João Graça

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Salazar and the second or paternal family name is da Graça.
João Graça
Personal information
Full name João Pedro Salazar da Graça[1]
Date of birth (1995-06-18) 18 June 1995 (age 30)[1]
Place of birth Matosinhos, Portugal[1]
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Rio Ave
Number 21
Youth career
2004–2008 Boavista
2006–2007 → Pasteleira (loan)
2008–2014 Porto
2010–2011 → Padroense (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2017 Porto B 93 (7)
2017–2019 Feirense 9 (0)
2018–2019 → Arouca (loan) 4 (0)
2019 Oliveirense 9 (2)
2019–2020 Leixões 18 (3)
2020–2021 Mafra 25 (0)
2021– Rio Ave 89 (2)
International career
2011 Portugal U16 3 (0)
2013 Portugal U18 4 (1)
2014 Portugal U19 6 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:27, 22 February 2026 (UTC)

João Pedro Salazar da Graça (born 18 June 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for as a midfielder for Primeira Liga club Rio Ave.

Club career

Graça was born in Matosinhos, and was developed at neighbouring clubs Boavista F.C. and FC Porto.[2] He made his professional debut in the LigaPro with the latter's B team on 10 November 2013, as a 65th-minute substitute for Leandro Silva in a 1–0 away loss against C.F. União.[3]

On 13 September 2015, Graça scored his first second-division goals, a brace in the 4–2 win at F.C. Famalicão where he also provided an assist for André Silva.[4] He added a further five until the end of the season, as Porto's reserves became the first to win the national championship.[5][6]

In summer 2017, Graça signed a three-year contract with C.D. Feirense.[7] He played his first match in the Primeira Liga on 24 September, featuring 45 minutes of a 1–4 home defeat to C.F. Os Belenenses.[8]

Graça returned to the second tier subsequently, where he represented in quick succession F.C. Arouca (on loan), U.D. Oliveirense,[2] Leixões SC, C.D. Mafra[9] and Rio Ave FC.[10] In the 2021–22 campaign, in service of the latter, he again won the league while making 24 appearances in all competitions, but this time achieved promotion.[11][12]

On 28 June 2024, Graça agreed to an extension at Rio Ave until 2026.[12] For the better part of 2025–26, himself and João Tomé were the only national players in a Sotiris Silaidopoulos-led squad (with the club being owned by Evangelos Marinakis) that included seven of his Greek compatriots; João Novais was transferred shortly after the start of the season.[13]

Honours

Porto B

Rio Ave

References

  1. ^ a b c d "João Graça" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b "João Graça assina pela Oliveirense até ao final da época" [João Graça signs for Oliveirense until the end of the season]. Record (in Portuguese). 26 January 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  3. ^ "U. Madeira-FC Porto B, 1–0: Djumo trama dragões" [U. Madeira-FC Porto B, 1–0: Djumo screws dragons]. Record (in Portuguese). 10 November 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  4. ^ "Famalicao – FC Porto B 2:4" [Famalicão – FC Porto B 2:4] (in Polish). FC-Porto.pl. 13 September 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Título festejado com vitória no clássico" [Title celebrated with win in classic] (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  6. ^ "Campeão FC Porto B deixa Benfica B em zona de descida" [Champions FC Porto B leave Benfica B in relegation zone] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Médio João Graça assina pelo Feirense" [Midfielder Graça signs for Feirense]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 24 August 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  8. ^ Maia, Vítor (24 September 2017). "Feirense-Belenenses, 1–4 (crónica)" [Feirense-Belenenses, 1–4 (report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  9. ^ Cabaço, Rui Jorge (5 October 2020). "João Graça reforça Mafra" [João Graça bolsters Mafra]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  10. ^ "João Graça assina pelo Rio Ave FC" [João Graça signs for Rio Ave FC] (in Portuguese). Rio Ave F.C. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  11. ^ a b Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo (15 May 2022). "VÍDEO: Rio Ave recebe troféu de campeão da II Liga em clima de festa" [VIDEO: Rio Ave get II League champions trophy in party atmosphere] (in Portuguese). CNN Portugal. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Rio Ave: João Graça fica mais duas épocas" [Rio Ave: João Graça stays two more seasons]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 28 June 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Sete meses depois, Rio Ave voltou a ter um português a titular: os sinais da mudança em Vila do Conde" [Seven months later, Rio Ave had a Portuguese as starter again: the signs of change in Vila do Conde] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 21 December 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_Gra%C3%A7a