Hélder Luís Lopes Vieira Tavares

Hélder Tavares has built a career on constant movement between leagues, but it is Tondela that keeps pulling him back. He arrived at the club for the first time in 2015 and stayed four years, making 102 appearances and scoring twice, before leaving for spells in Turkey with Altay and Giresunspor and a return to Romania with FC Voluntari. In 2023 he rejoined Tondela, and the second stint has already produced more football than the first — 75 appearances and a goal. It culminated in the 2024–25 season, when Tondela won the Liga Portugal 2 title and secured promotion to the Primeira Liga.

Tavares started out at Tojal before working his way up through C.D. Portosantense, C.D. Pinhalnovense and S.C. Beira-Mar, then had his first taste of football abroad at FC Oțelul Galați in Romania.

Internationally, Tavares represents Cape Verde. He made his debut in a friendly against Luxembourg in March 2017 and went on to earn 14 senior caps up to 2021, featuring in qualifiers for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2022 World Cup. He has yet to score for the national side.

At club level his numbers have been steadiest in Portugal: alongside his two Tondela spells, he scored four goals in 51 appearances for Portosantense and added a goal apiece at Beira-Mar, Pinhalnovense, Oțelul Galați, Voluntari and Altay.