Mica Pinto

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Gonçalves and the second or paternal family name is Pinto.
Mica Pinto
Pinto with Vitesse in 2023
Personal information
Full name Michael Gonçalves Pinto[1]
Date of birth (1993-06-04) 4 June 1993 (age 31)[1]
Place of birth Diekirch, Luxembourg
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 CSKA Sofia
Number 18
Youth career
2004–2005 Young Boys Diekirch
2005–2007 Metz
2007–2012 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Sporting CP B 85 (1)
2015 Recreativo 15 (0)
2016 Sporting CP B 5 (0)
2016–2018 Belenenses 6 (0)
2017 → União Madeira (loan) 12 (0)
2018–2019 Fortuna Sittard 49 (1)
2020–2023 Sparta Rotterdam 85 (4)
2023–2024 Vitesse 23 (1)
2024– CSKA Sofia 9 (0)
International career‡
2010–2011 Portugal U18 9 (1)
2012–2013 Portugal U20 15 (1)
2020– Luxembourg 38 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:55, 7 December 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:44, 18 November 2024(UTC)

Michael "Mica" Gonçalves Pinto (born 4 June 1993) is a Luxembourger professional footballer who plays as a left-back for First Professional Football League club CSKA Sofia and the Luxembourg national team.

He spent the early part of his career in the Segunda Liga, mainly with Sporting CP B. He totalled 102 matches in the competition over five seasons, adding six appearances in the Primeira Liga for Belenenses. He then played six years in the Dutch Eredivisie and one in the country's Eerste Divisie, representing Fortuna Sittard, Sparta Rotterdam and Vitesse.

Pinto represented Portugal at youth level, before switching to Luxembourg in 2020.

Club career

Born in Diekirch, Luxembourg of Portuguese descent, Pinto joined Sporting CP's youth academy at the age of 14.[2] He spent three full seasons with the reserve team in the Segunda Liga, making his debut in the competition on 11 August 2012 in a 1–0 away loss against U.D. Oliveirense[3] and scoring his first goal on 24 February 2013 to help the hosts defeat S.C. Freamunde 5–1.[4]

On 15 August 2015, Pinto was loaned to Spanish Segunda División B club Recreativo de Huelva alongside his teammates Kikas and Luís Ribeiro, with an option to buy.[5] The following January, he terminated his contract alleging unpaid wages.[6]

Pinto signed a permanent deal with C.F. Os Belenenses on 27 May 2016, with Sporting retaining 50% of his rights.[7] He played his first match in the Primeira Liga on 19 August, coming on as a last-minute substitute in the 0–0 home draw with Boavista FC.[8] Ahead of the 2017–18 campaign, he was loaned to C.F. União of the second tier.[9]

In the January 2018 transfer window, Pinto agreed to a two-and-a-half-year contract at Fortuna Sittard of the Dutch Eerste Divisie.[10] He contributed one goal[11] from 14 appearances until the end of the season, as his side returned to the Eredivisie after a 16-year absence.[12]

Pinto made his debut in the Dutch top flight on 11 August 2018, playing the entire 1–1 away draw against Excelsior Rotterdam.[13] On 30 December 2019, Sparta Rotterdam announced that he would be joining the club the following month, and he eventually signed a contract until June 2021 with the option of one more year.[14]

Pinto spent the 2023–24 campaign with SBV Vitesse, leaving by mutual consent at its conclusion.[15] In August 2024, he signed for Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia.[16]

International career

Also eligible to represent Luxembourg,[2] Pinto appeared for Portugal at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Turkey.[17] He started all four games during the tournament, which ended in round-of-16 exit.[18]

Pinto made his full debut for Luxembourg in a friendly against Liechtenstein on 7 October 2020.[19]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 15 December 2024[20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sporting CP B 2012–13 Segunda Liga 35 1 — — — — 35 1
2013–14 Segunda Liga 12 0 — — — — 12 0
2014–15 Segunda Liga 37 0 — — — — 37 0
Total 84 1 — — — — 84 1
Recreativo 2015–16 Segunda División B 15 0 1 0 — — — 16 0
Sporting CP B 2015–16 Segunda Liga 5 0 — — — — 5 0
Belenenses 2016–17 Primeira Liga 6 0 0 0 2 0 — — 8 0
União Madeira (loan) 2017–18 LigaPro 12 0 3 0 1 0 — — 16 0
Fortuna Sittard 2017–18 Eerste Divisie 14 1 — — — — 14 1
2018–19 Eredivisie 28 0 1 0 — — — 29 0
2019–20 Eredivisie 7 0 — — — — 7 0
Total 49 1 1 0 — — — 50 1
Sparta Rotterdam 2019–20 Eredivisie 3 0 — — — — 3 0
2020–21 Eredivisie 25 1 1 0 — — — 26 1
2021–22 Eredivisie 24 0 2 0 — — — 26 0
2022–23 Eredivisie 32 3 1 0 — — — 33 3
Total 84 4 4 0 — — — 88 4
Vitesse 2023–24 Eredivisie 23 1 3 0 — — — 26 1
CSKA Sofia 2024–25 First League 9 0 1 0 — — — 10 0
Career total 287 7 14 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 304 7

