View source for João Mário (footballer, born October 1993)

{{short description|Guinea-Bissauan footballer}}
{{Portuguese name|Nunes|Fernandes}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = João Mário
| image =
| fullname = João Mário Nunes Fernandes<ref name=Profile>{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/joao-mario/desp-chaves/1600-128-26282|title=João Mário|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=pt|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|10|11|df=yes}}<ref name=Profile/>
| birth_place = [[Bissau]], Guinea-Bissau<ref name=Profile/>
| height = 1.85 m<ref name=Profile/>
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| currentclub = [[Olympiakos Nicosia]]
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2010–2011 | youthclubs1 = [[Étoile Lusitana]]
| youthyears2 = 2012  | youthclubs2 = [[S.L. Benfica (youth)|Benfica]]
| years1 = 2012–2013 | clubs1 = [[S.L. Benfica B|Benfica B]] | caps1 = 30 | goals1 = 2
| years2 = 2013–2014 | clubs2 = [[Atlético Clube de Portugal|Atlético]] | caps2 = 36 | goals2 = 8
| years3 = 2014–2017 | clubs3 = [[G.D. Chaves|Chaves]] | caps3 = 50 | goals3 = 2
| years4 = 2017–2020 | clubs4 = [[Académico de Viseu F.C.|Académico Viseu]] | caps4 = 70 | goals4 = 4
| years5 = 2020–2022 | clubs5 = [[Académica de Coimbra (football)|Académica]] | caps5 = 30 | goals5 = 6
| years6 = 2022 | clubs6 = [[U.D. Vilafranquense|Vilafranquense]] | caps6 = 10 | goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2023 | clubs7 = [[FC Spartak Varna|Spartak Varna]] | caps7 = 11 | goals7 = 2
| years8 = 2023 | clubs8 = [[LPBank Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC|Hoang Anh Gia Lai]] | caps8 = 0 | goals8 = 0
| years9 = 2024 | clubs9 = [[MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh FC|Quy Nhon Binh Dinh]] | caps9 = 3 | goals9 = 0
| years10 = 2024– | clubs10 = [[Olympiakos Nicosia]] | caps10 = 0 | goals10 = 0
| totalcaps = | totalgoals =
| nationalyears1 = 2011– | nationalteam1 = [[Guinea-Bissau national football team|Guinea-Bissau]] | nationalcaps1 = 14 | nationalgoals1 = 2
| club-update = 21:43, 2 April 2024 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 19:32, 6 January 2023 (UTC)
}}
'''João Mário Nunes Fernandes''' (born 11 October 1993) is a Bissau-Guinean professional [[Association football|footballer]] who plays as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]] for [[Cypriot Second Division]] club [[Olympiakos Nicosia]].
==Club career==
Born in [[Bissau]], João Mário moved to Portugal to complete his development in late 2011, joining [[S.L. Benfica]]. On 11 August 2012 he made his debut as a professional, appearing as a late [[Substitute (association football)|substitute]] for the [[S.L. Benfica B|reserve team]] in a 2–2 home draw against [[S.C. Braga B]] in the [[Segunda Liga]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/2--liga/detalhe/benfica-b-sp-braga-b-2-2-andre-gomes-da-empate-nos-descontos-772861.html|title=Benfica B-Sp. Braga B, 2–2: André Gomes dá empate nos descontos|trans-title=Benfica B-Sp. Braga B, 2–2: André Gomes for the draw in injury time|newspaper=[[Record (Portuguese newspaper)|Record]]|language=pt|date=11 August 2012|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref> Sixteen days later, in the same competition, he scored his first goal, contributing to a 6–0 home rout of [[C.F. Os Belenenses]] after a [[Free kick (association football)|free kick]] by [[Miguel Rosa]] hit the bar and bounced back to him.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/2--liga/detalhe/benfica-b-belenenses-goleada-na-luz-6-0-775375.html|title=Benfica B-Belenenses: Goleada na Luz (6–0)|trans-title=Benfica B-Belenenses: Rout at the Luz (6–0)|newspaper=Record|language=pt|date=27 August 2012|access-date=18 May 2016}}</ref>
In the following years, João Mário continued competing in the Portuguese second division, representing [[Atlético Clube de Portugal]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.agentedesportivo.com/2013/08/13/atletico-cp-joao-mario-ex-benfica-b-e-reforco/|title=Atlético CP: João Mário (ex-Benfica B) é reforço|trans-title=Atlético CP: João Mário (ex-Benfica B) is an addition|publisher=Agente Desportivo|language=pt|date=13 August 2013|access-date=13 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817005351/http://www.agentedesportivo.com/2013/08/13/atletico-cp-joao-mario-ex-benfica-b-e-reforco/|archive-date=17 August 2013}}</ref> and [[G.D. Chaves]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://desporto.sapo.pt/futebol/segunda_liga/artigo/2014/06/13/ii-liga-chaves-contrata-jo-o-m-rio-hugo-santos-jo-o-reis-e-paulo-monteiro|title=Chaves contrata João Mário, Hugo Santos, João Reis e Paulo Monteiro|trans-title=Chaves hire João Mário, Hugo Santos, João Reis and Paulo Monteiro|publisher=[[SAPO (company)|SAPO]]|language=pt|date=13 June 2014|access-date=17 August 2014}}</ref> He netted once<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/detalhe/chaves-aves-2-1-triunfo-caseiro-com-dez|title=Chaves-Aves, 2–1: Triunfo caseiro com dez|trans-title=Chaves-Aves, 2–1: Home win with ten|newspaper=Record|language=pt|date=2 December 2015|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref> from 22 matches in the [[2015–16 LigaPro|2015–16 season]], as the latter club returned to the [[Primeira Liga]] after an absence of 17 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvi24.iol.pt/subida/ii-liga/um-ano-a-espera-da-festa-em-chaves-somos-toda-uma-regiao|title=Um ano à espera da festa: "Somos toda uma região!"