Simão Sabrosa
Portuguese left winger known for dribbling and set pieces, key for Benfica, Atlético Madrid, and Portugal.
Simão Pedro da Fonseca Sabrosa (born 31 October 1979), known mononymously as Simão, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played mainly as a left winger, with dribbling and set piece skills as primary attributes. Having played in his country for two of the three biggest teams in the nation, Benfica and Sporting, he also spent several years of his professional career in Spain, notably with Atlético Madrid. He won the 2004–05 national championship with Benfica and the 2010 Europa League with Atlético Madrid, amongst other accolades; he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 225 games and 87 goals over nine seasons, adding 219 La Liga matches and 26 goals in service of Barcelona, Atlético and Espanyol. Over a 12-year span, Simão represented Portugal in two World Cups and as many European Championships, helping it finish second at Euro 2004 and reach the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup.
- Position
- Left Winger / Attacking Midfielder
- National Team
- Portugal (Seleção)
- Major Tournament Cycles
- UEFA Euro 2004 squad; 2006 FIFA World Cup squad
- Club Pedigree
- FC Porto (Champions League winners 2003–04), Valencia CF
- Playing Style
- Explosive pace, close dribbling, overlapping runs, late crosses
- Era
- Early-to-mid 2000s
Lore & Background
Simão started his career at Sporting CP's youth system. He moved to FC Barcelona in the 1999 off-season on a £10 million transfer. In 2001, after a low-key tenure under Louis van Gaal, he signed with Benfica for €12 million. He became a fan-favorite and captain at Benfica, always finishing as their top scorer during his six-year stint. On 26 July 2007, Atlético Madrid signed him for €20 million. On 22 December 2010, aged 31, he signed with Beşiktaş for €900,000. He joined RCD Espanyol on a free transfer on 17 August 2012. On 25 June 2015, Indian Super League club NorthEast United FC announced they had signed him as a marquee player. He returned to Benfica on 14 September 2017, being appointed head of international relations.
In Their Own Story
The floodlights at the Estádio do Dragão hummed with a low, electric buzz. It was 2004, and the Champions League final was still warm in the memory of every Porto shirt in the stands. Simão received the ball on the left touchline, feeling the full-back's shadow three yards behind him. He didn't look up. He didn't need to. One touch inside, a feint that made the defender commit, and then — that run. The kind where the grass sprays sideways and the crowd noise swells into a single, sustained roar. He whipped the cross in, low and late, and for one suspended second the whole stadium held its breath. It didn't matter what happened next. In that moment, the left wing belonged to him, and Portugal's fans knew exactly who to thank when the next generation of wingers would carry the torch.
Reader's Guide
Simão made his full debut for Portugal at only 19 years of age, scoring on 18 November 1998 against Israel. He participated at Euro 2004 where the hosts finished in second place. He was selected for the 2006 World Cup, making six appearances and scoring one goal against Mexico. In Euro 2008, he played in three matches as Portugal was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Germany. Over a 12-year span, he earned 85 caps.
Did You Know?
- Simão scored his first goal for Sporting at only 17 in a 3–0 away win against S.C. Salgueiros.
- He scored in a 2–0 El Clásico win for Barcelona on 21 October 2000.
- Simão scored Benfica's second goal in a 2–1 extra-time victory over FC Porto in the 2004 Taça de Portugal final.
- He scored Atlético Madrid's 4,000th league goal on 12 April 2009 against Deportivo.
- Simão scored the decisive penalty in the shootout as Beşiktaş won the Turkish Cup on 11 May 2011.
More in Players & Icons
Elsewhere in the Portugal National Team universe
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