Leandro Santos

The transfer that took Leandro Santos to Moreirense was not a simple sale. On 23 January 2026 the club paid Benfica 800,000 euros for the right-footed defender, signing him to a contract running to June 2030. Benfica kept a buy-back clause and half of the economic rights.

Santos had been at Benfica since 2017, arriving at under-15 level and working up through the under-17, under-19 and under-23 sides. In 2023/24 he played for Benfica U23 in the Liga Revelação. The following season took him into Benfica B in Liga Portugal 2, where he made 20 appearances, scored twice and set up three more.

That same 2024/25 season brought his first football with the senior side: three matches in the Primeira Liga and two in the Taça de Portugal. Benfica finished as runners-up in both competitions.

At Moreirense he made nine league appearances in 2025/26, picking up one booking, and added two more in 2026/27.

With Portugal's under-20s he has collected 11 caps between 2024 and 2026 without scoring. Four of his 2025/26 matches came in the Elite League; two more came at the Maurice Revello Tournament in 2026, where he started against Canada in a 6-1 win and provided an assist. He was also in the squad for the meeting with Japan, which Portugal lost 4-1.

By the time he left Benfica his career record stood at 49 matches, three goals and five assists.