.jpg) Semedo withPortugal at the2017 FIFA Confederations Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nélson Cabral Semedo[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1993-11-16)16 November 1993 (age 31)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lisbon, Portugal | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right-back,right wing-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Sintrense | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Sintrense | 26 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Benfica B | 63 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | →Fátima (loan) | 29 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Benfica | 43 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Barcelona | 82 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 156 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Portugal U23 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015– | Portugal | 42 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:37, 15 March 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:59, 23 March 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nélson Cabral Semedo (born 16 November 1993) is a Portuguese professionalfootballer who plays as aright-back orright wing-back forPremier League clubWolverhampton Wanderers, whom hecaptains, and thePortugal national team.
Semedo began his career atSintrense before joiningBenfica in 2012. After spending a season on loan atFátima, he initially appeared forBenfica B before making his first-team debut in 2015 and going on to win back-to-backPrimeira Liga titles, among other honours. In July 2017, he signed withBarcelona, winningLa Liga in his first two seasons of a three-year stay. In September 2020, Semedo moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers on a three-year contract (with an option of two further years).
Semedo made his senior debut forPortugal in October 2015 and represented the nation at the2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, the2019 UEFA Nations League Finals,UEFA Euro 2020 andEuro 2024, winning the 2019 tournament on home soil.
Born inLisbon, Semedo came through the youth system atSintrense, making his debut for the first team at age 17.[3] On 12 January 2012, he andManuel Liz signed five-year contracts withBenfica which were made effective on 1 July 2012.[4] Both then spentone season on loan atFátima in thethird division.[5]
Semedo returned to Benfica in the 2013 off-season, being assigned to theB-side in theSegunda Liga and making his professional debut on 10 August in a 0–0 away draw againstTrofense.[6] After nearly 60 appearances for the reserves, he was touted as a future replacement for long-time first-team incumbentMaxi Pereira.[3][7]
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After Pereira's departure, Semedo extended his contract until 2021 and joined the first team on their pre-season tour in North America in July 2015.[8] On 9 August 2015, he made his debut for the main squad in the0–1 loss againstSporting CP for theSupertaça Cândido de Oliveira.[9][10] A week later, he scored his first goal for them, againstEstoril in thePrimeira Liga in a 4–0 home win.[11]
After establishing himself in the starting 11, Semedo suffered a setback in October 2015 when he sustained an injury while with the Portugal national team.[12] The ailment to his right knee required surgery, with him being expected to miss two months.[13] He returned to action in early January,[14] but could not reproduce his previous form and lost his place toAndré Almeida.[15][16] Semedo finished the campaign in the reserve team.[17]
In2016–17, Semedo regained his starting position and went on to be Benfica's third-most used player in the club's historic fourth-straight league title.[18] He scored once in the league in a 2–1 win on the road overArouca[19] and once in theUEFA Champions League in a3–3 group stage draw toBeşiktaş.[20]
Inthe final of theTaça de Portugal, played on 28 May 2017, Semedo assistedEduardo Salvio for the second goal, with Benfica lifting the trophy after defeatingVitória de Guimarães 2–1.[21] For his performances throughout the season, he won the Breakthrough Player of the Year award from theLiga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional.[22]
On 13 July 2017,Barcelona announced an agreement with Benfica for Semedo's signing, pending medical tests.[23] He signed a five-year contract the following day,[24] with the Portuguese club receiving €30.5 million plus another potential €5 million for every 50 matches he appeared in for his new team.[25] He made his debut on 16 August insecond leg of theSupercopa de España againstReal Madrid, losing 0–2 at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium.[26]
Semedo made his Champions League debut for the club on 13 September 2017 and was praised for his performance during the3–0 group stage win overJuventus.[27][28] He scored his first competitive goal for theCatalans – and inLa Liga – on 27 January 2019 in a 2–0 away victory againstGirona.[29][30]His second goal came againstAlavés in a 5–0 win in the season's final match.[31]
