Samuel Soares nears new Benfica contract
Benfica and their 24-year-old goalkeeper are close to agreeing renewal terms, with regular starts this season having eased his earlier reluctance to extend.
Samuel Soares
Goalkeeper · Benfica · №24
28
Matches
8
In the starting XI
450
Minutes
0
Goals
0
Assists
Recent matches
| Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
Moreirense
Benfica
Primeira Liga
|
0:4 | |
Marítimo
Benfica
Primeira Liga
|
0:3 | |
Benfica
Estoril
Primeira Liga
|
2:1 | |
Aarhus GF
Benfica
UEFA Europa League
|
1:3 | |
|
Benfica
Aarhus GF
UEFA Europa League
|
3:1 | |
Casa Pia AC
Benfica
Primeira Liga
|
0:7 | |
Benfica
Académico Viseu
Primeira Liga
|
2:2 | |
Benfica
Heart of Midlothian
UEFA Europa League
|
6:1 | |
Benfica
FC St. Gallen
UEFA Europa League
|
5:0 | |
|
FC St. Gallen
Benfica
UEFA Europa League
|
2:1 |
Season statistics
28
Matches
8
In the starting XI
0
Goals
0
Assists
450
Minutes
| Competition | Season | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Primeira Liga | 2025 | 11 |
| UEFA Champions League | 2025 | 7 |
| Primeira Liga | 2026 | 5 |
| UEFA Europa League | 2026 | 5 |
About the player
Samuel Soares's route into Benfica's first team came through someone else's crisis. In the 2023/24 season, after a run of errors from goalkeeper Vlachodimos and a falling-out between the Greek and coach Roger Schmidt, Soares was handed the gloves. He started three matches in a row at the beginning of that campaign, kept clean sheets in two of them, and collected a Portuguese Super Cup winner's medal that same season.
Soares is a product of Benfica's academy, having joined the club's youth system after starting out at União de Tires. He was capped for Portugal at every youth level up to under-21, and one result from his junior years stands out: he helped the team win the UEFA Youth League, beating Red Bull Salzburg 6-0 in the final.
His path to the top flight ran through Benfica B, where he made his debut in August 2021 against Nacional. He was named LigaPro's goalkeeper of the month for October and November 2022. Benfica rewarded him with a professional contract that October, tying him to the club until 2027.
Since breaking into the first team, Soares has added a Primeira Liga title, the Cup of Portugal and the League Cup to his collection of honours.
Career path
- 2023 — 2027 — now SL Benfica 27 matches
- 2022 — 2025 SL Benfica B 32 matches
- 2022 SL Benfica Youth League 9 matches
- 2020 — 2022 SL Benfica U23 28 matches
Career
| Season | Club | Competition | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26/27 | SL Benfica | UEFA Europa League Qualifying | 3 | 0 | 0 | 270 |
| 26/27 | SL Benfica | Liga Portugal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| 25/26 | SL Benfica | Taça de Portugal | 3 | 0 | 0 | 225 |
| 25/26 | SL Benfica | Liga Portugal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| 25/26 | SL Benfica | Allianz Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 24/25 | SL Benfica | Taça de Portugal | 7 | 0 | 0 | 649 |
| 24/25 | SL Benfica | Liga Portugal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| 24/25 | SL Benfica B | Liga Portugal 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 23/24 | SL Benfica | Liga Portugal | 5 | 0 | 0 | 450 |
| 23/24 | SL Benfica | Taça de Portugal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 22/23 | SL Benfica B | Liga Portugal 2 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 800 |
| 22/23 | SL Benfica | Liga Portugal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 21/22 | SL Benfica B | Liga Portugal 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 990 |
| 21/22 | SL Benfica Youth League | UEFA Youth League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 665 |
| 21/22 | SL Benfica U23 | Cup Revelacao U-23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 270 |
| 21/22 | SL Benfica U23 | Liga Next Gen U23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| 21/22 | SL Benfica U23 | Liga Revelação U23 - Championship round | 2 | 0 | 0 | 175 |
| 2022 | SL Benfica Youth League | Under-20 Intercontinental Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 20/21 | SL Benfica U23 | Liga Revelação - Second Round | 9 | 0 | 1 | 810 |
| 20/21 | SL Benfica U23 | Liga Next Gen U23 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 540 |
| 20/21 | SL Benfica U23 | Cup Revelacao U-23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 390 |
| 19/20 | SL Benfica U23 | Liga Next Gen U23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| Total | SL Benfica B | 32 | 0 | 2 | 2 880 | |
| Total | SL Benfica U23 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 2 545 | |
| Total | SL Benfica | 27 | 0 | 0 | 2 316 | |
| Total | Portugal U21 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 485 | |
| Total | Portugal U17 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 080 | |
| Total | SL Benfica Youth League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 755 | |
| Total | Portugal U19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 371 | |
| Total | Portugal U20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 270 | |
| Total | Portugal U16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 170 | |
| Total | Portugal U15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 140 |
Transfers
Transfers- 22/23 Benfica B Benfica
- 21/22 Benfica U23 Benfica B
- 20/21 Benfica U19 Benfica U23
- 19/20 Benfica U17 Benfica U19
- 17/18 Benfica U15 Benfica U17
- 15/16 Benfica Yth Benfica U15
- 13/14 Tires Fo. Benfica Yth