Top Facts about Nelson Semedo, The Former Street Footballer

The former Benfica prodigy is a powerful, quick, and persistent full-back who can play on either side. He possesses all of the qualities necessary for a modern full-back.

It's difficult to knock Semedo off the ball because of his powerful and aggressive sprinting style. As a result, he frequently reaches challenging areas.

Nelson Semedo, who plays on the right side of the backline, is crucial in both offense and defense. The departure of Matt Doherty to Tottenham signaled the need for a right-back substitute, but why Semedo?

First and foremost, it's critical to comprehend the role of the right-back in Wolves' present set-up. The full-backs, who are technically wing backs, have a lot of responsibilities for both attacking and defending.

Last season, Doherty's goal and assist totals reflect the encouragement provided to wing-backs to move forward and participate in attacks. This could be one of the reasons why Semedo has been chosen to replace him.

Top Facts about Nelson Semedo You’d Like to Know

These short facts will help you form an image of the footballer in your mind.

Quick Facts

• Full Name:

   Nelson Cabral Semedo

• Nicknames:

   The Motorcyclist

• Date of Birth:

   16 November 1993

• Place of Birth:

   Lisbon, Portugal

• Age:

   28

• Nationality:

   Portuguese

• Height:

   1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)

• Weight:

   69 kg

• Marital Status:

   Married

• Wife: 

  Marlene Alvarenga

• Market Value: 

  £25.20m

• Position:

   Right-back

• Current Team:

   Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Jersey Number:

   22

Nelson Semedo Upbringing Years and Family Roots

Nelson Cabral Semedo was born on November 16, 1993, in Lisbon, Portugal, to his parents. Semedo's ancestors are of both Portuguese and Cape Verdean descent.

This helps to explain why the dynamic footballer is so close to fellow countryman

, who is also of Cape Verdean descent.

Nelson Semedo grew up in the Portuguese suburb of Mira-Sintra with his devoted mother, a relatively unknown father, and a brother. His mother was a devout Catholic who raised him.

The footballer has wonderful childhood recollections of spending time with his older brother, who chose to avoid playing soccer. He completed his education up to the postgraduate level.

His hometown, Mira-Sintra, is a welcoming place, a little town with family and a PlayStation joyful vibe.

One of the Top Facts about Nelson Semedo is that Nelson's passion is FIFA, a football simulation video game that he enjoys playing.

Nelson had a chance encounter with FIFA's FC Barcelona team before he was a teenager, unaware that his destiny would lead him there in the future. 

According to the

website, Semedo was always fond of selecting FC Barcelona on FIFA when playing video games with his pals because he always thought "they are the best team in the world" even before Messi's progress.

The name "Ronaldinho" was the basis for using FC Barcelona in the PlayStation FIFA Gaming Series back then. The front page of the FIFA 2007 PlayStation 2 gaming series was covered by the magician footballer who formerly played for FC Barcelona.

Nelson became addicted to wearing FC Barcelona T-Shirts in addition to being a PlayStation addict when he chose to start playing Street Football with buddies on neighborhood pitches. It was all about street football at the time.

“I had never played for an official team. I tried a few times when I was young but I couldn’t manage it. I started playing in the streets,” said Nelson Semedo.

While most well-known footballers today began their careers at an early age, our own great defender was an exception.

He continued to play street football until he was 15 when a member of the Sintrense club noticed him and was impressed by his ability, another one of the Top Facts about Nelson Semedo.

Nelson Semedo Career Buildout

Semedo had been informed he was too little to make it before his attempted trial at Sintrense, a team with a high level.

Looking at how a number of other young people succeeded, he was able to demonstrate that size isn't a barrier provided enough effort and dedication is put in.

In 2008, the youngster's passion for soccer led him to pass his trials and join the roster of local youth team Sintrense, which was then in Portugal's third tier.

He was able to progress because Sintrense's team management provided him with a stress-free environment.

Nelson began his career as a midfielder who enjoyed playing up front and scoring goals, one of the

Top Facts about Nelson Semedo.

Semedo's early growth was gradual, and patience was his strongest asset. Within three years of playing, he had risen above his young football ranks and been promoted to the club's senior team thanks to his patience and persistence.

At the time, he was being watched by a number of major Portuguese clubs, including Benfica, who eventually signed him.

Nelson Semedo Path to Prominence

Semedo was born in Lisbon and came through the Sintrense youth system, making his first-team debut at the age of 17. He and Manuel Liz signed five-year contracts with Benfica on January 12, 2012, which began on July 1, 2012. Both played a season on loan in the third tier with Fatima.

