João Palhinha

João Maria Lobo Alves Palhares Costa Palhinha Gonçalves (; born 9 July 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Portugal national team.

He came through at Sporting CP, first appearing with the first team in 2017 and also having loans at Moreirense, Belenenses and Braga. After returning in 2020, he became a starter, notably winning the 2020–21 Primeira Liga and back-to-back Taças da Liga in 2021 and 2022. In July 2022, he was signed by Premier League side Fulham for £20 million, spending two seasons with the club and helping them achieve mid-table finishes in both. He joined Bayern Munich in July 2024.

Palhinha finished second with Portugal at the 2014 European Under-19 Championship. He made his full debut in 2021, and was chosen in the squads for the 2022 World Cup and two European Championships (2020 and 2024), also winning the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League.

Club career

Sporting CP

2012–15: Early career

Born in Lisbon, Palhinha joined local Sporting CP's youth system in 2012, aged 17. He played his first game as a professional with the B team, coming on as a late substitute for fellow youth graduate Iuri Medeiros in a 3−2 home win against Portimonense in the Segunda Liga, on 3 February 2014; it was one of only two appearances during the season.

Still in the second division, Palhinha scored his first senior goal on 4 April 2015, his header contributing to a 3−1 home victory over Leixões.

2015–20: Various loans and short return

From July 2015 to January 2017, Palhinha was loaned to Primeira Liga sides Moreirense and Belenenses, respectively, making his debut in the competition whilst with the former in a 0−2 home loss to Arouca where he played 22 minutes from the bench. He scored for the first time while at the service of the latter, against Vitória de Guimarães (1−1 away draw, 90 minutes played).

Subsequently, returning to the Estádio José Alvalade, Palhinha made his competitive debut with the first team on 21 January 2017, starting in a 2−2 draw at Marítimo. He scored his first goals for them on 12 October, netting twice in a 4–2 away win over Oleiros in the Taça de Portugal.

Palhinha spent the following two seasons on loan to Braga. He appeared in 76 competitive matches during his spell, winning the 2019–20 edition of the Taça da Liga and helping to a third-place finish in the same season, notably scoring the game's only goal against Benfica for the club's first win at that opposition in 65 years.

2020–22: Breakthrough and departure

Having returned from his loan at Braga, Palhinha wanted to play in a different league, and thus started the 2020–21 campaign training on his own in the midst of negotiations with Al Nassr and CSKA Moscow. However, after a move failed to materialise, due to Braga possessing a loan clause that required 15% of a future transfer, Sporting felt that the proposals they received were low, leading him to be reinstated in the main squad by his former manager at Braga Ruben Amorim, who chose him as their main defensive midfielder, causing him to renew his contract until 2025. He missed the first month after contracting COVID-19, but recovered to make his return on 17 October starting in the 2–2 home draw with rivals Porto.

On 26 January 2021, Palhinha was suspended for the Lisbon derby against Benfica for accumulation of yellow cards, after being booked in the previous round against Boavista. However, he filed a precautionary measure with the Central Administrative Court of the South, leading him to feature off the bench in the 1–0 win on 1 February. Shortly after, the Court of Arbitration for Sport annulled the automatic sanction of the punishment but did not remove the booking based on the admission of referee Fábio Veríssimo that he had made a mistake, and ended the season without serving the ban. The Portuguese Football Federation took the case to CACS, and the latter's appeal was ultimately accepted given the "absence of CAS jurisdiction to assess and decide on the issue of committing the foreseen infraction", revoking the annulment; the decision was confirmed by the Portuguese Supreme Administrative Court after an appeal filed by Palhinha, who unanimously decided that this body lacked jurisdiction.

Palhinha scored his first goal for Sporting on 15 February 2021, in a 2–0 home defeat of Paços de Ferreira. Over the following months, he proved to be an influential midfield figure, establishing himself as a ball winner and registering the most tackles for the league campaign at 185. He would contribute 32 appearances as the club won the domestic league for the first time in 19 years, being consequently named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year alongside five of his teammates.

In 2021–22, still under Amorim, Palhinha began facing stiff competition from newly signed Manuel Ugarte, with various injury issues limiting his time and his tackles also reduced compared to the previous season. He later attributed this decline in tackles to the refereeing in Portugal, stating that "in Portugal he felt he couldn't make a tackle, every touch was a yellow card". In total, he played 95 official games during his spell, scoring seven times and winning a national championship, two League Cups and a Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

Fulham

On 4 July 2022, Palhinha signed a five-year contract with Fulham for £20 million. He made his Premier League debut on 6 August, playing the entire 2–2 home draw against Liverpool. He scored his first goal 14 days later, helping the hosts to beat Brentford 3–2. He was his team's Player of the Season with 68% of the votes, to runner-up Bernd Leno's 17%; he also managed to lead all players in tackles, with a total of 147.

