The story of Nani: From poverty to Premier League stardom

Talented winger
Amadora
Abandonded by his parents
14 siblings
First football club
Sporting CP
First team
Debut and first goal
Portuguese Cup
Manchester United
Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo
Debut against Chelsea
First United goal
41 appareances
Champions League
Four Premier League titles
230 matches
Back to Sporting
Fenerbahçe
Valencia
Lazio
Sporting again
Two more trophies
Orlando calling
MLS is Back Tournament
Venezia
Melbourne
Adana Demirspor
CF Estrela
Portugal
112 appareances
A certified legend
Talented winger

In his prime, Nani was one of the best footballers of his generation. The talented winger played for top teams in Europe and also regularly showed his class for his country Portugal. This is Nani's incredible life and career.

Amadora

Nani – who has Cape Verdean roots – was born in Amadora, a small town in metropolitan Lisbon. His full name is Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha.

Abandonded by his parents

He was raised by his aunt after being abandoned by his parents at a young age and grew up in poverty.

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14 siblings

Nani has no less than 14 siblings: nine on his mother's side and five on his father's side.

First football club

As a young boy, he joined Real Massamá, his first club, where he would soon attract the interest of the big boys.

Sporting CP

This led to Nani moving to top Portuguese club Sporting CP in 2003.

First team

After two seasons in Sporting's youth system, Nani was promoted to the first team.

Debut and first goal

He made his debut on 10 August 2005 against Udinese in a UEFA Champions League third-round qualifier. In October of that same year, he scored his first goal for Sporting.

Portuguese Cup

Nani continued to perform well, helping Sporting to the Portuguese Cup in 2007.

Manchester United

Meanwhile, the winger had been on the radar of big European clubs, and it was Manchester United who pulled the trigger in 2007, paying €25.5 million, according to Transfermarkt.

Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo

Nani signed a five-year contract and would play alongside compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo.

Debut against Chelsea

Nani made his official debut against Chelsea in the Community shield, which United won after penalties.

First United goal

A few weeks later, he scored his first official goal for United with a long-range shot against Tottenham Hotspur.

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41 appareances

Nani would finish his first season at United with 41 appearances, 3 goals, and 9 assists.

Champions League

The highlight of his first season at Old Trafford was winning the UEFA Champions League, with Nani converting an important penalty in the shoot-out. It would be the beginning of a trophy-laden career for Nani at United.

Four Premier League titles

During his time at United, Nani also won no fewer than four Premier League titles, two League Cups, four Community Shields and one FIFA Club World Cup.

230 matches

He would bid farewell to United with a total of 230 appearances, 41 goals and 71 assists.

Back to Sporting

Nani's adventure at United ended temporarily in 2014, when he was loaned out to his old club Sporting, with whom he again won the Portuguese Cup.

Fenerbahçe

Nani's next stop was Fenerbahçe. The top Turkish club reached an agreement with United on a €6 million transfer fee, per Transfermarkt.

Valencia

Nani's stay in Turkey was short-lived, as he left for Spain's Valencia CF a year later.

Lazio

After 26 appearances for Lazio, Nani was loaned to Italian side Lazio in the summer of 2017, where he scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists.

Sporting again

In the summer of 2018, Nani would return to Sporting for the third time in his career, which would prove to be a successful spell.

Two more trophies

He would win the Portuguese League Cup and the Portuguese Cup, bringing his total number of trophies with Sporting to four.

Orlando calling

In February 2019, Nani would venture outside Europe for the first time when he signed a three-year contract with MLS club Orlando City.

MLS is Back Tournament

Nani did not win any trophies with Orlando City, although he came very close in the MLS is Back Tournament, losing the final against the Portland Timbers.

Venezia

In January 2022, he left the MLS and went to play for Italian side Venezia.

Melbourne

It was to be a short stay in Italy, as Nani left for Melbourne Victory in July of the same year.

Adana Demirspor

Nani played just 10 times for Melbourne and felt it was time to return to Europe. One year later, he signed a contract with Turkish Adana Demirspor, where he played until May 2024.

CF Estrela

Nani currently plays for Portuguese first division side CF Estrela, where he has signed a contract until mid-2015.

Portugal

So far, Nani has had an impressive club career, but he has also made his mark on Portugal's national team.

112 appareances

He made 112 appearances for his country, scored 23 goals and helped win the 2016 EUROs, the biggest football triumph in the history of Portuguese football.

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A certified legend

Thanks to this, Nani will go down in history as a Portuguese football legend, who has made a name for himself worldwide.

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