Rui Manuel Muati Modesto (born 7 October 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a Right-back and Wingback for Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer. Born in Portugal, he represents the Angola national team. Initially a defender in his native Portugal, Modesto moved to a more attacking role after moving to Finland.
Early career Modesto was born in Vendas Novas and developed his football skills through various youth clubs in Afeiteira, Estrela Vendas Novas, Juventude Évora and Lusitano Évora.
Modesto made his senior debut with Estrela Vendas Novas first team in the 2017–18 season, playing in Portuguese third tier Campeonato de Portugal.
Between 2018 and 2020, he played with Vitória Setubal U23 in Liga Revelação youth league.
Club career Honka On 17 September 2020, Modesto transferred to Honka in Finnish top-tier Veikkausliiga. Modesto represented Honka in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers in four games. In the 2022 season, he scored 7 goals and provided 12 assists in the league, and was awarded for the most assists of the season.
AIK After a two-and-a-half season stint in Finland, Modesto was acquired by Allsvenskan club AIK in preparation for the 2023 season. He signed a three-year contract with the club, for a transfer fee of €500,000.Veikkausliigan pörssiykkönen siirtyy Ruotsin pääsarjan suurseuraan, MTV Oy, 28 November 2022”Hände väldigt snabbt och jag var inte redo”, Aftonbladet, 3 September 2023Sällsynt mycket pengar – men krävde VPS verkligen tillräckligt för målkungen Michael? Sportchefen om spelet då stjärnan såldes: ”Vi är inte HJK”, Svenska Yle, 25 January 2024
After his first season with AIK, Modesto was named The Player of the Season by the fans of the club.Säsongsbetyg: Målvakter och försvarare, svenskafans.com, 25 November 2023 He finished the season scoring 7 goals in 34 matches, in all competitions combined.
Udinese On 30 August 2024, AIK reached an agreement with Serie A club Udinese for the immediate transfer of Modesto for €1.5 million fee.Blitz Udinese, domani prevista la chiusura per Rui Modesto, tuttoudinese.com, 30 August 2024 Modesto signed a four-year contract with Udinese.
Loan to Palermo On 2 February 2026, Modesto was loaned by Palermo in Serie B, with a conditional obligation to buy.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
On September 1, 2026, Vancouver Whitecaps FC signed Modesto from Udinese Calcio for a fee of €800k. Modesto signed a three-year contract, with a club option for the 2030-31 season.
International career In June 2023, Modesto received his first call-up to Angola national team for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Central African Republic, Madagascar and Ghana. However, he remained an unused substitute during these matches.
Modesto made his debut for the Angola national team on 12 September 2023, in a 4–0 friendly loss against Iran.
On 3 December 2025, Modesto was called up to the Angola squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsEstrela V.N.2017–18Campeonato de Portugal28000——280Honka Akatemia2020Kakkonen30———30Honka2020Veikkausliiga300000—302021Veikkausliiga2126140—3132022Veikkausliiga26710—41318Total5097140416511AIK2023Allsvenskan29651——3472024Allsvenskan20653——259Total491210400005916Udinese2024–25Serie A20020——2202025–26Serie A3000——30Total230200000250Palermo (loan)2025–26Serie B80——21101Vancouver Whitecaps FC2026-27Major League Soccer1Career total16521185406219229
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsAngola202320202420Total40
Honours FC Honka Finnish League Cup: 2022 Individual Veikkausliiga Player of the Month: July 2022 Veikkausliiga Team of the Year: 2022 Veikkausliiga Most Assists of the Season: 2022
References