Raul Meireles

Lore & Background

Meireles was born in Porto and joined local Boavista's youth system at the age of seven. He spent two years on loan to Aves in the Segunda Liga, being presented on 8 July 2001. He scored his first senior goal on 25 May 2003 in a 2–1 home win over União da Madeira. He made his Primeira Liga debut for Boavista on 17 August 2003 against Benfica. On 7 July 2004, Porto signed Meireles on a five-year contract. He made his first competitive start for Porto on 18 February 2005 and his UEFA Champions League debut five days later. He scored his first goal for Porto on 19 February 2006. He moved to Liverpool on 29 August 2010 for £11.5 million, making his Premier League debut on 12 September 2010. He scored his first Liverpool goal on 16 January 2011. On 31 August 2011, Chelsea signed Meireles to a four-year deal for around £12 million. He won the FA Cup with Chelsea on 5 May 2012 and received a medal for the 2012 Champions League final despite being suspended. On 3 September 2012, he was sold to Fenerbahçe for £8 million. He helped Fenerbahçe win the national championship in 2013–14.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at the Estádio do Dragão hummed with a low, electric buzz. It was a Tuesday night, midweek, and the crowd was thinner than on a weekend, but the ones who came had come for a specific reason: they wanted to see the midfielder in the number 8 shirt bend low, chest out, and put his body between the opponent and the ball. Meireles did it. Again. And again. The camera panned to the touchline, and a young boy in a too-large Seleção jersey was clapping with his whole body, not because of a goal, not because of a trick, but because the man in the middle had just made his fourteenth tackle of the half and hadn't even broken a sweat. That was the Raul Meireles show. No fireworks. Just the steady, grinding certainty that the midfield belonged to Portugal tonight.

Reader's Guide

Raul Meireles is a former central midfielder known for his energy, passing range, and long-range shooting. He began his senior career at Boavista, then became a key player at Porto, winning four consecutive Primeira Liga titles. In England, he played for Liverpool and Chelsea, winning the FA Cup and Champions League with the latter. He later played for Fenerbahçe in Turkey. Internationally, he earned 73 caps for Portugal, scoring ten goals, and represented his country at two World Cups and two European Championships, as well as the 2004 Olympics.

Did You Know?

• Meireles joined Boavista's youth system at age seven.
• He scored his first senior goal from 30 metres out on 25 May 2003.
• He was voted PFA Fans' Player of the Year for the 2010–11 season while at Liverpool.
• He was suspended for the 2012 Champions League final but still received a winner's medal.
• He was handed an eleven-match ban in Turkey for spitting at a referee, later reduced to four games on appeal.