Nuno Miguel Gomes dos Santos (born 13 February 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left winger or left wing-back for Sporting CP.
Club career Benfica Born in Trofa, Porto District, Santos began his development at local C.D. Trofense before joining the ranks of FC Porto, and after a year at Rio Ave F.C. he signed for S.L. Benfica in 2013. On 30 August 2014, he made his professional debut with their reserves in the Segunda Liga, coming on as a 69th-minute substitute for João Amorim in a 3–1 home win against S.C. Covilhã. He scored eight goals in 36 games in his first season, starting in a 3–2 loss at S.C. Braga B on 14 December. On 14 February 2015, he scored twice in a 4–1 home victory over U.D. Oliveirense (4–1).
Santos made his only appearance for the first team in the Primeira Liga on 11 September 2015, playing the final 11 minutes in place of Pizzi in a 6–0 home rout of C.F. Os Belenenses. That December, he suffered an injury to his left knee that was still an issue when he signed a season-long loan to fellow top-flight club Vitória F.C. in June 2016.
Rio Ave On 16 June 2017, Santos signed a five-year contract with Rio Ave also of the top tier. Almost exclusively a substitute in his first season, he scored once for his first goal in the league on 17 September, at the end of a 1–2 home defeat to eventual champions FC Porto.
Santos suffered more problems with his left knee in July 2018, and did not return to the pitch until the following March. On 17 June 2020, he was one of three players in his team to be sent off in a 2–1 home loss to Benfica – for a high foot on Pizzi – and was subjected to social media abuse by his club's fans.
Sporting CP On 21 August 2020, Santos joined Sporting CP on a five-year deal for €4 million plus shares in the economic rights of Gelson Dala (50%) and Francisco Geraldes (75%), and a buyout clause of €60 million. He scored eight competitive goals in his first season for the champions, seven in the league.
As Sporting often operated on a 3–5–2 formation under Ruben Amorim, Santos was deployed as a left wing-back on several occasions. He contributed four goals in 2,073 minutes in 2023–24 to another league title, but missed the vast majority of the following campaign after rupturing the tendon of his right knee; in November 2024, he was handed an eight-match suspension for smashing a glass protection while in the stands – he was not part of the squad due to injury – and injuring two spectators (one of them seriously) during the 4–3 loss against Porto in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira in August but, controversially, the ban was to be served while he recovered.
Santos returned to action on 1 February 2026, playing 26 minutes for Sporting's reserves in the 2–0 second-division home win over Oliveirense. His first appearance for the main squad since his injury took place four days later, as he replaced Francisco Trincão late into the second half in a 3–2 extra-time victory against AVS Futebol SAD in the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal.
International career Santos was part of the Portugal squad at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring an early goal against Senegal (3–0) and a late one against Colombia (3–1 win) in the group stage, in an eventual quarter-final exit in New Zealand. He won the first of his two caps for the under-21 side on 12 November of that year, replacing Rony Lopes midway through the second half of the 4–0 victory over Albania for the 2017 UEFA European Championship qualifiers held in Arouca.
In October 2022, Santos was named in a preliminary 55-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueTaça de PortugalTaça da LigaEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsBenfica B2014–15Segunda Liga368————3682015–16LigaPro62————62Total4210————4210Benfica2015–16Primeira Liga101000000020Vitória Setúbal (loan)2016–17Primeira Liga2602040——320Rio Ave2017–18Primeira Liga2612140——3222018–19Primeira Liga83000000—832019–20Primeira Liga3223132——385Total666527200—7810Sporting CP2020–21Primeira Liga317312010—3782021–22Primeira Liga3266241711050102022–23Primeira Liga3181050121—4992023–24Primeira Liga314713190—5062024–25Primeira Liga70100021001012025–26Primeira Liga402000200080Total136252041423331020434Sporting CP B2025–26Liga Portugal 210————10Career total271412862543331035854
Honours Benfica Youth UEFA Youth League runner-up: 2013–14
Benfica Primeira Liga: 2015–16
Sporting CP Primeira Liga: 2020–21, 2023–24, 2024–25 Taça de Portugal: 2024–25 Taça da Liga: 2020–21, 2021–22 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2021
Individual Primeira Liga Goal of the Month: March 2023
References
External links