João Pedro (footballer, born 1986)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Guerra and the second or paternal family name is Cunha.

João Pedro Guerra Cunha (born 4 May 1986), known as João Pedro, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.

João Pedro

Personal information
Full name	João Pedro Guerra Cunha[1]
Date of birth	(1986-05-04) 4 May 1986 (age 39)[1]
Place of birth	Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Portugal[1]
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1998–2000	Ginásio Figueirense
2000–2004	Braga
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2008	Braga B	52	(12)
2006–2007	→ Penafiel (loan)	27	(3)
2007–2008	→ Beira-Mar (loan)	24	(2)
2008–2009	União Leiria	25	(0)
2009–2010	Oliveirense	29	(5)
2010–2013	Naval	76	(14)
2013–2016	Braga	14	(2)
2013–2014	→ Belenenses (loan)	24	(3)
2014–2015	→ Moreirense (loan)	33	(4)
2015–2016	→ Apollon Limassol (loan)	34	(1)
2016–2021	Apollon Limassol	145	(7)
2021–2022	Académica	14	(0)
2022	APOEL	14	(0)
International career
2003	Portugal U17	9	(1)
2004	Portugal U18	2	(1)
2004–2005	Portugal U19	3	(0)
2007	Portugal U20	2	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European U17 Championship Winner 2003 Portugal
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:04, 19 September 2022 (UTC)

Club career

Born in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Guarda District, João Pedro began his youth career at hometown club Ginásio Figueirense and completed it at S.C. Braga, where he made his debut with the reserve team in the third division in 2004. After two fairly regular seasons, he spent the following two loaned out a league higher, to F.C. Penafiel and S.C. Beira-Mar.^[2][3] In 2008, he moved to U.D. Leiria of the same level and one year later U.D. Oliveirense.^[4]

In 2010, João Pedro signed for Primeira Liga club Associação Naval 1º de Maio. He made his debut in the competition on 14 August, playing the full 90 minutes of a 0–1 home loss against FC Porto,^[5] and scored his first goal for them 16 days later, consolation in a 1–3 defeat to Sporting CP also at the Estádio Municipal José Bento Pessoa.^[6] In the second half of the campaign he was used only as a substitute, and the Figueira da Foz-based team were relegated.

On 17 January 2013, having scored nine goals for Naval in the first half of a season that would see them relegated for financial reasons, João Pedro returned to Braga.^[7] He found the net twice in the league in his second spell, against S.L. Benfica (1–2 home loss)^[8] and S.C. Beira-Mar (3–3, away).^[9]

João Pedro played only one minute for the Minho Province side in 2013–14, his European debut in a 1–0 win at CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu in the play-offs of the UEFA Europa League on 22 August.^[10] Eight days later, he was loaned to fellow top-tier club C.F. Os Belenenses,^[11] scoring on his debut but in a 2–3 home loss to C.D. Nacional where he featured 63 minutes from the bench.^[12]

On 17 July 2014, João Pedro signed a one-year loan with newly promoted Moreirense FC.^[13] He was an integral part of their team, missing only one game due to suspension for a red card in added time of a 2–1 home victory over local rivals Vitória S.C. in which he had scored the winner.^[14]

João Pedro moved abroad for the first time on 23 June 2015, joining Cypriot First Division's Apollon Limassol FC on loan^[15] and signing a permanent two-year contract in the following off-season.^[16]

Career statistics

As of match played on 11 May 2021

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Braga B	2004–05[17]	Segunda Divisão	26	8	—		—		—		—		26	8
	2005–06[17]		26	4	—		—		—		—		26	4
	Total		52	12	—		—		—		—		52	12
Braga	2004–05[17]	Primeira Liga	0	0	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
Penafiel (loan)	2006–07[17]	Segunda Liga	27	3	2	0	—		—		—		29	3
Beira-Mar (loan)	2007–08[17]		24	2	1	0	7	0	—		—		32	2
União Leiria	2008–09[17]		25	0	2	0	4	0	—		—		31	0
Oliveirense	2009–10[17]		29	5	3	1	2	0	—		—		34	6
Naval	2010–11[17]	Primeira Liga	26	2	1	0	3	1	—		—		30	3
	2011–12[17]	Segunda Liga	30	3	3	1	4	1	—		—		37	5
	2012–13[17]		20	9	2	1	6	1	—		—		28	11
	Total		76	14	6	2	13	3	—		—		95	19
Braga	2012–13[17]	Primeira Liga	14	2	1	0	2	0	—		—		17	2
	2013–14[17]		0	0	0	0	0	0	1[a]	0	—		1	0
	Total		14	2	1	0	2	0	1	0	—		18	2
Belenenses (loan)	2013–14[17]	Primeira Liga	24	3	0	0	4	0	—		—		28	3
Moreirense (loan)	2014–15[17]		33	4	1	0	2	0	—		—		36	4
Apollon Limassol (loan)	2015–16[18]	Cypriot First Division	34	1	6	0	—		6[a]	1	—		46	2
Apollon Limassol	2016–17[18]		30	3	7	1	—		2[a]	0	1[b]	0	40	4
	2017–18[18]		33	2	6	0	—		12[a]	1	1[b]	0	52	3
	2018–19[18]		29	0	5	0	—		13[a]	0	—		47	0
	2019–20[18]		21	1	3	0	—		8[a]	0	—		32	1
	2020–21[18]		32	1	0	0	—		1	0	—		33	1
	Total		145	7	21	1	—		36	1	2	0	204	9
Career total			482	53	44	4	34	3	43	2	2	0	605	62

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
2. Appearance in Cypriot Super Cup

Honours

Braga

• Taça da Liga: 2012–13^[19]

Apollon

• Cypriot Cup: 2015–16, 2016–17^[18]
• Cypriot Super Cup: 2016, 2017^[18]

Portugal

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2003^[20]