Beto (footballer, born 1998)

Norberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal (born 31 January 1998), known as Beto, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Everton.

Beto
Personal information
Full nameNorberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal[1]
Date of birth (1998-01-31) 31 January 1998 (age 26)[1]
Place of birthLisbon, Portugal[1]
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s)Striker
Team information
Current team
Everton
Number14
Youth career
2007–2011União Tires
2011–2012Benfica
2012–2013União Tires
2013–2014Oeiras
2014–2015União Tires
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2015–2018União Tires25(4)
2018–2019Olímpico Montijo34(21)
2019–2022Portimonense44(13)
2021–2022Udinese (loan)28(11)
2022–2023Udinese34(10)
2023–Everton30(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:07, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

Club career

Early years

Born in Lisbon of Bissau-Guinean descent, Beto started his senior career with amateurs União de Tires in the Lisbon Football Association, while working at KFC.[2] In 2018 he signed with Olímpico do Montijo of the third division, finishing second in the scoring charts in his only season with 21 goals.[3][4]

Portimonense

Beto moved straight to the Primeira Liga on 3 June 2019, joining Portimonense on a four-year contract.[5] He made his debut in the competition on 9 August, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute in a 0–0 home draw against B-SAD.[6] He finished the campaign with a further ten league appearances, all from the bench.

Beto scored his first goal in the Portuguese top division on 8 November 2020, but in a 3–1 away loss to Porto.[7] He added ten more during the season, best in the squad.[8]

Udinese

On the last day of the 2021 summer transfer window, Beto was transferred to Italian club Udinese on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy.[9] He scored four times in his first ten Serie A appearances, helping his team earn six points in the process.[10]

Beto netted a hat-trick in a 5–1 home win over Cagliari on 3 April 2022.[11]

Everton

On 29 August 2023, Beto joined Premier League club Everton on a four-year deal for a reported fee of around £25.8 million (€30 million).[12][13] The following day, he made his debut and scored his first goal for the Toffees in a 2–1 victory at Doncaster Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup.[14] His league bow took place on 2 September, when he featured the entire 2–2 draw away to Sheffield United.[15]

Beto scored his first goal in the league on 7 December 2023, closing the 3–0 win over Newcastle United at Goodison Park after playing the last minutes in place of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.[16] Twelve days later, he equalised 1–1 against Fulham in the League Cup quarter-finals and later converted his penalty shootout attempt, but the opposition advanced with a 7–6 victory.[17]

International career

In October 2022, Beto was named in a preliminary Portugal 55-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[18]

Personal life

Beto idolised Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o as a child, and signed his name as "Beto'o". He named Beethoven's Ninth as his music to listen to before training.[2][19]

Career statistics

As of match played 19 May 2024[20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup[a]League cup[b]Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Olímpico Montijo2018–19Campeonato de Portugal3421203621
Portimonense2019–20Primeira Liga1100000110
2020–21Primeira Liga3011103111
2021–22Primeira Liga32002052
Total441310204713
Udinese (loan)2021–22Serie A2811102911
Udinese2022–23Serie A3310103410
2023–24Serie A101121
Total6221316522
Everton2023–24Premier League3033042375
Career total17058916218561

Honours

Individual

References