Gelson Martins

Portuguese footballer (born 1995) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gelson Martins

Gelson Dany Batalha Martins (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒɛlsɐ̃ mɐɾˈtĩʃ]; born 11 May 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Super League Greece club Olympiacos. Born in Cape Verde, he represented the Portugal national team.

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...
Gelson Martins
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Martins with Portugal at the 2017 Confederations Cup
Personal information
Full name Gelson Dany Batalha Martins[1]
Date of birth (1995-05-11) 11 May 1995 (age 29)[2]
Place of birth Praia, Cape Verde
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[3]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
Olympiacos
Number 10
Youth career
2008–2010 Futebol Benfica
2010–2014 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Sporting CP B 40 (6)
2015–2018 Sporting CP 92 (18)
2018–2019 Atlético Madrid 8 (0)
2019Monaco (loan) 16 (4)
2019–2024 Monaco 87 (11)
2024– Olympiacos 38 (7)
International career
2012–2013 Portugal U18 10 (0)
2013–2014 Portugal U19 21 (7)
2014–2015 Portugal U20 9 (3)
2015–2017 Portugal U21 5 (2)
2016 Portugal U23 1 (1)
2016–2018 Portugal 21 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
FIFA Confederations Cup
2017 Russia
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Runner-up2014 Hungary
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:55, 13 April 2025 (UTC)
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He began his career at Sporting CP, appearing in 140 competitive matches and winning two trophies during his three-year tenure. In 2018, he signed with Atlético Madrid and, the following year, joined Monaco, initially on loan.[4] He moved to Olympiacos in January 2024, notably winning the 2024–25 Super League Greece.

A Portugal international since 2016, Martins was part the squads at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Club career

Summarize
Perspective

Sporting CP

Born in Praia, Cape Verde, Martins moved to Portugal in his teens and played youth football with C.F. Benfica and Sporting CP. In March 2014, he was promoted to the B team of the latter and signed a contract lasting until 2019 and which included a release clause of €45 million.[5] During his youth spell, his goal against C.F. União de Coimbra earned the praise of many,[6] even though his coach at Sporting B had previously said that he was being "harmed" by not playing in his preferred position as winger.[7]

Martins made his professional debut on 24 August 2014, coming on as a late substitute for Lewis Enoh in a 1–0 away win against S.C. Olhanense in the Segunda Liga.[8] On 21 December, he scored his first goal in the competition, contributing to a 3–1 victory at Vitória S.C. B.[9]

In summer 2015, Martins was promoted to the main squad by new manager Jorge Jesus.[10] He made his competitive debut on 9 August, playing injury time in a 1–0 win over S.L. Benfica in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.[11]

Martins first appeared in the Primeira Liga on 14 August 2015, playing one minute in a 2–1 defeat of newly promoted C.D. Tondela.[12] On 15 January of the following year, against the same opponent, he scored Sporting's 5,000th goal in the competition, putting the hosts ahead in an eventual 2–2 draw.[13]

On 11 June 2018, Martins requested that his contract with Sporting be terminated[14] following an incident in May in which a group of around 50 supporters invaded the club's training centre and assaulted several players and staff members.[15]

Atlético Madrid

On 18 July 2018, Martins accepted an offer from Atlético Madrid.[16] One week later, he was announced as a new player of the Spanish club after agreeing to a five-year deal on a free transfer.[17] Sporting made an official complaint to FIFA over the transfer demanding compensation of €100 million, the release clause of his cancelled contract,[18] and in May 2019 announced it had reached an agreement worth €22.5 million for the unlawful signing.[19]

Martins made his La Liga debut on 20 August 2018 in a 1–1 away draw with Valencia CF, where he played 18 minutes in place of Antoine Griezmann.[20] Two months later, in a 1–0 victory against amateurs UE Sant Andreu in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey, he scored his first goal.[21]

During his spell at the Metropolitano Stadium, Martins was sparingly played by coach Diego Simeone.[22][23]

Monaco

On 27 January 2019, Martins joined AS Monaco FC on loan until the end of the season.[24] He made his first Ligue 1 appearance on 2 February, providing an assist for Aleksandr Golovin early in the first half and also being involved in Cesc Fàbregas' goal in the 2–1 home victory over Toulouse FC.[25]

In July 2019, Martins joined Monaco outright after signing a five-year contract.[26] The following 1 February, at the 30-minute mark of an away fixture against Nîmes Olympique, he repeatedly pushed referee Mikael Lesage in retaliation for his teammate Tiémoué Bakayoko's ejection seconds before, and was too sent off as his team eventually lost 3–1.[27] For his actions, he was issued a six-month suspension on 5 March.[28][29]

Martins took part in no competitive games in the first half of the 2023–24 campaign.[30][31]

Olympiacos

Martins moved to the Super League Greece with Olympiacos F.C. on 2 January 2024, agreeing to a deal until June 2026 for a reported fee of €3 million.[32][33][34]

International career

Martins was in the Portugal squad for the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, playing all the matches en route to a runner-up finish in Hungary.[35] He also represented the nation at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring in the group stage against Senegal[36] and in the round of 16 against hosts New Zealand[37] in an eventual quarter-final exit.[38]

In late September 2016, Martins got his first call up to the senior team, for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and the Faroe Islands.[39] He won his first cap against the former, replacing Pepe for the last 18 minutes of the 6–0 win in Aveiro.[40]

Martins was picked by manager Fernando Santos for his 2018 FIFA World Cup squad.[41] He made his debut in the competition on 20 June, playing roughly 30 minutes in the 1–0 group stage defeat of Morocco after replacing Bernardo Silva.[42]

Style of play

Mainly a winger on both flanks, Martins can also operate as a right-back, a trait which cemented his place in the junior national teams.[43]

Personal life

Martins' cousin, Euclides Cabral, is also a footballer.[44]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 April 2025[45]
More information Club, Season ...
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sporting CP B 2014–15 Segunda Liga 406406
Sporting CP 2014–15 Primeira Liga 0000200020
2015–16 29431217[c]11[d]0427
2016–17 32640216[e]0447
2017–18 318513113[f]35213
Total 9218122932641014027
Atlético Madrid 2018–19 La Liga 80212[e]000121
Monaco (loan) 2018–19 Ligue 1 16400100000174
Monaco 2019–20 Ligue 1 2142000234
2020–21 23340273
2021–22 3245010[g]1475
2022–23 110103[h]0150
Total 10315120101310012916
Olympiacos 2023–24 Super League Greece 14110151
2024–25 246407[i]0356
Total 38750700000507
Career total 281463231034851037257
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  1. One appearance in UEFA Champions League, six appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. Eight appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, five appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  4. Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
  6. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

More information National team, Year ...
National teamYearAppsGoals
Portugal[46] 201630
2017120
201860
Total210
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Honours

Sporting CP

Atlético Madrid

Olympiacos

Portugal

Individual

References

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