On 26 August 2023, Palhinha scored a late equaliser in a 2–2 away draw against Arsenal. On the summer transfer deadline day, he had his medical tests in Germany ahead of a €65 million transfer to Bayern Munich, yet the deal collapsed as Fulham failed to find a replacement before the window shut; on 14 September, he agreed to a new contract until 2028, with an option to extend a further year. He again was the player with the most tackles for the campaign, at 154.

Bayern Munich

On 11 July 2024, Palhinha joined Bayern Munich on a four-year deal for €51 million, plus €5 million in add-ons, potentially taking the overall fee to €56 million (£47.4 million). He made his official debut on 16 August, as a substitute in a 4–0 win against SSV Ulm in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.

Palhinha won the Bundesliga in his first season. However, he was often sidelined due to physical problems and also faced stiff competition from Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović.

International career

Palhinha represented Portugal at under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels. He participated in the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where his team finished second.

In March 2021, Palhinha was called up to the full side for the first time, for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan, Luxembourg and Serbia. He won his first cap in the match with the first adversary, replacing Rúben Neves late into the 1–0 victory in Turin. He scored his first goal in the same phase, closing the 3–1 away win over Luxembourg.

Being selected for UEFA Euro 2020, Palhinha appeared against France in the group stage (2–2) and Belgium in the round of 16 (1–0 loss). In November 2022, he was named in the final squad for the World Cup finals in Qatar, playing all three group-phase matches in an eventual quarter-final exit to Morocco.

Palhinha also made a 26-man squad for Euro 2024. After not featuring in Portugal's opening match against the Czech Republic, he started in the 3–0 victory over Turkey, being substituted by Neves at half-time. He made a further three appearances for the quarter-finalists.

In May 2025, Palhinha was called to the UEFA Nations League Finals. He contributed two minutes for the champions, as a late replacement in the 2–1 defeat of hosts Germany in the semi-finals.

Player profile

Style of play

Palhinha is known for his defensive positioning, stamina and tackling. Described as an astute ball-winning midfielder, he is especially aggressive in stopping counter-attacks early by lunging into challenges, often preferring slide tackles in order to maximise his radius. A physical and tall player, his height helps him dominate aerial duels and his strength allows him to hold off opponents when dribbling. His ability to break up opposition play, distribute the ball efficiently, and contribute defensively and offensively, as led him to be described as a complete midfielder.

Palhinha usually stays back and covers the back line, with a largely defensive role. He sits in front of the back four, breaking up opposition play as well as acting as the focal point to his team own build-up – playing the ball diagonally into the channels for the side's marauding full-backs and wingers. He was also noted for his strong vocal leadership, serving as a pillar of support while fostering team cohesion and providing essential guidance with clear vocal commands and precise hand gestures.

During his spell at Fulham, Palhinha registered a passing average of 81.5%, his presence helping his team in transition, timing his challenges to secure possession while enabling counter-attacks. He consistently ranked among the Premier League's top players for tackles, interceptions and duels won. In addition, he was the third player to be given 13 or more yellow cards in two separate campaigns, after Olivier Dacourt (1998–99, 2000–01) and Robbie Savage (2001–02, 2003–04).

Reception

Many pundits consider Palhinha to be one of the best defensive midfielders in world football, with former player Rio Ferdinand being impressed with his first season at Fulham stating that he had "been sensational" ..and a team "need someone like that in front of a defender". His teammate at that club Tom Cairney branded him as "one of the best layershe had ever seen off the ball, in terms of getting back, recovering and trying to win back the ball.

In March 2023, Fulham manager Marco Silva stated that Palhinha "was an important player in so many moments of the game as well as at set-pieces, due to covering many spaces and allowing the other midfielders to create more freedom." His Portugal coach Roberto Martínez claimed that he had brought balance to his team due to his hard work without the ball, quick ball recovery and transitions, as well as for giving time and space with the ball to other players.

Personal life

Palhinha married singer Patrícia Palhares in 2021, with the couple fathering son João Maria (born October 2022). They separated in September 2024, while she was already expecting a second child.

Career statistics

Club

International

''Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Palhinha goal.''

Honours

Braga
*Taça da Liga: 2019–20

Sporting CP
*Primeira Liga: 2020–21
*Taça da Liga: 2020–21, 2021–22
*Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2021

Bayern Munich
*Bundesliga: 2024–25

Portugal
*UEFA Nations League: 2024–25

Individual
*Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2020–21
*Fulham Player of the Season: 2022–23

References

External links

FC Bayern Munich official profile
*
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palhinha, Joao
1995 births
Living people
21st-century Portuguese sportsmen
Portuguese men's footballers
Footballers from Lisbon
Men's association football midfielders
Primeira Liga players
Liga Portugal 2 players
Sporting CP B players
Sporting CP footballers
Moreirense F.C. players
C.F. Os Belenenses players
S.C. Braga players
Premier League players
Fulham F.C. players
Bundesliga players
FC Bayern Munich footballers
Portugal men's youth international footballers
Portugal men's international footballers
UEFA Euro 2020 players
2022 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2024 players
UEFA Nations League–winning players
Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in England
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Germany