|trans-title=One year waiting for the party: "We are an entire region!"|publisher=[[CNN Portugal|TVI 24]]|first=João Tiago|last=Figueiredo|language=pt|date=9 May 2016|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref>
João Mário's first match in the [[Portuguese football league system|Portuguese top flight]] took place on 20 August 2016, and he scored in the 1–1 draw with [[C.D. Tondela]] at the [[Estádio Municipal Eng. Manuel Branco Teixeira]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dn.pt/desporto/desp-chaves-cede-empate-em-casa-com-o-tondela-5348459.html|title=Desp. Chaves cede empate em casa com o Tondela|trans-title=Desp. Chaves allow home draw with Tondela|newspaper=[[Diário de Notícias]]|language=pt|date=20 August 2016|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref> He only appeared in a further eight games during [[2016–17 Primeira Liga|the campaign]], in an escape from relegation.
Subsequently, João Mário returned to division two, agreeing to a contract at [[Académico de Viseu F.C.]] as a [[free agent]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/2--liga/ac-viseu/detalhe/joao-mario-ja-assinou|title=João Mário já assinou|trans-title=João Mário has already signed|newspaper=Record|language=pt|date=12 July 2017|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref> He scored two goals in the side's semi-final run in the [[2019–20 Taça de Portugal]], including in a 1–1 home draw against [[FC Porto]] in the first leg of that stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/taca-de-portugal/maisfutebol-resultados/taca-academico-viseu-desp-chaves-1-0-cronica|title=Taça: Académico Viseu-Desp. Chaves, 1–0 (crónica)|trans-title=Cup: Académico Viseu-Desp. Chaves, 1–0 (match report)|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=pt|date=17 December 2019|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://observador.pt/2020/02/04/ac-viseu-fc-porto-vitor-ferreira-faz-estreia-como-titular-num-onze-com-muitas-alteracoes/|title=FC Porto empata em Viseu antes do clássico (1–1) e deixa meias da Taça de Portugal em aberto – como aconteceu|trans-title=FC Porto draw in Viseu before the classic (1–1) and leave Portuguese Cup semis up for grabs – how it happened|newspaper=[[Observador]]|first=Bruno|last=Roseiro|language=pt|date=4 February 2020|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref>
João Mário signed with second-tier [[Académica de Coimbra (football)|Académica de Coimbra]] on 22 July 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.diarioviseu.pt/noticia/59467|title=João Mário troca Viseu pela Académica|trans-title=João Mário swaps Viseu for Académica|newspaper=Diário de Viseu|language=pt|date=22 July 2020|access-date=21 April 2022}}</ref> The following March, while on international duty, he suffered a serious injury that sidelined him for nearly one year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/2--liga/academica/detalhe/20210328-0206-joao-mario-com-lesao-grave|title=João Mário com lesão grave|trans-title=João Mário with serious injury|newspaper=Record|first1=Ricardo|last1=Chambel|first2=Vasco|last2=Antão|language=pt|date=28 March 2021|access-date=21 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/2--liga/academica/detalhe/aposta-em-joao-mario|title=Aposta em João Mário|trans-title=Bet on João Mário|newspaper=Record|first=Ricardo|last=Chambel|language=pt|date=31 March 2022|access-date=21 April 2022}}</ref>
On 29 July 2022, João Mário joined [[U.D. Vilafranquense]] as a free agent.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ojogo.pt/futebol/2a-liga/noticias/vilafranquense-anuncia-contratacao-do-extremo-joao-mario-15058054.html|title=Vilafranquense anuncia contratação do extremo João Mário|trans-title=Vilafranquense announce signing of winger João Mário|newspaper=[[O Jogo]]|language=pt|date=29 July 2022|access-date=4 August 2022}}</ref> He moved to the [[First Professional Football League (Bulgaria)]] in the following [[transfer window]], on a one-and-a-half-year contract at [[FC Spartak Varna]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://spartakvarna.bg/spartak-varna-privleche-napadatel-ot-gvineya-bisau/|title=Спартак Варна привлече нападател от Гвинея – Бисау|trans-title=Spartak Varna signed Bissau-Guinean forward|publisher=FC Spartak Varna|language=bg|date=3 January 2023|access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>
