João Pedro da Costa Gamboa (born 31 August 1996) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ekstraklasa club Pogoń Szczecin.

João Gamboa
Personal information
Full name João Pedro da Costa Gamboa[1]
Date of birth (1996-08-31) 31 August 1996 (age 28)[1]
Place of birth Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal[1]
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Pogoń Szczecin
Number 21
Youth career
2007–2010 Rio Ave
2010–2012 Varzim
2012–2013 Benfica
2013–2014 Varzim
2014–2015 Braga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 Varzim B 4 (0)
2014 Varzim 1 (0)
2015–2017 Braga B 60 (1)
2015–2017 Braga 8 (0)
2017–2020 Marítimo 35 (1)
2018–2019 Marítimo B 4 (0)
2019–2020Chaves (loan) 18 (0)
2020–2022 Estoril 63 (6)
2022–2023 OH Leuven 4 (0)
2023Estoril (loan) 17 (0)
2023– Pogoń Szczecin 29 (0)
International career
2011–2012 Portugal U16 4 (0)
2012 Portugal U17 2 (0)
2015–2016 Portugal U20 6 (0)
2017 Portugal U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:06, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

Club career

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Born in Póvoa de Varzim, Gamboa was on the books of local clubs Rio Ave F.C. and Varzim S.C. as a youth, also having a year with S.L. Benfica. In 2014 he made his senior debut with Varzim's reserve team in the Porto Football Association's first division, and a sole first-team appearance in the third tier on 23 March in a 0–1 home loss against F.C. Tirsense.[2]

Later in 2014, Gamboa signed for S.C. Braga, still as a junior. He made his professional debut for the reserves in the Segunda Liga on 19 April 2015 as an 80th-minute substitute for Nuno Valente, in a 1–0 away victory over S.C. Olhanense.[3] On 23 May, in the last Primeira Liga round of the season, he played his first competitive match for the main squad as they won 5–0 at home to Vitória de Setúbal; he featured the last 15 minutes in place of Eder.[4]

Gamboa was a regular for Braga's reserves the following campaign, scoring his first goal on 17 February 2016 to win 2–1 at home to S.C. Farense.[5] On 29 June that year, he signed a five-year contract at fellow top-flight club C.S. Marítimo with teammate Rodrigo Pinho also making the move; several other players had already transferred in the opposite direction.[6]

On 21 October 2017, Gamboa scored his first goal in the top tier to give Marítimo the lead at Setúbal, who came back to win 3–1.[7] He was also sent off twice that season in away fixtures against Big Three teams: a second yellow card in the 39th minute of a 3–1 defeat at Porto,[8] and a straight red card the following 3 March in a 5–0 loss to Benfica.[9]

Gamboa spent 2019–20 on loan at G.D. Chaves in division two.[10] At its conclusion, he signed for two years at G.D. Estoril Praia in the same competition.[11] He scored six goals from 32 games in his first season for the champions, with the subsequent promotion.[12][13]

Gamboa moved abroad for the first time aged 25, joining Oud-Heverlee Leuven of the Belgian Pro League on a three-year contract.[14] In the 2023 January transfer window, he returned to his previous club on loan.[15]

International career

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Gamboa represented Portugal at under-20 level, appearing in the 2016 Toulon Tournament.[16][17][18] He won his only cap for the under-21 team on 10 October 2017, in a 3–1 away loss against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2019 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.[19]

Personal life

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Gamboa's father Jorge was also a professional footballer who played as a winger. He too represented Braga.[20][4]

Honours

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Estoril

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Gamboa" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  2. ^ Nunes, Sílvia (23 March 2014). "Varzim volta a escorregar" [Varzim slip again] (in Portuguese). Varzim S.C. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Olhanense-Sp. Braga B, 0–1: Minhotos somam a 2.ª vitória seguida" [Olhanense-Sp. Braga B, 0–1: Men from Minho get 2nd win in a row]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b "A surpresa Gamboa" [Gamboa the surprise]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 May 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Farense perde em Braga com golo polémico já nos descontos" [Farense lose in Braga with controversial goal already in added time] (in Portuguese). Sul Informação. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Oficial: Gamboa e Rodrigo de Braga para o Marítimo" [Official: Braga's Gamboa and Rodrigo to Marítimo]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 29 June 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Vitória de Setúbal bate Marítimo por 3–1, numa reviravolta contra 10" [Vitória de Setúbal beat Marítimo 3–1, in a comeback against 10]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 21 October 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  8. ^ "FC Porto vence Marítimo e termina 2017 na liderança do campeonato" [FC Porto defeat Marítimo and end 2017 in first place in the championship]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 18 December 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Benfica routs Maritimo 5–0, stays close to Porto in Portugal". Associated Press. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  10. ^ "João Gamboa confirmado no Chaves por empréstimo do Marítimo" [João Gamboa confirmed at Chaves on loan from Marítimo]. Record (in Portuguese). 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  11. ^ "João Gamboa assina por duas épocas com o Estoril" [João Gamboa signs for two seasons with Estoril]. Record (in Portuguese). 16 July 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  12. ^ Ricardo, João (4 May 2021). "João Gamboa feliz com subida e Bruno Alves triste com descida" [João Gamboa happy with promotion and Bruno Alves sad with relegation] (in Portuguese). Rádio Onda Viva. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Futebol | Época 2020/2021: O ano do "Mágico"" [Football | 2020/2021 season: The year of the "Wizard"] (in Portuguese). Cascais.pt. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Portugese middenvelder tekent bij OH Leuven" [Portuguese midfielder signs with OH Leuven] (in Dutch). OH Leuven. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  15. ^ "João Gamboa de regresso ao Estoril" [João Gamboa returns to Estoril]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 30 December 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Portugal inicia Toulon com derrota frente a Inglaterra" [Portugal start Toulon with loss against England]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 19 May 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Sub-20: Portugal bateu a Guiné-Conacri" [Under-20: Portugal beat Guinea-Conakry] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  18. ^ "Sub-20: Portugal garante o pódio" [Under-20: Portugal confirm podium] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 29 May 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  19. ^ "COMENTÁRIO: Bósnia atrasa Portugal sem ideias na corrida ao Europeu de sub-21" [COMMENTARY: Bosnia delay clueless Portugal in run for under-21 Euro]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 10 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  20. ^ "João Gamboa já sonha com a seleção principal: "Renato e Guedes são exemplos"" [João Gamboa already dreaming of full national team: "Renato and Guedes are examples"]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 3 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
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