Tiago Ferreira (footballer, born 1993)

Tiago Emanuel Canelas Almeida Ferreira CvIH^[2] (born 10 July 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Liga Portugal 2 club União de Leiria.

Tiago Ferreira

Ferreira with Portugal U19 in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Tiago Emanuel Canelas Almeida Ferreira[1]
Date of birth	(1993-07-10) 10 July 1993 (age 32)[1]
Place of birth	Porto, Portugal[1]
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	União Leiria
Number	2
Youth career
2001–2002	Infesta
2002–2007	Boavista
2006–2007	→ Pasteleira (loan)
2007–2012	Porto
2008–2009	→ Padroense (loan)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2014	Porto B	70	(1)
2014–2015	Waregem	2	(0)
2015–2017	União Madeira	32	(1)
2017–2020	Universitatea Craiova	61	(0)
2020–2022	MTK	27	(1)
2022	Tractor	5	(0)
2022	Kukësi	13	(1)
2023	Trofense	18	(0)
2023–	União Leiria	41	(1)
International career
2008	Portugal U15	3	(0)
2008–2009	Portugal U16	8	(0)
2009–2010	Portugal U17	16	(0)
2010–2011	Portugal U18	9	(0)
2011–2012	Portugal U19	18	(2)
2011–2013	Portugal U20	28	(2)
2013	Portugal U21	2	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal FIFA U-20 World Cup Runner-up 2011 Colombia
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:37, 26 May 2025 (UTC)

Club career

Porto

Born in Porto, Ferreira played youth football with five clubs in the area, finishing his development with FC Porto after joining at the age of 14. He made his professional debut with the reserves that competed in the second division, his first appearance in the competition being on 12 August 2012 in a 2–2 away draw against C.D. Tondela.^[3]

Ferreira played 35 matches and scored one goal^[4] in the 2013–14 season to help his team to a final runner-up position in the second tier, but they were ineligible for promotion. In summer 2014, after failing to appear once in competitive games for the main squad, he was released.^[5]

Zulte Waregem

On 15 July 2014, free agent Ferreira signed a four-year contract with S.V. Zulte Waregem.^[6][7] He made his Belgian Pro League debut on 3 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 loss at K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen.^[8]

União Madeira

Ferreira returned to his country in the 2015 off-season, joining C.F. União on a three-year deal.^[9] His maiden appearance in the Primeira Liga took place on 28 November, when he played one minute in a 2–2 away draw against Vitória de Setúbal.^[10]

Sparingly played by manager Luís Norton de Matos in his debut campaign, Ferreira also saw his side be relegated.^[11] He asked to be released from contract in May 2017 claiming unpaid wages, which led to criticism from club president Filipe Silva.^[12]

Universitatea Craiova

On 21 July 2017, Ferreira joined Romanian club CS Universitatea Craiova.^[13] He played his first game in the Liga I nine days later, when he featured 77 minutes in a 1–1 away draw with FC Steaua București.^[14]

Ferreira was released by mutual consent on 23 April 2020.^[15]

MTK

On 11 June 2020, Ferreira agreed to a contract at MTK Budapest FC of the Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság I.^[16] He scored his only goal on 29 April 2021, in a 1–3 home defeat against Fehérvár FC.^[17]

After struggling to find a place in the team under coaches Vaszilisz Teodoru and Gábor Márton, Ferreira severed is ties in January 2022.^[18][19]

Later career

Subsequently, Ferreira represented in quick succession Tractor SC (Persian Gulf Pro League),^[20] FK Kukësi (Albanian Kategoria Superiore),^[21] C.D. Trofense^[22] and U.D. Leiria (Portuguese second division).^[23][24]

International career

Ferreira earned 84 caps for Portugal at youth level.^[25] He appeared in two FIFA World Cup tournaments with the under-20 team, helping them to finish second in the 2011 edition in Colombia.^[26][27]

Career statistics

As of 4 May 2024^[28]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Porto B	2012–13	Segunda Liga	36	0	—		—		—		—		36	0
	2013–14		34	1	—		—		—		—		34	1
	Total		70	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	70	1
Zulte Waregem	2014–15	Belgian Pro League	2	0	0	0	—		1[a]	0	—		3	0
União Madeira	2015–16	Primeira Liga	7	0	1	0	1	0	—		—		9	0
	2016–17	Liga Pro	25	1	0	0	1	0	—		—		26	1
	Total		32	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	35	1
Universitatea Craiova	2017–18	Liga I	27	0	5	0	—		1[a]	0	—		33	0
	2018–19		25	0	3	0	—		2[a]	0	1[b]	0	31	0
	2019–20		9	0	2	0	—		1[a]	0	—		12	0
	Total		61	0	10	0	0	0	4	0	1	0	76	0
MTK	2020–21	Nemzeti Bajnokság I	16	1	0	0	—		—		—		16	1
	2021–22		11	0	0	0	—		—		—		11	0
	Total		27	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	27	1
Tractor	2021–22	Persian Gulf Pro League	5	0	0	0	—		—		—		5	0
Kukësi	2022–23	Kategoria Superiore	13	1	1	0	—		—		—		14	1
Trofense	2022–23	Liga Portugal 2	18	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		18	0
União Leiria	2023–24	Liga Portugal 2	14	1	0	0	0	0	—		—		14	1
Career total			242	5	12	0	2	0	5	0	1	0	262	5

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
2. Appearance in Supercupa României

Honours

Universitatea Craiova

• Cupa României: 2017–18
• Supercupa României runner-up: 2018

Portugal U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 2011^[26]

Orders

• Knight of the Order of Prince Henry^[29]