Quick Facts
Biography
João Mário Naval da Costa Eduardo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒwɐ̃w̃ ˈmaɾju]; born 19 January 1993), known as João Mário, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow, on loan from Inter Milan, and the Portugal national team.
He started out at Sporting CP in whose youth system he developed, being loaned to Vitória de Setúbal in 2014 and subsequently returning to be an important part of the squads that won major trophies, including the 2015 Portuguese Cup.
João Mário made his senior debut for Portugal in 2014. He was chosen for the 2018 World Cup and appeared at Euro 2016, winning the latter tournament.
Club career
Sporting
Following a brief youth spell with local FC Porto in his hometown, João Mário moved to Sporting CP in 2004 at the age of 11, going on to complete his formation with the Lisbon club. On 14 December 2011 he was called for a UEFA Europa League group stage game away against S.S. Lazio, alongside youth graduates Betinho, Ricardo Esgaio, Tiago Ilori and João Carlos, as the Lions had already secured the first place in its group: he entered the pitch in the 76th minute of the 0–2 away loss, after replacing Oguchi Onyewu.
João Mário's first full season as a senior was 2012–13, as he appeared in 31 games (30 as a starter) for Sporting CP B in the Segunda Liga, with the team finishing in fourth position. On 8 January 2014 he was loaned to Vitória F.C. for the remainder of the campaign, starting in all but one Primeira Liga matches he appeared in and being voted the league's best young player for January and February.
On 31 May 2015, again with Sporting' main squad, João Mário started in the final of the Taça de Portugal against S.C. Braga, but was substituted in the first half due to the dismissal of defender Cédric Soares, in order to bring on Miguel Lopes; Sporting eventually won in a penalty shootout.
Inter Milan
On 27 August 2016, João Mário signed with Inter Milan for €40 million plus €5 million in bonuses. His maiden appearance in Serie A occurred on 11 September when he played the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 success at Delfino Pescara 1936, and his first goal for the team opened a loss by the same score at home to Cagliari Calcio on 16 October.
Under new manager Luciano Spalletti, João Mário grew increasingly frustrated about the lack of playing time. On 25 January 2018, he signed on loan for Premier League team West Ham United– the contract included a €1.5 million loan fee, and an option for the club to buy the player for a sum in the region of €40 million. He made his debut two days later, replacing Pablo Zabaleta at half-time in a 0–2 away loss against Wigan Athletic in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
João Mário scored his first goal for West Ham on 31 March 2018, helping the hosts defeat Southampton 3–0. He made 14 competitive appearances during his half-season spell, scoring twice, and was praised for his work rate.
On 27 August 2019, João Mário joined Russian club FC Lokomotiv Moscow on a season-long loan.
International career
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Of Angolan descent, João Mário earned 82 caps for Portugal at youth level, including 13 for the under-21 team. He made his senior debut on 11 October 2014, replacing Cristiano Ronaldo for the final 14 minutes of the friendly against France in Paris: soon after coming on, he was fouled by Paul Pogba for a penalty converted by Ricardo Quaresma, in an eventual 1–2 loss.
João Mário represented Portugal at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2015, netting the only goal of their opening group win over England as the tournament ended with a runner-up finish. He was selected by the full side for their UEFA Euro 2016 campaign, starting in the first match, a 1–1 draw to Iceland in Saint-Étienne; he played in all of his team's seven games during Euro 2016, including the final against France which they won.
João Mário scored his first goal for the nation on 10 November 2017, closing the 3–0 friendly defeat of Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, he was included in the final squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Personal life
João Mário's older brother, Wilson, is also a footballer. He too graduated from Sporting's youth academy.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 26 May 2019
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting | 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | 30 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 7 | ||
| 2015–16 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 7 | ||
| Sporting CP total | 64 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 92 | 14 | ||
| Vitória Setúbal (loan) | 2013–14 | Primeira Liga | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Inter Milan | 2016–17 | Serie A | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
| 2017–18 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |||
| Inter Milan total | 64 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 4 | |||
| West Ham United (loan) | 2017–18 | Premier League | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| Lokomotiv Moscow (loan) | 2019–20 | Russian Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 155 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 188 | 20 | ||
International
- As of 14 October 2019
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2014 | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 17 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 45 | 2 | |
International goals
- As of 28 May 2018 (Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each João Mário goal)
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10 November 2017 | Fontelo, Viseu, Portugal |  Saudi Arabia | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 28 May 2018 | Estádio Municipal, Braga, Portugal |  Tunisia | 2–0 | 2–2 |
Honours
Club
Sporting
- Taça de Portugal: 2014–15
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2015
International
Portugal
- UEFA European Championship: 2016
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: Runner-up 2015
Individual
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship: Team of the Tournament 2010
Orders
