Nenê (footballer, born 1981)

Brazilian footballer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anderson Luiz de Carvalho (born 19 July 1981), known as Nenê, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Série C club Botafogo-PB. As of 2025, he is the oldest player to score in a Série A match, having set this record on 21 August 2025 at 44 years and 32 days old. He is also one of a few players in football with most official appearances ever.

Full name Anderson Luiz de Carvalho
Date of birth (1981-07-19) 19 July 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth Jundiaí, Brazil
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Quick facts Personal information, Full name ...
Nenê
Nenê in 2019
Personal information
Full name Anderson Luiz de Carvalho
Date of birth (1981-07-19) 19 July 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth Jundiaí, Brazil
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Botafogo-PB
Number 10
Youth career
1996–1997 Bahia
1997–1998 Sporting CP
1998–1999 Corinthians
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2003 Paulista 32 (26)
2002 → Palmeiras (loan) 24 (5)
2003 → Santos (loan) 28 (8)
2003–2004 Mallorca 29 (2)
2004–2006 Alavés 78 (21)
2006–2007 Celta 38 (8)
2007–2010 Monaco 63 (19)
2008–2009 → Espanyol (loan) 35 (4)
2010–2013 Paris Saint-Germain 79 (36)
2013–2015 Al-Gharafa 43 (20)
2015 West Ham United 8 (0)
2015–2018 Vasco da Gama 116 (38)
2018–2019 São Paulo 60 (10)
2019–2021 Fluminense 91 (19)
2021–2023 Vasco da Gama 66 (17)
2023–2025 Juventude 92 (13)
2026– Botafogo-PB 15 (6)
International career
2001 Brazil U20[citation needed] 7 (2)
2003 Brazil U23 4 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 April 2026
Close

Nenê spent most of his professional career in Spain, representing four clubs and amassing 140 games and 23 goals over the course of four La Liga seasons, and France, where he made 142 Ligue 1 appearances in four and a half campaigns and scored 55 goals for Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain. He won the 2012–13 Ligue 1 title with PSG and also became the league's best foreign player in 2010 while with Monaco.[1] Nenê had brief tenures in Qatar (Al-Gharafa) and England (West Ham United) before returning to Brazil.

Club career

Early career

Born in Jundiaí, São Paulo, Nenê started playing professionally with local Etti Jundiaí at the age of 19. On 16 May 2002, he moved to Palmeiras on loan until December.[2]

Nenê made his Brasileirão Série A debut on 11 August 2002, starting and scoring the opening goal in a 1–1 home draw against Grêmio. He finished the year with five league goals, but his club suffered relegation for the first time in its history.

On 27 January 2003, Nenê signed for defending Série A champions Santos.[3] Mainly a backup option to Robinho and Ricardo Oliveira, he still scored three goals during the team's Copa Libertadores run, and also appeared in both legs of the finals as a substitute.

Spain

Nenê playing for Espanyol

In 2003–04, Nenê moved to Spain, first with RCD Mallorca[4] – making his La Liga debut on 14 September 2003 in a 0–4 away loss against Athletic Bilbao[5]– and then Deportivo Alavés.[6] With the Basque side he put up two extraordinary individual seasons, with 21 goals in the league alone, playing his first year in the second division and achieving promotion.[7]

After being relegated from the top level with Alavés in 2006, Nenê met the same fate with RC Celta de Vigo,[8][9] again appearing in all 38 league games and totalling nearly 3,000 minutes of action for the Galicians.

Monaco

On 22 August 2007, Nenê was transferred to AS Monaco FC for an undisclosed fee.[10] A year later, having already started with the French, he joined RCD Espanyol in the last days of the summer transfer window on a one-year loan,[11] with a buying option for the Catalans at the season's end, which was finally not activated.

Back with Monaco, Nenê began the new campaign in impressive scoring fashion, scoring nine goals in his first ten matches – this included a brace against US Boulogne in a 3–1 away victory, both from long-range free kicks,[12] as he led the scoring charts for a lengthy period of time.[13]

Paris Saint-Germain

Nenê with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012

On 11 July 2010, Nenê joined Paris Saint-Germain in a deal believed to be around €5.5 million. "I'm very happy to have signed for Paris," the player told PSG's official website, adding: "Like PSG, I'm hoping to have a big league season and to pull something off in the Europa League".[14] He scored in his first official appearance, a 3–1 home win against AS Saint-Étienne,[15] adding two on 11 September against newly promoted AC Arles-Avignon (4–0, home).[16] Halfway through the season he had already registered 13 goals, making him the third-highest scorer only behind Moussa Sow and Kevin Gameiro; his displays, free-kick ability and attacking flair earned him comparisons with Ronaldinho, a compatriot who played at the Parc des Princes earlier in the decade,[17] but he only scored one more goal until the end of the campaign, with PSG finally finishing fourth.

