Nilton Varela
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nilton Varela Lopes | ||
| Date of birth | 25 May 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Lisbon, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Beerschot | ||
| Number | 75 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2012 | Sporting | ||
| 2012–2016 | Belenenses | ||
| 2016–2017 | Sporting | ||
| 2017–2019 | Belenenses | ||
| 2019 | B-SAD | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2022 | B-SAD | 42 | (2) |
| 2022–2024 | Porto B | 39 | (3) |
| 2024–2025 | Estrela da Amadora | 41 | (0) |
| 2026– | Beerschot | 8 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2019 | Cape Verde U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2020 | Portugal U19 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19 April 2026 | |||
Nilton Varela Lopes (born 25 May 2001) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back or winger for Challenger Pro League club Beerschot.
Club career
[edit]Varela alternated between Lisbon-based clubs Sporting CP and C.F. Os Belenenses in his youth. He made his professional debut with Belenenses SAD in a 2–0 Primeira Liga loss away to Sporting on 10 November 2019.[1] The following 26 January, he scored his first goal in a 2–1 home win over Portimonense SC, with his uncle scoring the other.[2] He was a regular in the second half of the season as Petit replaced Pedro Ribeiro as manager, earning his place from unrelated Spaniard Francisco Varela.[3]
In March 2022, Portugal's Constitutional Court ordered B-SAD to pay over €30,000 in compensation to C.F. Os Belenenses for his development as a player.[4]
Varela transferred to FC Porto B on 19 August 2022, on a two-year deal.[5]
On 30 January 2024, Varela returned to the Primeira Liga, joining Estrela da Amadora.[6] At the beginning of the 2025–26 season, he terminated his contract, leaving the club.[7]
On 26 January 2026, after over six months as a free agent, Varela moved to Belgium, joining Challenger Pro League club Beerschot on a contract until June 2028.[8]
International career
[edit]Born in Portugal, Varela is of Cape Verdean descent.[9] He represented the Cape Verde under-19 teams in a friendly 2–0 loss to the Portuguese equivalent on 30 January 2019.[10] He then switched to represent the latter, making an appearance in a 3–1 win over France under-19 on 25 February 2020.[11]
Personal life
[edit]Varela made his professional debut for Belenenses SAD alongside his uncle Silvestre Varela, a winger who played mainly for FC Porto and was a long-time international for Portugal.[1] He was also his teammate at Porto B.[5]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Nilton Varela e a estreia com o tio: "É um dia que vai ficar marcado na minha vida"" [Nilton Varela and debut with uncle: "It's a day that will remain etched in my life"]. Record (in Portuguese). 10 November 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ↑ "Família Varela penaliza erros do Portimonense" [Varela family punish Portimonense's errors] (in Portuguese). Bancada. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ↑ Gouveia Pereira, Miguel (23 May 2020). "Francisco Varela não deve voltar ao Belenenses SAD" [Francisco Varela must not return to Belenenses SAD]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ↑ "Belenenses SAD condenado a pagar mais de 30 mil euros ao Belenenses pela formação de Nilton Varela" [Belenenses SAD ordered to pay over 30 thousand euros to Belenenses for Nilton Varela's development]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 March 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- 1 2 "FC Porto anuncia Nilton Varela como reforço da equipa B" [FC Porto announce Nilton Varela as B-team addition]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 August 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ↑ "Deixa FC Porto B e reforça Estrela da Amadora... para seguir pisadas do tio" [Leaves FC Porto B and reinforces Estrela da Amadora... to follow his uncle's footsteps]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ↑ "Estrela da Amadora e Nilton Varela chegam a acordo após rescisão unilateral" [Estrela da Amadora and Nilton Varela reach agreement after unilateral termination]. MaisFutebol (in European Portuguese). 3 November 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
- ↑ "Beerschot signs Nilton until the summer of 2028". K Beerschot VA. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ↑ "Criolos No Estrangeiro: Futebol Portugal – Nilton Varela estreia-se na primeira liga portuguesa de futebol" [Creoles Abroad: Portugal Football – Nilton Varela debuts in Portuguese football's Primeira Liga] (in Portuguese). Criolo Sports. 11 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ↑ "Seleção Sub-19 - Ficha de Jogo, resultados e equipas". www.fpf.pt.
- ↑ "Seleção Sub-19 - Ficha de Jogo, resultados e equipas". www.fpf.pt.
External links
[edit]- Nilton Varela at Soccerway
- FPF Profile
- ForadeJogo statistics
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Lisbon
- 21st-century Portuguese sportsmen
- Portuguese men's footballers
- 21st-century Cape Verdean sportsmen
- Cape Verdean men's footballers
- Portuguese people of Cape Verdean descent
- Sportspeople of Cape Verdean descent
- Black Portuguese sportspeople
- Portugal men's youth international footballers
- Men's association football full-backs
- Men's association football wingers
- Primeira Liga players
- Liga Portugal 2 players
- Challenger Pro League players
- B-SAD players
- FC Porto B players
- C.F. Estrela da Amadora players
- K Beerschot VA players
- Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
- Cape Verdean expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
- Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
- Cape Verdean expatriate sportspeople in Belgium