João Mário (Bissau-Guinean footballer)


João Mário Nunes Fernandes is a Bissau-Guinean professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club Académico de Viseu F.C. as a forward.

Club career

Born in Bissau, João Mário moved to Portugal to complete his development in late 2011, joining S.L. Benfica. On 11 August 2012 he made his debut as a professional, appearing as a late substitute for the reserve team in a 2–2 home draw against S.C. Braga B for the Segunda Liga. 16 days later, in the same competition, he scored his first goal, contributing to a 6–0 home rout of C.F. Os Belenenses after a freekick by Miguel Rosa hit the bar and bounced back to him.
In the following years, João Mário continued competing in the Portuguese second level, representing Atlético Clube de Portugal and G.D. Chaves. He netted once from 21 matches in the 2015–16 season, as the latter club returned to the Primeira Liga after an absence of 17 years.
João Mário's first match in the Portuguese top division took place on 20 August 2016, and he scored in the 1–1 draw with C.D. Tondela at the Estádio Municipal Eng. Manuel Branco Teixeira. He only appeared in a further eight games during the campaign, in an escape from relegation.
Subsequently, João Mário returned to the second tier, agreeing to a contract at Académico de Viseu F.C. as a free agent. He scored two goals in the side's semi-final run in the 2019–20 Taça de Portugal, including in a 1–1 home draw against FC Porto in the first leg of that stage.

International career

João Mário earned his first cap for Guinea-Bissau before his 18th birthday, in a friendly in Equatorial Guinea. He scored his first goal for his country on 13 November 2019, in a 3–0 defeat of Eswatini in his hometown for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.13 November 2019Estádio 24 de Setembro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau3–03–02021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification