Danilo LuÃÂs Hélio Pereira (; born 9 September 1991), sometimes known as simply Danilo, is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.
He came through Benfica's youth academy, signing with Italian Serie A side Parma in 2010. He was consecutively loaned to various clubs, before transferring to MarÃÂtimo in 2013. In July 2015, he joined Porto for a reported fee of â¬4.5 million, winning two Primeira Liga titles and one Taça de Portugal while being part of the squad that won a domestic double in 2020, making 202 official appearances for them. In October 2020, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain on an initial one-year loan deal, which was made permanent at the end of the season.
Born in Guinea-Bissau, Pereira represented Portugal at under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels, reaching the final of the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior international debut in 2015, and was part of the squads that won UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals on home soil.
Born in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau as the oldest child of Quinta Djata, a nurse, Pereira and his family moved to Portugal when he was five. He played his youth football with three clubs in the Lisbon area, finishing his development with Benfica.
Benfica subsequently decided against signing Pereira to a professional contract, and Italian side Parma acquired him on a free transfer. He spent the second half of the 2010âÂÂ11 season on loan to Aris in Greece and, upon his return to the Stadio Ennio Tardini, made his first appearance in Serie A on 21 December 2011, coming on as a late substitute in a 3âÂÂ3 home draw against Catania.
Pereira was loaned again for 2012âÂÂ13, spending the campaign with Roda in the Eredivisie and being first choice to help his team narrowly avoid relegation.
On 1 August 2013, Pereira returned to Portugal, signing with MarÃÂtimo. He made his Primeira Liga debut 17 days later in a 2âÂÂ1 home victory over his former club Benfica, and scored his first goal on 19 December in the 2âÂÂ2 home draw with Braga. He made 32 competitive appearances during the season, helping his team to a sixth-place finish to narrowly miss out on qualification for the UEFA Europa League.
Pereira played his last match for the Madeirans on 29 May 2015 in the final of the Taça da Liga, lost 2âÂÂ1 against Benfica.
On 2 July 2015, Pereira agreed to a four-year contract with Porto for a transfer fee of â¬4.5 million, the highest sale in MarÃÂtimo's history, with a buyout clause of â¬40 million. He scored a career-best six goals â from 33 appearances â in his first year, in a runner-up finish. In October 2016, he was named Porto's footballer of the year after winning the "Dragão de Ouro" award.
Pereira was elected the Primeira Liga's midfielder of the month in September 2017, a feat he replicated in December. He suffered a calf injury during a League Cup game at Sporting CP on 24 January 2018, going on to be sidelined for several months.
In the final of the Taça de Portugal, on 25 May 2019 against Sporting, following a 2âÂÂ2 draw after extra time and despite Pereira converting his attempt, Porto lost the penalty shootout 5âÂÂ4. After the departure of Héctor Herrera for Atlético Madrid, he became the captain. His team won the league title that season, and he opened the scoring in the 2âÂÂ0 home win over Sporting that sealed the crown on 15 July 2020.
On 5 October 2020, Pereira joined Paris Saint-Germain on a one-year loan for a reported fee of â¬4 million with a conditional obligation to buy at the end of the season for â¬16 million. He made his debut 15 days later, in a 2âÂÂ1 home loss against Manchester United in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. His Ligue 1 bow was also that month, in the 4âÂÂ0 rout of Dijon also at the Parc des Princes, where he featured as a central defender. His first goal came in the reverse fixture against the latter adversary on 27 February 2021, when he headed in a cross from a corner (same score).
PSG eventually finished second to Lille in the league. This triggered the obligation to make the move permanent, and Pereira therefore became linked to the club until 2025. On 6 February 2022, he scored a brace for the first time in his career to help his team to a 5âÂÂ1 away win over Lille, and won his first league title that campaign contributing five goals.
On 22 August 2023, Pereira was elected vice-captain by his teammates.
Having fallen out of favour in PSG and having not featured in any of Luis Enrique's matchday squads for the new season, on 2 September 2024 Pereira was signed by Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad for a reported fee of â¬5 million. He claimed the double in his first season, scoring two of his four goals in the semi-finals of the King's Cup to help the hosts come from behind 2âÂÂ1 in injury time and defeat Al Shabab 3âÂÂ2.
Pereira chose to represent Portugal internationally. He was part of the under-20 side that finished second at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, playing all seven games (six complete) and scoring in the 2âÂÂ0 semi-final win over France.
Pereira made his senior international debut on 31 March 2015, replacing fellow debutant Bernardo Silva after 62 minutes of an eventual 0âÂÂ2 friendly defeat to Cape Verde in Estoril. He was also selected for the UEFA Euro 2016 squad by manager Fernando Santos, scoring his first goal in the last warm-up game, a 7âÂÂ0 victory against Estonia in Lisbon on 8 June. He made five appearances for the champions in the finals in France.
Having missed the 2018 FIFA World Cup due to injury, Pereira was earlier picked for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and later Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup. In the latter tournament, he fractured a rib in the first group fixture against Ghana, taking part in no further games.
Porto
Paris Saint-Germain
Al-Ittihad
Portugal U20
Portugal
Individual
Orders