On 23 September 2020, Semedo moved to EnglishPremier League clubWolverhampton Wanderers in a three-year contract (with an option of two further years)[32] for an initial transfer fee of €30 million (approx. £27.5 million, with a potential further £9.2 million in add-ons) paid by Wolves.[33]
Semedo made his debut for Wolves and his first appearance in the Premier League in a 4–0 defeat away toWest Ham United on 27 September 2020.[34] He made his debutMolineux appearance for Wolves in the team's next Premier League match, a 1–0 victory overFulham on 4 October 2020. He scored his first Wolves goal in head coachNuno Espírito Santo's final game in charge, the final game of the2020–21 Premier League season, a 1–2 home defeat toManchester United on 23 May 2021.[35]
Semedo suffered a hamstring injury in Wolves's game away toArsenal in the Premier League on 24 February 2022; it was subsequently evaluated that the injury would keep him from returning to action for between four and eight weeks.[36] He had played in 23 of Wolves's 25 Premier League games in the2021–22 season at the point he sustained this injury. Semedo ultimately returned to first-team action on 24 April 2022 in a Premier League game atBurnley, playing the full 90 minutes plus stoppage time.[37]
On 19 May 2023, it was announced that Wolves had triggered a two-year extension clause in Semedo's contract, to keep him at the club until 2025.[38]
On 16 January 2024, Semedo scored his first goal for Wolves in two years, in a 3–2F.A. Cup Third Round replay victory overBrentford at Molineux.[39] His previous club goal had also come in the F.A. Cup, againstSheffield United, also at Molineux, in January 2022.[40] The goal against Brentford meant Semedo had scored more goals for Wolves in the Third Round of the F.A. Cup (two) than he had in 114 appearances in the Premier League up to 16 January 2024 (one).
On 13 December 2024, Semedo was named club captain, taking over fromMario Lemina.[41]
_(cropped).jpg)
OfCape Verdean descent,[42] Semedo was called-up to play for thePortugal national team on 2 October 2015 forUEFA Euro 2016qualifying matches againstDenmark andSerbia.[43] He earned his firstcap in the latter match, playing the entirety of a 2–1 win at thePartizan Stadium inBelgrade.[44]
Semedo was selected for Portugal's2017 FIFA Confederations Cup squad.[45] He played the last match of the group stage, a 4–0 win againstNew Zealand.[46] He also appeared in the third-place playoff againstMexico, beingsent-off in the 106th minute as his team won the bronze medal.[47]
Semedo was named in Portugal's preliminary 35-man squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup.[48] However, he was not selected for Portugal's final 23-man squad for tournament.[49]
In October 2022, he was named in Portugal's preliminary 55-mansquad for the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[50]
Semedo is mainly known for his speed, ball control, dribbling and holding on the ball.[51]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sintrense | 2011–12 | Terceira Divisão | 26 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 5 | |||||
| Fátima (loan) | 2012–13 | Segunda Divisão | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | |||||
| Benfica B | 2013–14 | Segunda Liga | 17 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | |||||||
| 2014–15 | Segunda Liga | 42 | 1 | — | 42 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2015–16 | Segunda Liga | 4 | 3 | — | 4 | 3 | ||||||||
| Total | 63 | 4 | — | 63 | 4 | |||||||||
| Benfica | 2015–16 | Primeira Liga | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8[a] | 1 | 1[b] | 0 | 46 | 2 | |
| Total | 43 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 64 | 3 | ||
| Barcelona | 2017–18 | La Liga | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 7[a] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 26 | 1 | 9 | 0 | — | 10[a] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 46 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 7[a] | 0 | 0[c] | 0 | 42 | 1 | ||
| Total | 82 | 2 | 16 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 124 | 2 | |||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2020–21 | Premier League | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 35 | 1 | |||
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 25 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 36 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 41 | 1 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 156 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 173 | 3 | |||||
| Career total | 398 | 15 | 35 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 481 | 17 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2015 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 0 | |
Benfica[55]
Barcelona[55]
Portugal
Individual
Semedo had two children, a daughter and a son.[60]
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Portugal squads | |||||||||||||
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