After joining the club, Nelson Semedo was assigned to

. He considered leaving Benfica B for a smaller team since he was not receiving enough opportunities to play in midfield. O Jogo, Semedo's old coach, had to persuade him to play right-back, one of the Top Facts about Nelson Semedo.

“I managed to convince him to remain with Benfica and play as a right-back. I spoke to him and made him understand the opportunity he had. Today he has been rewarded for the effort he has put in,” said Jogo.

Upon his return after 29 games, he was noted to have progressed quickly. In the 2013 off-season, Semedo returned to Benfica, where he was assigned to the B-team in the Segunda Liga and made his professional debut on August 10 in a 0–0 away draw against Trofense.

He was regarded as a prospective substitute for long-time first-team player Maxi Pereira after nearly 60 appearances for the reserves.

Semedo reclaimed his starting spot with Benfica's senior team and went on to be the team's third most used player as they won their fourth league title in a row. The Portuguese also played a role in his team's victories in the Taca de Portugal, Taca de Liga, and Premier Liga.

Semedo's contract was extended until 2021 after Pereira's departure, and he joined the first team on their pre-season tour of North America in July 2015.

He made his first appearance for the first team on August 9, 2015, in a 0–1 loss to Sporting CP in the Supertaca Candido de Oliveira. A week later, he netted his first goal for them in a 4–0 home triumph over Estoril in the Primeira Liga.

After proving himself in the starting lineup, Semedo sustained an injury while playing for the

in October 2015.

His right knee injury necessitated surgery, and he was projected to be out for two months.

He returned to action in early January, but he was unable to recreate his prior form, and

took his position, another one of the Top Facts about Nelson Semedo Semedo was relegated to the reserve team at the end of the season.

The defender scored twice in the league, once in a 2–1 away win against Arouca and once in the UEFA Champions League, in a 3–3 group stage tie against Besiktas.

Semedo assisted Eduardo Salvio for the second goal in Benfica's 2–1 victory over Vitoria de Guimares in the Taca de Portugal final on May 28, 2017.

He was named the 2017 Breakthrough Player of the Year for his outstanding efforts throughout the 2016-2017 season.

Nelson Semedo Ascend to Prominence

In football, a fortunate turn of events can emerge. Nelson Semedo isn't the best right-back in the world, but he wanted to play for FC Barcelona.

Ultimately, his boyhood determination and ambition were rewarded on July 13, 2017, as FC Barcelona announced his signing with the club.

Following the likes of

, Deco, and Vitor Baia, Nelson Semedo became the 12th Portuguese player to play for the Catalans, one of the

Top Facts about Nelson Semedo.

He has been named to the LPFP Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year (2016-17) and the UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI throughout his outstanding career (2017).

Indeed, the passionate soccer player could never have thought that a 15-year-old street footballer like him would wind up at Barca a few years ago.

Barcelona signed an agreement with Benfica for Semedo's signing on July 13, 2017, pending medical checks.

The following day, he agreed to a five-year contract, with the Portuguese club earning €30.5 million and a further €5 million for every 50 matches he played for his new team.

On August 16, he made his debut against

in the second leg of the Supercopa de Espana, losing 0–2 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

On September 13, 2017, the Portuguese defender made his Champions League debut for the club and was lauded for his performance in the 3–0 group stage win over Juventus.

On January 27, 2019, he produced his first competitive goal for the Catalans, in La Liga, in a 2–0 away victory against Girona. His second goal came in the season's final encounter, a 5–0 victory over Alaves.

Semedo signed a three-year contract with English Premier League club

on September 23, 2020, for an initial transfer fee of €30 million (about £27.5 million, with a potential further £9.2 million in add-ons) paid by Wolves.

He made his Wolves debut and first Premier League match in a 4–0 loss to West Ham United on September 27, 2020. On 4 October 2020, he made his Molineux debut for Wolves in the team's next Premier League game, a 1–0 victory over Fulham.

The right-back scored his first Wolves goal in Nuno Espirito Santo's farewell game in charge, a 1–2 home defeat to Manchester United on May 23, 2021, in the final game of the 2020–21

season.

Semedo, who is of Cape Verdean descent, was called up to play for Portugal in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Denmark and Serbia on October 2, 2015. In the latter match, he got his first cap, appearing in the entire 2–1 victory at Belgrade's Partizan Stadium.

He was named to Portugal's Confederations Cup team for 2017. He scored four goals in the final match of the group stage, a 4–0 victory over New Zealand.

