António Xavier
Portuguese footballer (born 1992)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
António Manuel Pereira Xavier (born 6 July 1992) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga 3 club Académica de Coimbra.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | António Manuel Pereira Xavier[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 July 1992[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Guimarães, Portugal[1] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Académica | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2011 | Vitória Guimarães | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2012 | Tourizense | 30 | (1) |
| 2012−2014 | Braga B | 25 | (0) |
| 2013−2014 | → Feirense (loan) | 19 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Leixões (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2014−2015 | Marítimo B | 18 | (7) |
| 2014–2017 | Marítimo | 67 | (4) |
| 2017–2018 | Paços Ferreira | 33 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Tondela | 56 | (4) |
| 2020–2023 | Panathinaikos | 7 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | → Estoril (loan) | 21 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Levadiakos (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2023–2025 | Tondela | 45 | (2) |
| 2025–2026 | Bnei Yehuda | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | Académica | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:45, 26 January 2026 (UTC) | |||
He achieved Primeira Liga totals of 177 games and eight goals for Marítimo, Paços de Ferreira, Tondela and Estoril. Abroad, he played in Greece and Israel.
Club career
Born in Guimarães, Xavier spent his youth at hometown club Vitória S.C. before making his senior debut in the third division with G.D. Tourizense. After spells in the second with S.C. Braga B, C.D. Feirense and Leixões SC, he signed a four-year contract with C.S. Marítimo in July 2014.[2]
On 27 August 2014, Xavier scored his first professional goal as Marítimo's reserves drew 1–1 at home to G.D. Chaves.[3] In December, manager Leonel Pontes called him up for his first Primeira Liga match at home to G.D. Estoril Praia,[4] and he played the full 90 minutes of the goalless draw.[5] A week later, he was sent off in a 1–0 away loss against F.C. Arouca, with both of his yellow cards being for simulation.[6]
Xavier scored his first top-flight goal on 15 February 2015, a penalty in a 4–3 comeback win at F.C. Penafiel.[7] He remained a first-team player more often than not during his time in Madeira, until joining F.C. Paços de Ferreira in June 2017 on a three-year deal with his previous employer keeping some economic rights.[8]
On 30 July 2017, Xavier scored on his debut as the Castores won 2–1 at Arouca in the second round of the Taça da Liga.[9] It was his only goal during his year in the Furniture Capital, and following their relegation he moved to C.D. Tondela on a two-year contract in June 2018.[10] On 23 September, he scored both goals of a home defeat of Moreirense FC,[11] and two months later he netted a hat-trick in a 7–0 win over F.C. Vale Formoso in the last 32 of the Taça de Portugal.[12]
Xavier moved abroad for the first time on 30 July 2020, joining Super League Greece side Panathinaikos F.C. on a free transfer for three years.[13] Having played rarely in Athens, he returned home on 31 August the following year on loan to Estoril.[14] Unused since his return, he was lent out again on 31 January 2023 to Levadiakos F.C. in the same league.[15]
On 13 July 2023, Xavier went back to Tondela, signing a two-year contract with the club.[16] In June 2025, the 33-year-old moved to the Israeli Liga Leumit with Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv FC.[17]
Xavier returned to Portugal in January 2026, joining Liga 3 side Académica de Coimbra.[18]
Career statistics
- As of 12 April 2026[19]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Braga B | 2012–13 | Liga Portugal 2 | 25 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 0 | ||||
| Feirense (loan) | 2013–14 | Liga Portugal 2 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 | ||
| Leixões (loan) | 2013–14 | Liga Portugal 2 | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||||
| Marítimo B | 2014–15 | Liga Portugal 2 | 17 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 7 | ||||
| Marítimo | 2014–15 | Primeira Liga | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 1 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 67 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 4 | ||
| Paços Ferreira | 2017–18 | Primeira Liga | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 37 | 1 | ||
| Tondela | 2018–19 | Primeira Liga | 32 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 38 | 7 | ||
| 2019–20 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 56 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 8 | ||
| Panathinaikos | 2020–21 | Super League Greece | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2022–23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Estoril (loan) | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| Levadiakos (loan) | 2022–23 | Super League Greece | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Tondela | 2023–24 | Liga Portugal 2 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 45 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 2 | ||
| Académica | 2025–26 | Liga 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 9[c] | 0 | 10 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 305 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 355 | 22 | ||
- Includes Taça de Portugal, Greek Football Cup
- Includes Taça da Liga
Honours
Tondela
