João Marcos Lima Cândido

João Marcos Lima Cândido made the jump from Brazilian youth football to Portuguese club football via the Gulf, and the loan road he has travelled since says as much about his career as any single move. Born in Araguaína, Tocantins, he came through the youth ranks at Vila Nova before joining Goiás, where he rose through the age groups and was promoted to the senior squad, making his professional debut in November 2020.

His path then turned abroad, to Al Wahda in the United Arab Emirates, followed by a loan to Al Dhafra to finish out that season. In August 2022 he signed a three-year contract with Santa Clara in Portugal, a move that opened the door to the sequence of loans that has defined his career since. At Belenenses SAD he scored six goals in 18 appearances, his most productive spell in Europe, before a further loan to B-SAD and then to Leixões. He joined Alverca in July 2024 and scored four goals across that season.

In June 2025 he signed for Ararat-Armenia from Santa Clara, scoring once in 11 matches before a loan move to Feirense in February 2026, where he has since added a goal in ten appearances. He later joined Tondela, where he has scored twice in Liga Portugal 2.

He has not been capped by Brazil at senior level, and his career so far has been built without a major team title or individual award — instead marked by a series of short-term moves.