Nelson Semedo is a Portuguese soccer player who has played for the Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Portugal national team. He plays as a right-back for the club and his country. And Nelson has played with both Messi and Ronaldo.
In October 2022, he was named in Portugal’s preliminary 55-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, he is not going to Qatar this time too.
Early Popularity is all thanks to the years of constant grinding of one’s skills. Every day, he nears another step of pride, bagging titles.
Nelson Semedo commenced as a soccer player early from school and was already making his debut at 17.
Nelson Semedo has claimed back-to-back Primeira Liga titles while winning the La Liga title twice.
Additionally, he has featured in the international arena for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup while bagging the 2019 UEFA Nations League.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Nélson Cabral Semedo |
| Date of Birth | November 16, 1993 |
| Birth Place | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Nick Name | Motorcyclist |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Ethnicity | African |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Age | 30 years old |
| Height | 1.77 m (5’10”) |
| Weight | 152 lbs (69 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Not available |
| Mother’s Name | Name unknown |
| Siblings | An elder brother |
| Education | Not Available |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Marlene Alvarenga |
| Kids | A daughter, Luana Pereira Semedo |
| Profession | Soccer Player |
| Position | Right-back |
| Affiliations | Sintrense Benfica Barcelona Wolverhampton Wanderers (Present) |
| Active Years | 2011-present |
| Net Worth | $19 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Body Measurements
Nelson Semedo is a physically strong man with a lean figure and a decent height of 1.77 m. Furthermore, the right-back weighs 152 lbs.
As for his appearance, Semedo is a tan-skinned guy with short black hair and black eyes.
Nelson Semedo | Early Life
Semedo (fully named Nélson Cabral Semedo) was born to a Catholic household on November 16, 1993. He grew up in Lisbon, Portugal, because he was born under Scorpio’s sun sign.
Though much is unknown about his parents, he was raised by his mother alongside his older brother.
Semedo is a mixed child of both Portuguese and Cape Verdean heritage.
As he spent his childhood in the Portuguese suburb of Mira-Sintra, he was an avid video game player.
Back then, he used to play the soccer simulation video game FIFA, and among all the teams, he was a fan of Barcelona FC.
In addition to that, he used to wear their jersey and play soccer in the streets.
Who could have reasonably thought that the guy who played soccer in the streets would come up to play in the most significant arena on that field? Also, for the team to who he had always aspired!
Altogether, there is no information regarding his academics and a more parental system.
However, his continued love for the sport earned him an opportunity for the first time in the professional platform in Sintrense.
“I had never played for an official team. Actually, I tried a few times when I was young, but I couldn’t manage it. I started playing in the streets.”
-Nelson Semedo
Nelson Semedo | Club Career
Before he got recognized by a club to play in the professional arena, Semedo had stated how people didn’t feel confident in the games.
As an illustration, they thought his body stature wouldn’t be perfect for the games as he wasn’t that athletically built.
However, it was all proved wrong when the Sintrense took an interest in bis gameplay. He passed the trials for the club he enrolled in the youth team.
Sintrense
Furthermore, the coach well maintained the club to guide him, and in three years, he made a definite improvement.
Additionally, his game debut was at a young phase at 17 years old.
Benfica
Alongside the Sintrense, Semedo was promoted to the senior club, and his needs were acquired by the club Benfica.
Back in 2012 when they foremost dealt a contract for five years alongside his teammate, Manuel Liz.
Before getting assigned to the Benfica B-side, Semedo had spent a year in the Centro Desportivo de Fatima as a loan.
Afterward, Semedo was assigned to the B-side in the Segunda Liga, where he made his professional debut against Trofense.
Later, Semedo extended his contract with Benfica and partook in North America’s preseason games tour.
In 2015, Semedo struggled with a significant injury in his career, which put him off for two months.
However, even after recovery, he did not do particularly well and was seen on the reserve list.
Additionally, he had a setback thought of leaving Benfica and moving to smaller teams. Altogether, Semedo’s former coach Jogo convinced him to go on with the Benfica.
In addition to staying on the team, he took his place in the starting lineup as he became the third-most used player in the club.
Following it, he claimed wins in Arouca, the UEFA Champions League against the Beşiktaş, and the Taça de Portugal against the Vitória de Guimarães.
Alongside these glorious victories, Semedo also won the Breakthrough Player of the Year award from the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional.
Barcelona
On July 14, 2017, Nelson Semedo signed a five-year contract with Barcelona worth €30.5 million.
Besides this, he was to get an additional €5 million for every 50 matches he appeared in for his new team.
Furthermore, Semedo made his foremost game for his new team with an unfortunate loss over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
However, his one-game loss did not pull him down to any level.
As he debuted in the Champions League, the next match, he bagged the win for his club over Juventus.
Likewise, his most appreciated goal was in the match against Girona and Alavés.
During his tenure in Barcelona, Nelson Semedo earned 30 million euros (£27.61m) plus 10m euros “in variables.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Nelson Smedo plays for the English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He signed the contract in September 2020 for three years worth €30 million and £10 million in add-ons.
View this post on Instagram
Overall, his initial appearance was for the Premier League with a victory over West Ham United.
He has also played at the Molineux Stadium, facing Fulham for the next Premier League.
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Nelson Semedo | Playing Style and International Career
The Portuguese player has featured in the international arena for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches, Portugal’s 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
All in all, Semedo is seen as an aggressive player who makes up a potent running style. As per many, Semedo is hard to tackle for opponents.
