Nicholas Benavides Medeiros (Chinese: 尼高拉斯; born 5 November 2001) is a Hong Kong footballer who plays as a defender or winger for Tai Po and the Hong Kong national football team.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Nicholas Benavides Medeiros | ||
Date of birth | 5 November 2001 | ||
Place of birth | Tung Chung, Hong Kong | ||
Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defender, winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Tai Po | ||
Number | 87 | ||
Youth career | |||
–2021 | Lee Man | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2021–2024 | Sham Shui Po | 35 | (6) |
2024– | Tai Po | 8 | (0) |
International career | |||
2024– | Hong Kong | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 November 2024 |
Early life
editBenavides was born on 5 November 2001 in Tung Chung, Hong Kong to a Bolivian mother and a Chilean father and started playing football at the age of six.[1] He can speak Cantonese and Spanish and is the older brother of Hong Kong footballer Oscar Benavides.[2]
Club career
editAs a youth player, Benavides joined the youth academy of Lee Man, before starting his senior career with Sham Shui Po, where he made thirty-three league appearances and scored six goals and helped the club reach the final of the 2023–24 Hong Kong FA Cup. In 2024, he signed for Tai Po. On 1 September 2024, he debuted for the club during a 5–1 home win over Kowloon City in the league.
International career
editOn 15 October 2024, Benavides debuted for the Hong Kong national football team during a 3–0 home friendly win over the Cambodia national football team. Previously, he was eligible to represent Bolivia and Chile internationally through his parents, but he relinquished his citizenship of both countries in order to play for the Hong Kong national football team.[3]
References
editExternal links
edit- Nicholas Benavides at Soccerway