Pedro Pacheco


Pedro Miguel Salgadinho Pacheco de Melo, known as Pacheco, is a Canadian professional footballer who plays for Sporting Clube Ideal as a defensive midfielder.

Club career

Born in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores to Portuguese parents, Pacheco began his senior career in the regional leagues, playing with Vitória Clube do Pico da Pedra. In the following year he moved to arguably the biggest club in the territory, C.D. Santa Clara, but appeared in only two Segunda Liga matches in the 2003–04 campaign.
After three seasons in the third division with two sides from his native region, Pacheco returned to Santa Clara who still competed in the second level, and began featuring regularly for the first team, starting a total of 26 games over the course of two seasons.
In the last minute of the 2009 August transfer window, Pacheco moved to the island of Madeira, signing with C.D. Nacional. He made his Primeira Liga debut on 5 October, playing one minute in the 2–0 home win against Vitória de Guimarães, but could only appear in eight competitive matches during his first year.
Pacheco returned to Santa Clara in the summer of 2010, being immediately appointed captain by manager Bruno Moura. In early June 2013, after finishing the division two campaign with four goals in 37 appearances, he signed a contract extension with the club.
In August 2019, after nine years at the Estádio de São Miguel, the 35-year-old Pacheco left and joined Sporting Clube Ideal of the Portuguese third tier.

International career

Pacheco opted to represent Canada internationally, as he lived there as a child. On 14 May 2010, he was picked for the friendlies against Argentina and Venezuela; after playing six minutes from the bench in the first game, he started on the 1–1 draw on the 29th.
On 27 June 2013, Pacheco was listed as part of the confirmed 23-man squad for Colin Miller's Canada squad for that year's CONCACAF Gold Cup, making it his second consecutive tournament.