As a full-back, he ranks third for passes completed per 90 with 52.35.
Overall, during their tenure as the Portugal national team’s member in October 2015 for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches, they faced Denmark and Serbia.
Following it, he bagged the victory against the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade.
Nelson Semedo | Comment on Cristiano Ronaldo
After Ronaldo decided to leave Madrid, Semedo made a diplomatic comment about him.
“I cannot say that it was bad for us that Cristiano left. With him, it would have been a more difficult league for us, more competitive.
“Ronaldo is a player that requires a lot of attention and care. Without Lionel Messi, we would play well, but not the same.”
Semedo is one of the rare players who has been lucky enough to play alongside Messi and Ronaldo simultaneously.
However, no doubt that Semedo himself is one of the remarkable players who complete his team.
Nelson Semedo | Achievements
Semedo is a strong right-back with all the attributes required for a modern full-back.
Despite it, Nelson Semedo stands only at 14th among right-backs in LaLiga for forwarding passes and has made few runway achievements.
Altogether, known for his speed, ball control, dribbling, and passing, Nelson Semedo has acquired the following.
- LPFP Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year (2016-17)
- Primeira Liga (2015–16 & 2016–17)
- Taça de Portugal (2016–17)
- Taça da Liga (2015–16)
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (2016)
- SJPF Primeira Liga Team of the Year (2016-2017)
- UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI (2017)
- UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament (2019)
- La Liga (2017–18 & 2018–19)
- Copa del Rey (2017–18)
- Supercopa de España (2018)
- 2x Portuguese champion
- 2x Spanish champion 1x Portuguese league cup winner
- 1x Young player of the year 2017
- 1x Portuguese cup winner in 2017
- 1x Portuguese Super Cup winner in 2017
- 1x Winner UEFA Nations League 2019
- UEFA Nations League Finals UEFA Nations League Finals
- 1x Spanish cup winner 17/18 FC Barcelona FC Barcelona
- 2x Spanish Super Cup winner
Nelson Semedo | Sold to Wolves
On September 23, 2020, Nelson was traded by FC Barcelona with the Wolves while he had a remaining one year and nine months of contract duration.
His market value at the time of transfer was $47Million (€40 Million).
Barcelona stated that they had sold Nelson Semedo to Wolverhampton Wanderers for €30 million-plus €10 million in variables.
The right-back left Camp Nou after three years, 122 appearances, and two La Liga titles with the Catalan giants.
Net Worth
We all are well-known for the soccer craze and how it is celebrated worldwide. Therefore, there is no wonder how huge soccer players earn with their gameplay.
Talking about Nelson Semedo, he enjoys a whopping net worth of $19 million today.
He joined the Wolves in September 2020, and the contract will expire on June 30, 2023.
To illustrate, the player has a market value of £31.50 million with an average annual salary of 1.6 Million euros as he earns €7,932 (£7,293) per day.
His current market value is $21.11 million.
Additionally, he resides in his beautiful house with his small family and pet dog, Pluto. Semedo is often seen driving his luxurious Audi car.
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House Robbery
In 2019, Nelson Semedo also had his house robbed before his match against Real Madrid in El Clasico.
According to the news, the incident occurred at 2 pm in the late afternoon, which was later caught in October.
As the investigation worked, four men were arrested (from Madrid and Toledo), and they found many stolen jewels and €10k.
Nelson Semedo | Private Life
We have all heard Semedo’s weird nickname, and what’s more bizarre is that the name is so common.
It was a random name from his Barcelona teammates, and Nelson Semedo had spoken for it.
“They call me the motorcyclist! It’s because I give the team depth on the flank. We work in training to perfect that quality, and so that nickname stuck.”
-Nelson Semedo
As a quick fact, Nelson Semedo is a close friend of Christiano Ronaldo. Additionally, he has a variety of tattoos inked on his arm.
Among them, his recent one is the face of Jesus Christ on his right arm.
Hamstring Injury
In season 22/23, Nelson suffered a hamstring injury. He got injured on April 30, 2022, and lasted till August 12, 2022.
Finally, he recovered after 104 days which made him miss the six matches of the Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Love Life and Social Media
Nelson Semedo is like most athletes, private with their personal life and stays in their own space.
View this post on Instagram
Currently, he shares a beautiful nuclear family with his wife, Marlene Alvarenga, who is active on her Instagram page.
Currently, the lovely duo shares two children, a daughter, and a son.
| Instagram handle | @nelsonsemedo50 (3.1M followers) |
| Twitter handle | @nelsonsemedo (211.9k followers) |
| Facebook handle | @OfficialNelsonSemedo (2.2M followers) |
Nelson Semedo | Popularity
As a Portuguese national player and the right-back for a Premier League club, Semedo is quite popular as a rising soccer star.
The above graph shows people’s interest in Nelson worldwide in one year.
Nelson Semedo | Common Questions
How fast is Nelson Semedo?
Until today, Nelson Semedo has recorded 35.16 km/h to be his top speed, which had even earned him the fastest player of Matchday 30 in LaLiga.
What is the jersey number of Nelson Semedo?
As a Portugal’s National Team member, Nelson Semedo features jersey number 11, seen in jersey number 22 for Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.
What position does Nelson Semedo play?
Nelson Semedo features in the gameplay as the defender.
What is Nelson Semedo’s career statistic?
To date, Nelson Semedo has played a total of 370 games and has sixteen total goals.
