Pauleta

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island in the Azores, Pauleta started his career with local clubs before turning professional in the lower leagues. He was part of FC Porto's youth team for a brief stint yet left soon due to homesickness. He signed his first professional contract with CU Micaelense in 1994 and spent one year there, then moved to second division's G.D. Estoril Praia in 1995. After a switch to Spanish second level side UD Salamanca in 1996, he scored 19 goals as it gained promotion to La Liga, adding a further 15 in his first season in the top flight. That rate earned him a move to Deportivo de La Coruña in summer 1998. He scored his first goal in European competition in the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, netting in a 3–1 home win against Montpellier HSC and repeating the feat in the second leg. On 22 November 1999 he netted a hat-trick for Depor in a home fixture against Sevilla FC, going on to enjoy a two-year spell with the Galicians which included 33 goals in 92 official matches, including eight from 12 starts as the club won its first league championship title in 2000. On 1 September 2000, after being tracked by the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Sunderland, Pauleta joined FC Girondins de Bordeaux in France, reportedly for financial and family reasons. He scored three as his new club crushed FC Nantes 5–0 in an away match, and some days later, on 26 September, did the same in a UEFA Cup first round match against Lierse SK. He ended his first season as team top scorer with 26 goals in all competitions, and the Ligue 1's second leading scorer with 20. In the 2001–02 campaign, Pauleta was the league's top scorer with 22 goals. He also led the team charts in all competitions with 35 successful strikes – a record. Subsequently, he was voted the best player in the French League and was also awarded the 'Oscar of football' by fellow players and coaches, and was named one of the 50 players shortlisted for the 2002 European Footballer of the Year award (Ballon d'Or). Additionally, he won the French League Cup, being instrumental to the success by netting twice in the final. In 2002–03, Pauleta proved himself another time, scoring 23 league goals and 30 overall. For the second time he won the title for the best player in the league, and was also named in its team of the year. In total, he registered 65 league goals in 98 games and 91 in 130 match

In Their Own Story

On April 2, 2006, the Parc des Princes witnessed a defining Pauleta moment. Facing his old team Bordeaux, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 win. Later that season, with PSG fighting relegation, he delivered heroic strikes to reach his century of goals for the club: a stunning volley and a precise header against Lille. These were not just numbers; they were lifelines for a struggling side. His loyalty was absolute. Even when Manchester City's Kevin Keegan had shown interest years prior at Bordeaux, or when Olympique Lyonnais came calling in 2006, he chose Paris. He stayed until the very last minute of his career, scoring the team's first goal against Angola in the 2006 World Cup before retiring from international duty and leaving football entirely after the 2007–08 campaign, holding the record as the club's all-time top scorer until October 2015.

Reader's Guide

A goalscorer in his prime, Pauleta usually operated as a lone striker or alongside another forward, and combined mobility, pace and athleticism with good technique, two-footedness and strength in the air.

Did You Know?

• Pauleta never played a single game in Portugal's Primeira Liga during his 18-year senior career.
• He scored 109 goals for Paris Saint-Germain, a club record until broken by Zlatan Ibrahimović in October 2015.
• Pauleta was the first Portugal national team player to never have played in the Portuguese top level when he made his international debut.
• He surpassed Eusébio's record of 41 goals to become Portugal's all-time leading scorer, finishing with 47 goals.