In the summer of 2011, Paris Saint-Germain were purchased by Qatari investors and bought several new players, including Jérémy Menez with whom Nenê had played at Monaco.[18] The Brazilian began the season hesitantly, struggling to accept that he had lost his star status in the team with the arrival of Javier Pastore.[19][20] On 29 October, however, he scored two goals (both penalties) in a 4–2 home win against Stade Malherbe Caen, putting his team three points clear at the top of the table.[21]

Nenê scored his first hat-trick with PSG on 13 May 2012, netting all of the game's goals in the home fixture against Rennes in only 18 minutes of play.[22] He finished the campaign as the league's second top scorer, helping his side to second and direct qualification to the UEFA Champions League.[23]

Al-Gharafa

On 15 January 2013, after having appeared in 112 official matches with PSG (but only nine in the league in the first half of the season), Nenê moved to Al-Gharafa SC in the Qatar Stars League.[24] In March, he was suspended for nine games and fined €67,000 for fighting with Houssine Kharja,[25][26] being eventually released in late January of the following year.[27]

West Ham United

Nenê making his West Ham debut

On 18 February 2015, free agent Nenê signed for West Ham United until the end of the campaign.[28] He made his debut ten days later in a 1–3 home defeat by Crystal Palace by coming on as a 61st minute substitute for Alex Song,[29] and was released at the end of the season following an unsuccessful stint at the Hammers.[30]

São Paulo

On 26 January 2018, the 36-year-old Nenê agreed to a two-year contract with São Paulo.[31] In an interview held the previous December, he claimed to have been a supporter of the club as a child.[32] He scored his first goal for his new team on 7 February, in a 1–0 win over Bragantino for the Campeonato Paulista.[33]

Fluminense

After being released, on 15 July 2019, Nenê joined Fluminense until the end of the 2020 season.[34] In the first two months of that year, he scored seven goals across all competitions.[35]

Vasco and Juventude

After Fluminense, Nenê played for Vasco da Gama between September 2021 and March 2023 and then joined Juventude in April 2023. On 15 August 2024, at 43 years and 26 days old, he became the oldest player to score in the Brasileirão Série A, surpassing the record previously held by Rogério Ceni.[36][37] He scored again the following August to further extend his record.

Botafogo-PB

On 10 January 2026, Nenê moved to Série C club Botafogo-PB, signing a one-year contract.[38]

Personal life

In October 2012, Nenê was named an ambassador in France for the game FIFA 13, alongside Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi.[39] In 2010, he signed a deal with Adidas.[40]

Each year, Nenê organised with fellow footballer Neymar a charity match in his hometown of Jundiaí, with the purpose of raising money for food for families in need.[41]

Career statistics

As of match played 26 April 2026[42][43][44]
More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League State league National cup[a] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Paulista 2000 Série C —
2001 Série C —
2002 Série B 0000——15[b]6156
Total —7226
Palmeiras 2002[45] Série A 245—00—6[c]3308
Santos 2003 2583[d]0—13[e]3—4111
Mallorca 2003–04 La Liga 292—206[f]0—372
Alavés 2004–05 Segunda División 4012—00——4012
2005–06 La Liga 389—00——389
Total 7821—00——7821
Celta 2006–07 La Liga 388—109[f]1—489
Monaco 2007–08 Ligue 1 285—10—2[g]2317
2008–09 10—00——10
2009–10 3414—61—1[g]04115
Total 6319—71—327322
Espanyol (loan) 2008–09 La Liga 354—40——394
Paris Saint-Germain 2010–11 Ligue 1 3514—529[h]42[i]05120
2011–12 3521—447[h]21[g]04727
2012–13 91—004[j]01[g]0141
Total 7936—962064011248
Al-Gharafa 2012–13 QSL 63—007[k]232167
2013–14 2310—31—302911
2014–15 147—00——147
Total 4320—3172625925
West Ham United 2014–15 Premier League 80—00——80
Vasco da Gama 2015 Série A 209—30——239
2016 Série B 311317[l]771——5521
2017 Série A 31515[l]333——498
2018 002[l]100——21
Total 82273411134——12939
São Paulo 2018 Série A 35812[d]2424[m]0—5512
2019 2011[d]0202[n]0—170
Total 3782326260007212
Fluminense 2019 Série A 2530[l]0002[m]0—273
2020 31813[l]6662[m]0—5220
2021 1517[l]15110[n]2—375
Total 71122071171420011628
Vasco da Gama 2021 Série B 1440[l]000——144
2022 33710[l]520——4512
2023 Série A 009[l]121——112
Total 47111964100007018
Juventude 2023 Série B 287————287
2024 Série A 2835[o]030——363
2025 Série A 2536[o]010——323
Total 81131104000009613
Botafogo-PB 2026 Série C 4311[p]310——166
Career total 744197121296522751434131096295
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  1. [a]
    Includes Copa do Brasil, Copa del Rey, Coupe de France
  2. [b]
    Appearances in Torneio Rio – São Paulo
  3. [c]
    Five appearances, two goals in Copa dos Campeões; one appearance, one goal in Supercampeonato Paulista
  4. [d]
    Appearances in Campeonato Paulista
  5. [e]
    Twelve appearances, one goal in Copa Libertadores; one appearance in Copa Sudamericana
  6. [f]
    Appearances in UEFA Cup
  7. [g]
    Appearances in Coupe de la Ligue
  8. [h]
    Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  9. [i]
    One appearance in Trophée des Champions and one appearance in Coupe de la Ligue
  10. [j]
    Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  11. [k]
    Appearances in AFC Champions League
  12. [l]
    Appearances in Campeonato Carioca
  13. [m]
    Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
  14. [n]
    Appearances in Copa Libertadores
  15. [o]
    Appearances in Campeonato Gaúcho
  16. [p]
    Appearances in Campeonato Paraibano

Honours

Paulista

Paris Saint-Germain

Vasco da Gama

Individual

See also

References

External links

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