André Gomes

Lore & Background

Gomes began his senior career at Benfica, winning a domestic treble in 2013–14. He then moved to Valencia in 2014, later signing with Barcelona in 2016. After a loan at Everton in 2018, he joined the club permanently in 2019. He spent the 2022–23 season on loan at Lille, then returned to Everton. He signed for LAFC in 2024.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed their low amber glow over the pitch, and the first touch of the second half belonged to him. Gomes received the ball in the space between the two centre-backs, his back to goal, and for a moment the whole LAFC midfield went quiet around him. He didn't turn. He didn't shield. He just waited—two beats, three—until the pressing midfielder overcommitted, and then a single, soft inside-of-the-boot pass slipped through the lane like a thread through a needle. The winger was already running. The crowd's roar was still building when the ball was already in the box. Gomes was already turning to receive the next one. That was the thing about him: the game never felt urgent. It felt *solved*, one pass at a time.

Reader's Guide

Gomes earned 37 caps for Portugal at all youth levels, including six for the under-21s. He represented Portugal at Euro 2016, winning the tournament, and at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He made his senior debut in 2014 and earned 29 caps overall.

Did You Know?

• Gomes scored his first goal for Benfica's first team on his official debut, a 4–0 win at Freamunde in the Taça de Portugal.
• He was voted the worst signing of the season by readers of Marca during his time at Barcelona.
• Gomes sustained a serious ankle injury in a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur in November 2019 after a tackle by Son Heung-min.
• Gomes did not play in the FA Cup third-round replay against Crystal Palace in January 2024 due to injury and did not score a free kick in that match.