fellow Premier League side Manchester City the following season.
Born in Brazil, Nunes moved to Portugal at 12 years old. He opted to play for thePortugal national team, and made his senior international debut in 2021, representing the side at the2022 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2024.
Born inRio de Janeiro, his father left his family,[4] Nunes moved toEriceira,Lisbon District at the age of 12 with his mother and his English stepfather.[5] He started playing football with local sideEriceirense in the 6th division, and to help his family he also worked at his godfather's bakery for a short period while playing.[6]
Nunes made his senior debut for Ericeirense during the 2015–16 season, in theLisbon Football Association. He started the 2017 pre-season on trial atOriental, but was not signed due to a thigh injury, and subsequently returned to his first club.[7]
Nunes signed withEstoril in the summer of 2018. He made his debut in theLigaPro on 14 October in a 2–2 draw againstVarzim, starting but leaving injured shortly before the end of the first half.[8][9] During most of his spell, he was associated to thereserve team.[10]
On 29 January 2019, Nunes joinedSporting CP of thePrimeira Liga on a five-and-a-half-year contract for a €500,000 fee for half of his economic rights, and a €45 millionbuyout clause.[11][12] His performances against Sporting for Estoril in theTaça da Liga group stage in the2018–19 season was noted by Sporting scouting team, who decided to sign him.[13]
After playing for the club's under-23 team, Nunes received his first call-up to the first team by managerRuben Amorim on 4 June 2020, coming on as a second-halfsubstitute in the 2–2 draw atVitória de Guimarães in the Primeira Liga.[14] On 23 October, he agreed to a contract extension by a further year, increasing hisbuyout clause from €45 million to €60 million, with the club deciding to pay Estoril €450,000 for the other half of his economic rights.[15][16]
Nunes scored his first goal in the Portuguese top division on 2 January 2021, closing the 2–0 home victory overBraga.[17] His second came the following 1 February, ininjury time to help the hosts defeatBenfica 1–0 in theLisbon derby, being named man of the match.[18] Following the departure ofJoão Mário, he earned a permanent place in the starting eleven, and on 15 September, on in hisUEFA Champions League debut, he provided an assist forPaulinho in a 5–1 away defeat toAjax.[19] After helping Sporting on a run of six consecutive league wins, including theLisbon derby against Benfica, where provided an assist and scored a goal in a 3–1 away victory, Nunes was named the league's Midfielder of the Month for the months of October and November.[20]
On 15 February 2022, in the first leg of theround of 16 tie of the Champions League, despite his team 5–0 home loss toManchester City,Pep Guardiola, who was impressed by the calibre of Nunes' performances, praised him as "one of the best players in the world".[21]
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On 17 August 2022, Nunes signed a five-year contract with EnglishPremier League clubWolverhampton Wanderers for a club-record transfer worth €45 million (£38 million), surpassing the former record signing compatriotFábio Silva.[22][23]
Nunes made his Wolves debut three days later, as a starter in a 1–0 defeat againstTottenham Hotspur at theTottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League on 20 August 2022.[24] Nunes made his home Premier League debut in a 1–1 draw withNewcastle United at Molineux on 28 August 2022.[25] Nunes scored his first goal for Wolves in their 1–0 home win againstChelsea on 8 April 2023.[26][27]
During the early stages of the2023–24 season, Nunes began a dispute with Wolves over his desire to leave the club after they had rejected a transfer bid for him worth £47 million fromManchester City.[28][29] Nunes failed to turn up for training with the club, without the permission of managerGary O'Neil for two consecutive days in a bid to secure a move away from the club, and was subsequently fined.[30][31]
On 30 August 2023, it was reported that a £53 million bid from Manchester City with no additional add-ons had been agreed.[32] The transfer was confirmed on 1 September 2023. The Portuguese international signed a five-year deal with the reigning European and English champions.[33]
Nunes made his Manchester City debut on 16 September, coming off the bench to replacePhil Foden on the 67th minute of a 3–1 league victory away atWest Ham United.[34] Three days later, he made his first start for theCitizens, playing the full 90 minuted in a 3–1 home win overRed Star Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League.[35] Four days later, Nunes made his first Premier League start for City, playing the full match in a 2–0 home victory overNottingham Forest, where he assistedErling Haaland for the second goal.[36] Nunes won his first trophy at City on 22 December, as the team beatFluminense 4–0, with Nunes assistingJulian Álvarez's winning goal in the2023 FIFA Club World Cup final.[37]
Nunes scored his first City goal on 24 September 2024 in theEFL Cup, scoring the decisive goal in a 2–1 home win overWatford in thethird round.[38] He scored his firstChampions League goal on 23 October againstSparta Prague with apenalty, while also recording two assists in a 5–0 home win.[39] On 22 April 2025, Nunes scored his first Premier League goal, a 94th minute winner, in a 2–1 home victory overAston Villa.[40]
On 27 September 2025, Nunes scored his first goal of the2025–26 season in a 5–1 home victory overBurnley in the league.[41]
On 8 August 2021, after living in the country for ten years, Nunes received hisPortuguese passport.[42] Late in that month, on his 23rd birthday, he was called up byBrazil national team managerTite as one of nine replacements for the players based in the United Kingdom, for three2022 FIFA World Cupqualifiers againstChile,Argentina andPeru;[43] He refused the call, as he would have had to quarantine on return due not having the completeCOVID-19 vaccination.[44] Ultimately, Nunes decided not to represent his country of birth, after he was contacted byPortugal's national team managerFernando Santos, who convinced him to representPortugal.[45]
Nunes was called by Santos on 30 September 2021 for World Cupqualifiers againstLuxembourg and afriendly withQatar.[46] He won his firstcap on 9 October, starting the 3–0 friendly win over Qatar in theAlgarve.[47] He scored his first international goal the following 22 March in a 3–1 home win overTurkey in the semi-finals of thequalification play-offs.[48]
In October, he was named in Portugal's preliminary 55-mansquad for the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,[49] being included in the final 26-man squad for the tournament.[50]
On 3 June 2024, he was named in the squad for theUEFA Euro 2024, as a replacement to the injuredOtávio,[51] where Portugal was eliminated from the tournament byFrance in the quarter-finals, after losing 5–3 in apenalty shootout.[52]
Nunes is usually deployed in double pivot in3–4–3 formation, operating as a number 8 looking to get forward and contribute to the attack and also has a good passing range, as he can make different types of passes whether he is looking to switch the play or try and break lines with penetrative passes, or passes that split the opposition backline, which he is highly effective at. He also has the ability to carry the ball and make progressive runs, using a combination of speed and strength to make these runs, while also displaying good technique on the ball. Nunes also possesses good anticipation and reading of the game, which allows him to make effective interceptions and challenges.[53]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ericeirense | 2015–16 | Lisbon FA | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Lisbon FA | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 2 | ||||||
| Estoril | 2018–19 | LigaPro | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Sporting CP | 2019–20 | Primeira Liga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 31 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 33 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 50 | 4 | |
| 2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 76 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 101 | 8 | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2022–23 | Premier League | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 36 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 1 | ||||
| Manchester City | 2023–24 | Premier League | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7[d] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7[d] | 1 | 5[g] | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
| 2025–26 | Premier League | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Total | 53 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 85 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 184 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 25 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 246 | 16 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2021 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 March 2022 | Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal |  Turkey | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 21 March 2024 | Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal |  Sweden | 2–0 | 5–2 | Friendly |
Sporting CP
Manchester City
Individual
Portugal squads | |||||||
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