He also played in the third-place playoff against Mexico, where he was sent off in the 106th minute as his team took bronze.

The 28-year-old has been chosen to Portugal's preliminary World Cup team of 35 players. Another one of the Top Facts about Nelson Semedo is that he was, however, left out of Portugal's final 23-man team for the competition.

Nelson Semedo Personal & Love Life

Nelson Semedo's love life isn't scrutinized by the public simply because it isn't filled with drama. There is a glamorous WAG behind the successful Portuguese player named Marlene Alvarenga.

The Lisbon-born likes to date someone from his family's origins rather than a white lady, as most black sportsmen do. She is a huge supporter of her husband, as evidenced by her Instagram posts.

He and Marlene Alvarenga are happily married today. One of the Top Facts about Nelson Semedois that both lovers are currently parents to two kids with one of them named Luana Pereira Semedo, who was born on May 9th, 2016.

During their football vacations, the couple makes public appearances together and frequently travels to luxury destinations.

Also about his personality, he has previously shown himself to be a quiet and typical guy who values his family and close friends above all else. Semedo once admitted that:

“For me they are really important, chatting with friends and family, even if it’s at home, is what I like.” 

Nelson Semedo Networth & LifeStyle

The right-back signed a contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 2017 that pays him 1.6 million Euros (1.5 million pounds) per year.

According to calculations, he earns €7,932 (£7,293) per day and €330 (£304) per hour! This means that the average person would have to work for at least 4.1 years to earn the same amount as the motorcyclist does in only one month, one of the

Top Facts about Nelson Semedo.

The Portuguese defender made his name with Benfica before joining Spanish giants Barcelona, where his net worth was reported to be at €7.5 million (£6.5 million).

Nelson Semedo is a footballer who appears to possess all of the aforementioned qualities.

Because of his high-paying job as a footballer, he has plenty of cash, a nice home, and a dazzling car.

Nelson Semedo Family

Semedo looks to have a strong bond with his family and his Cape Verdean background. Cape Verde is not as wealthy as Portugal.

Because of the costs, the country rarely participates in friendly matches. There has been a steady migration of players from the Cape Verdean national team over the years.

, an ex-Manchester United player who was born in Praia (Cape Verde's city) but chose to represent Portugal, is one of these footballers.

Patrick Viera and Henrik Larsson are two other prominent footballers with Cape Verde ancestry.

Trivia & Less-Known Details

In this final part of Top Facts about Nelson Semedo, we have included extra information about the footballer.

Nelson Semedo Argues with Neymar

Semedo, who had recently signed for FC Barcelona, was involved in an altercation with Neymar during a training session during the team's tour of the United States.

Also, a video was taken of this incident. It took the Portuguese 5 months to speak about the incident in an interview with Maisfutrbol, saying:

“The fight didn’t set me back, it was a normal situation in training. I had the support of the team and my friends. I just arrived and one of the most important players on the team got in a fight with me.

It annoyed me at the time but I also understood Neymar was in a difficult moment at that time. It was a time he wanted to leave the club.”

The Rooster

The great defender was born in 1993, meaning he is considered to be a Rooster according to the Chinese Zodiac Sign. 2029, 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957, 1945 are all Rooster years.

The Rooster is the tenth of the Chinese zodiac's twelve animals. A Rooster year begins at Chinese New Year every 12 years.

In a crowd, Roosters are always energetic, funny, and popular. Individuals that are Roosters are talkative, opinionated, forthright, open, honest, and loyal. They enjoy being the center of attention and are constantly appealing and attractive.

Roosters enjoy being in the company of others, whether it's at a party or just a social gathering. They enjoy being in the spotlight and will charm you at any time.

They want others to listen to them when they speak, and if they don't, they can grow irritated. Roosters are vain and boastful, and they enjoy bragging about themselves and their achievements.

Their constant need for the undivided attention of others irritates others around them at times.

These people are more motivated than the other animals in the Chinese zodiac, prioritizing their careers. Roosters are hardworking, multi-talented, and capable of handling a wide range of tasks.

Newscaster, salesperson, restaurant owner, hairdresser, public relations officer, farmer, athlete, teacher, waiter, journalist, travel writer, dentist, surgeon, soldier, fireman, security guard, and police officer are all good career options for Roosters.

Roosters are dedicated companions and are loyal. They always follow through on their promises and keep their word. Sensitive people may have a difficult time getting along with Roosters since they are constantly bragging about themselves and their accomplishments, which can make others uncomfortable.

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