Cardoso Varela
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cardoso Pinto Mandume Varela[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 29 October 2008 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Luanda, Angola | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Winger | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Dinamo Zagreb | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 23 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| –2024 | Porto | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Dinamo Zagreb | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025–2026 | Dinamo Zagreb | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2026– | Porto | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Portugal U15 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Portugal U17 | 22 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 February 2024 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Cardoso Pinto Mandume Varela (born 29 October 2008) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primeira Liga club Porto.[1] Born in Angola, he is a youth international for Portugal.
Early life
[edit]Varela was born in Angola and acquired Portuguese citizenship on 6 July 2022.[2]
Club career
[edit]After becoming eligible for a professional contract talks between Varela and Porto turned sour, prompting the player to attempt to sign for Croatian amateur club NK Dinamo Odranski Obrež, however this registration was denied by FIFA.[2][3] After months of speculation, Dinamo Zagreb officially signed Varela, reported to be for a three-year contract.[4][5]
International career
[edit]Varela was the youngest member of Portugal U17 team that were runner-ups of the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Cyprus.[6]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of match played 23 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2025–26 | Croatian Football League | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8[a] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| Career total | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Cardoso Varela". worldfootball.net.
- 1 2 "Where is Cardoso Varela? How a Portuguese Prodigy's Career Went Off the Rails". www.sportsandcrime.com.
- ↑ "SN otkrivaju pozadinu senzacionalnog transfera Dinama: 'Bit će jedan od najboljih koji su ikada igrali u Hrvatskoj!'".
- ↑ "Varela potpisao za Dinamo, agentima i obitelji osiguran veliki postotak od narednog transfera".
- ↑ "Doznajemo: Vareli trogodišnji ugovor i 40 posto transfera! Belcaru zakazan liječnički, čeka se utakmica". Germanijak (in Croatian). Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ↑ "Novo pojačanje na Maksimiru, veliki talent potpisao za Dinamo: 'Trenirat će u akademiji'".
- 2008 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Luanda
- 21st-century Portuguese sportsmen
- Portuguese men's footballers
- 21st-century Angolan sportsmen
- Angolan men's footballers
- Angolan emigrants to Portugal
- Naturalised citizens of Portugal
- Portuguese people of Angolan descent
- Sportspeople of Angolan descent
- Black Portuguese sportspeople
- Men's association football wingers
- Croatian Football League players
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb players
- Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
- Angolan expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Croatia
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Croatia
- Angolan expatriate sportspeople in Croatia
- Portugal men's youth international footballers