Sandro Cruz
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sandro Plínio Rosa da Cruz | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 May 2001 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Braga, Portugal | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Left-back | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Slovan Bratislava | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 57 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Braga | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2021 | Benfica | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Benfica B | 36 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Benfica | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Chaves (loan) | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Chaves | 24 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Gil Vicente | 25 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Slovan Bratislava | 28 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Portugal U16 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Portugal U17 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Angola | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 11 October 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
Sandro Plínio Rosa da Cruz (born 12 May 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Niké liga club Slovan Bratislava. Born in Portugal, he represents Angola internationally.
Club career
[edit]On 27 June 2020, Cruz signed a professional contract with Benfica B.[1] He made his professional debut with Benfica B in a 2–0 LigaPro win over Casa Pia on 7 February 2021.[2]
On 10 July 2024, Cruz signed a three-year contract with Gil Vicente F.C.[3]
In June 2025, it was announced that the player had been transferred to the club ŠK Slovan Bratislava.[4]
International career
[edit]Cruz made his debut for the Angola national team on 7 June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier against Eswatini at the Estádio 11 de Novembro. He started the game and played 81 minutes in Angola's 1–0 victory.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Cruz is the son of the Angolan handball player Filipe Cruz.[1]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 29 July 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Benfica B | 2020–21 | Liga Portugal 2 | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | Liga Portugal 2 | 26 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||||
| Benfica | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Chaves (loan) | 2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | |
| Chaves | 2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | |
| Gil Vicente | 2024–25 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | |
| Slovan Bratislava | 2025–26 | Slovak First Football League | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 10[a] | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| 2026–27 | Slovak First Football League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | 43 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 128 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 150 | 2 | ||
- ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League, four appearances in UEFA Conference League
- ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League
International
[edit]- As of matches played 11 October 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | 2024 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 0 | |
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Sandro Cruz renova com os encarnados". www.record.pt. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ↑ "Benfica II vs. Casa Pia - 7 February 2021 - Soccerway". Soccerway.
- ↑ "Sandro Cruz assinou até 2027" [Sandro Cruz signed until 2027] (in Portuguese). Gil Vicente. 10 July 2024.
- ↑ "Sandro Cruz transferido para o Slovan Bratislava". Gil Vicente Futebol Clube (in European Portuguese). 28 June 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ↑ "Angola v Eswatini game report". ESPN. 7 June 2024.
External links
[edit]- Sandro Cruz at Soccerway
- Sandro Cruz national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
- Sandro Cruz at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- 2001 births
- Footballers from Braga
- Living people
- 21st-century Portuguese sportsmen
- Black Portuguese sportspeople
- Portuguese people of Angolan descent
- Sportspeople of Angolan descent
- Men's association football full-backs
- Portuguese men's footballers
- Portugal men's youth international footballers
- Angolan men's footballers
- Angola men's international footballers
- S.L. Benfica footballers
- S.L. Benfica B players
- G.D. Chaves players
- Gil Vicente F.C. players
- ŠK Slovan Bratislava players
- Primeira Liga players
- Liga Portugal 2 players
- Slovak First Football League players
- Angolan expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Slovakia