Valdo (footballer, born 1981)

2.1. Personal background and childhood

Valdo was born on 23 April 1981, in Villablino, a municipality in the province of León, Spain. His parents had migrated from Cape Verde to Spain, settling in the Laciana region where they found work in the local coal mines. This background provided him with a dual heritage, later influencing his international career choices.

2.2. Early football career

Valdo began his football journey at a young age, joining the amateur club CF Pozuelo de Alarcón in Madrid. He spent seven formative years with the club, from 1993 to 2001, where he developed his fundamental skills and laid the groundwork for his professional career.

3.1. Real Madrid and Castilla

In 2001, Valdo joined Real Madrid to play for their reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, which was then competing in Segunda División B. During the 2001-02 season, he made 60 appearances and scored 8 goals for Castilla, contributing to their victory in Group 3 of the Segunda División B. His performances earned him opportunities with the senior Real Madrid squad in the same season, where he made his debut in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. Although he featured in only three official matches for the first team during the 2001-02 season, he was part of the squad that famously won the Champions League title. He made one further appearance for the senior team in the 2002-03 Copa del Rey before moving on.

3.2. Osasuna

In January 2003, Valdo moved to fellow La Liga club CA Osasuna, initially on loan. He quickly established himself, making 13 appearances and scoring 1 goal during the remainder of the 2002-03 season. His successful loan spell led to a permanent transfer to Osasuna. In his first full season, 2003-04, he played 35 games and scored 5 goals, including a notable goal against his former club, Real Madrid, in a 3-0 away victory on 11 April 2004.

Valdo continued to be a key player for Osasuna. In the 2004-05 Copa del Rey, he helped the team reach the final, where they finished as runners-up. During the 2005-06 season, despite being hampered by a groin injury, Valdo scored a crucial goal in a 2-1 home win against FC Barcelona on 12 March 2006. That season, Osasuna achieved a historic fourth-place finish in La Liga, qualifying for the Champions League qualifying rounds for the first time in the club's history. After being reallocated to the UEFA Cup (now Europa League), he played a significant role in the 2006-07 campaign, scoring twice in 10 matches as Osasuna reached the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Sevilla FC. Overall, he made 129 appearances and scored 22 goals in official matches for Osasuna.

3.3. Espanyol

At the end of the 2006-07 season, Valdo signed a four-year contract with RCD Espanyol. He made his debut for the Barcelona-based club in a pre-season match against CF Peralada. In his first season, 2007-08, he was a regular, featuring in 31 league matches. However, his playing time significantly decreased in the 2008-09 season due to the emergence of Ferran Corominas. During his two seasons with Espanyol, he made 50 official appearances and scored 7 goals, contributing to the team's run to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

3.4. Málaga CF

On 14 July 2009, after struggling for playing time at Espanyol, Valdo was loaned to Málaga CF for the entire 2009-10 season. Initially, his performances were inconsistent, leading to him being dropped from the squad for several months. However, he was recalled on 27 February 2010 and scored his first goal for the club on the same day against Barcelona at Camp Nou, though Málaga ultimately lost the match 1-2. He concluded his loan spell with 22 appearances and 2 goals for Málaga.

3.5. Levante UD

On 13 August 2010, Valdo left Espanyol permanently and signed with Levante UD, where he reunited with former Málaga teammates Gustavo Munúa and Xavi Torres. His first spell at Levante was highly impactful. In the 2010-11 season, he played a crucial role in helping Levante retain their top-flight status, making 25 starts and accumulating 2,119 minutes of play. He scored important goals against Getafe CF in a 2-0 home win and against Villarreal CF in a 1-0 away victory.

Valdo's contributions became even more significant in the 2011-12 season. He scored six goals, including two near the end of the season in home victories against Atlético Madrid (2-0) and Granada CF (3-1). That season, Levante achieved a historic sixth-place finish in La Liga, their highest-ever league position, which secured their first-ever qualification for the UEFA Europa League. He also helped the team reach the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

After a brief stint in Mexico, Valdo returned to Levante on loan for the 2012-13 season. During this period, he made 16 appearances and contributed to Levante's best-ever performance in a European club competition, reaching the Europa League Round of 16.

3.6. Later career

Following his second departure from Levante, Valdo's career saw him play for several clubs in quick succession. He moved to Asteras Tripoli in Greece for the 2013-14 season, where he made 9 league appearances. Despite limited playing time, he was part of the squad that finished fifth in the Super League Greece, which secured qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round.

He then returned to Spain to play for Racing de Santander in the Segunda División during the 2014-15 season, making only one appearance. In 2015, he joined Atlético de Kolkata in the Indian Super League, where he played 9 matches and scored 1 goal.

On 1 September 2016, Valdo signed with CD Lealtad in Spain, where he played 19 matches and scored 1 goal during the 2016-17 season. He then moved to Peña Sport FC for the 2017-18 season, making 33 appearances and scoring 6 goals. His final club was CD Izarra, where he played 32 matches and scored 1 goal in the 2019-20 season. Valdo retired from professional football at the end of the 2019-2020 season, concluding a career that spanned 19 years.

4.1. Spain

In the early 2000s, Valdo played for the Spanish under-21 national team. He made 6 appearances and scored 3 goals for the U-21 squad in 2003, showcasing his talent on the international youth stage.

4.2. Cape Verde

At the age of 30, in late August 2011, Valdo received his first call-up to the Cape Verde national team, the country of his parents' origin. He made his senior international debut on 3 September 2011, in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Mali, which Cape Verde lost 0-3 away. A month later, on 8 October, he scored his first and only international goal in a 2-1 victory against Zimbabwe during the final match of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Despite his goal, he was not called up to the national team again after this match.

6.1. Club statistics

6.2. International statistics