Gonçalo do Lago Pontes Esteves (born 27 February 2004) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar, on loan from Sporting CP.[3]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gonçalo do Lago Pontes Esteves[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 27 February 2004 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Aboim das Choças, Portugal[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | AZ Alkmaar (on loan from Sporting CP) | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 27 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | ADECAS | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2021 | FC Porto | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Padroense (youth loan) | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Sporting CP B | 22 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Sporting CP | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022 | → Estoril (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | → AZ Alkmaar (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Portugal U16 | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Portugal U18 | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Portugal U19 | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Portugal U20 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:04, 18 October 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:04, 18 October 2023 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Club career
Born in Aboim das Choças, Arcos de Valdevez,[4] Esteves started his career with ADC Aboim/Sabadim, before joining Porto. He also spent time on a youth loan at Padroense.[3]
Esteves signed for Sporting CP from Porto in July 2021.[5][6] He settled well at his new club, and within a week had impressed first-team manager Rúben Amorim enough to secure a place in first team training.[4][7]
Following good performances for the Lisbon side's B team, Esteves was included in The Guardian's "Next Generation" list for 2021.[8] He scored his first goal for Sporting's B team in a 2–0 victory over Cova da Piedade on 1 October 2021.[9] Two weeks later, he made his first-team debut in the third round of the Taça de Portugal, starting in a 4–0 win at C.F. Os Belenenses.[10] His Primeira Liga debut came on 18 December, again starting in a 3–0 win at Gil Vicente FC; he had been guaranteed his place by Amorim due to the absences of Pedro Porro and Ricardo Esgaio through injury and COVID-19 respectively.[11][12]
On 30 June 2022, Esteves was loaned to fellow top-flight team G.D. Estoril Praia for the upcoming season.[13] In his second game on 14 August, he was sent off after an hour of a 1–0 loss at Vitória de Guimarães.[14]
On 5 January 2024, Esteves joined Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar on loan until the end of the 2023–24 season, with an option to make the move permanent,[15] reported to be €2 million.[16]
International career
Esteves has represented Portugal at youth international level.[17]
Personal life
Esteves' older brother, Tomás, is also a footballer who plays as a right-back.[5][18]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 30 September 2023[19]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting CP B | 2021–22 | Liga 3 | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| 2022–23 | Liga 3 | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Liga 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 22 | 1 | — | — | — | 22 | 1 | |||||
| Sporting CP | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Estoril (loan) | 2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| Career total | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||