João Mário then took his game to the [[V.League 1]], where he represented [[LPBank Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vtc.vn/hagl-chieu-mo-cuu-cau-thu-benfica-5-nam-ghi-12-ban-ar820232.html|title=HAGL chiêu mộ cựu cầu thủ Benfica 5 năm ghi 12 bàn|trans-title=HAGL signed former Benfica player who scored 12 goals in 5 years|publisher=[[Vietnam Multimedia Corporation]]|language=vi|date=15 September 2023|access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> and [[MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh FC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vov.vn/the-thao/chuyen-nhuong-v-league-sao-xit-hagl-den-binh-dinh-binh-duong-thay-ngoai-binh-post1079243.vov|title=Chuyển nhượng V-League: "Sao xịt" HAGL đến Bình Định, Bình Dương thay ngoại binh|trans-title=V-League transfer: "Major failure" at HAGL to Binh Dinh, Binh Duong to replace imports|publisher=[[Voice of Vietnam]]|language=vi|date=27 February 2024|access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> In August 2024, he joined [[Cypriot Second Division]] club [[Olympiakos Nicosia]] on an initial one-year deal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympiakos.com.cy/deal-joao-mario/|title=Έναρξη συνεργασίας με João Mário!|trans-title=We start working with João Mário!|publisher=Olympiakos Nicosia|language=el|date=23 August 2024|access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref>
==International career==
João Mário earned his first [[Cap (sport)|cap]] for [[Guinea-Bissau national football team|Guinea-Bissau]] before his 18th birthday, in a [[Exhibition game|friendly]] in [[Equatorial Guinea national football team|Equatorial Guinea]]. He scored his first goal for his country on 13 November 2019, in a 3–0 defeat of [[Eswatini national football team|Eswatini]] in his hometown for the [[2021 Africa Cup of Nations]] [[2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification|qualifiers]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abola.pt/nnh/2019-11-14/jaquite-suplente-utilizado-na-vitoria-da-guine-bissau/814945|title=Jaquité suplente utilizado na vitória da Guiné-Bissau|trans-title=Jaquité used substitute in Guinea-Bissau win|newspaper=[[A Bola]]|language=pt|date=14 November 2019|access-date=5 February 2020}}</ref>
===International goals===
{{updated|24 September 2022}} (Guinea-Bissau score listed first, score column indicates score after each João Mário goal)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/joao-mario-nunes-fernandes/257146/matches/|title=João Mário – Matches|publisher=Soccerway|access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1. || 13 November 2019 || [[Estádio 24 de Setembro]], [[Bissau]], [[Guinea-Bissau]] || {{fb|ESW}} || align=center | '''3'''–0 || align=center | 3–0 || [[2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group I|2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification]]
|-
| 2. || 24 September 2022 || [[Stade Pierre-Aliker]], [[Fort-de-France]], [[Martinique]] || {{fb|MTQ|football-old}} || align=center | '''1'''–1 || align=center | 1–1 || [[Exhibition game#International football|Friendly]]
|}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{ForaDeJogo}}
*{{NFT player|44532}}
*{{Soccerway|joao-mario/257146}}
{{Olympiakos Nicosia squad}}
{{Guinea-Bissau squad 2017 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joao Mario}}
[[Category:1993 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Bissau-Guinean men's footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Bissau]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Étoile Lusitana players]]
[[Category:Primeira Liga players]]
[[Category:Liga Portugal 2 players]]
[[Category:S.L. Benfica B players]]
[[Category:Atlético Clube de Portugal players]]
[[Category:G.D. Chaves players]]
[[Category:Académico de Viseu F.C. players]]
[[Category:Académica de Coimbra (football) players]]
[[Category:U.D. Vilafranquense players]]
[[Category:First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players]]
[[Category:FC Spartak Varna players]]
[[Category:V.League 1 players]]
[[Category:Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC players]]
[[Category:Quy Nhon Binh Dinh FC players]]
[[Category:Cypriot Second Division players]]
[[Category:Olympiakos Nicosia players]]
[[Category:Guinea-Bissau men's international footballers]]
[[Category:2017 Africa Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:Bissau-Guinean expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Vietnam]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus]]
[[Category:Bissau-Guinean expatriate sportspeople in Portugal]]
[[Category:Bissau-Guinean expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Bissau-Guinean expatriate sportspeople in Vietnam]]
[[Category:Bissau-Guinean expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus]]