International

As of match played 18 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Luxembourg[21] 2020 5 0
2021 11 1
2022 10 0
2023 5 0
2024 7 0
Total 38 1

International goals

Scores and results list Luxembourg's goal tally first.[21]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 1 September 2021 Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg  Azerbaijan 1–0 2–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c "Mica Pinto" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Mica Pinto pode vir a representar o Luxemburgo" [Mica Pinto may represent Luxembourg] (in Portuguese). Bom Dia. 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Oliveirense-Sporting B, 1–0: Golo de Barry derrota jovens leões" [Oliveirense-Sporting B, 1–0: Barry goal defeats young lions]. Record (in Portuguese). 11 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Sporting B-Freamunde, 5–1: Leões regressam aos triunfos" [Sporting B-Freamunde, 5–1: Lions return to wins]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  5. ^ Galván, José Carlos (15 August 2015). "El Sporting luso también cede al lateral zurdo Mica Pinto" [Portugal's Sporting also loan left back Mica Pinto] (in Spanish). Huelva Hoy. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  6. ^ "'Mica' Pinto se marcha del Recreativo tras tres meses sin cobrar" ['Mica' Pinto leaves Recreativo after three months without getting paid] (in Spanish). Be Soccer. 8 January 2016. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  7. ^ Miroto Simões, Luís (27 May 2016). "Mica Pinto reforça o Belenenses" [Mica Pinto bolsters Belenenses]. Record (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  8. ^ Marques, David (19 August 2016). "Belenenses-Boavista, 0–0 (crónica)" [Belenenses-Boavista, 0–0 (report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Belenenses: Mica Pinto emprestado ao União da Madeira" [Belenenses: Mica Pinto loaned to União da Madeira] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Portugese jeugdinternational verkast naar Fortuna" [Portuguese youth international switches to Fortuna] (in Dutch). 1Limburg. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Fortuna Sittard stap dichter bij Eredivisie" [Fortuna Sittard move closer to Eredivisie]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  12. ^ "FC Emmen, De Graafschap en Fortuna Sittard in de Eredivisie" [FC Emmen, De Graafschap and Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie]. Sittard-Geleen Nieuws (in Dutch). 14 August 2018. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  13. ^ Niemandsverdriet, Tim (11 August 2018). "Smeets en VAR helpen Fortuna aan puntje bij rentree" [Smeets and VAR help Fortuna in their return]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Mica Pinto tekent contract tot medio 2021 bij Sparta" [Mica Pinto signs contract at Sparta until 2021] (in Dutch). Sparta Rotterdam. 30 December 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  15. ^ "Mica Pinto (31) vertrekt bij Vitesse" [Mica Pinto (31) leaves Vitesse] (in Dutch). SBV Vitesse. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  16. ^ "ЦСКА подписва с левия защитник на Люксембург" [CSKA sign Luxembourgeois left-back] (in Bulgarian). bTV. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  17. ^ Roseiro, Bruno (20 May 2017). "Portugal no Mundial Sub-20: quem, quando e onde? Um guia para a competição" [Portugal at the Under-20 World Cup: who, when and where? A guide for the competition]. Observador (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  18. ^ Nunes, Luís Miguel (3 July 2013). "Portugal fora do Mundial sub-20" [Portugal out of the under-20 World Cup] (in Portuguese). Relvado. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  19. ^ "Le Luxembourg surpris à domicile" [Luxembourg surprised at home]. Luxemburger Wort (in French). 8 October 2020. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  20. ^ Mica Pinto at Soccerway
  21. ^ a b "Mica Pinto". European Football. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Cody Gakpo is the Eredivisie Player of the Month for the second month running". Eredivisie. 4 November 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Sparta en AZ domineren Eredivisie Elftal van de Maand in Maart" [Sparta and AZ dominate Eredivisie team of the month in March] (in Dutch). Eredivisie. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Eight clubs represent the Eredivisie Team of the Month for April". Eredivisie. 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.