Nuno Miguel Gomes dos Santos (born 13 February 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left winger or left wing-back for Sporting CP.
Born in Trofa, Porto District, Santos began his development at local C.D. Trofense before joining the ranks of FC Porto, and after a year at Rio Ave F.C. he signed for S.L. Benfica in 2013. On 30 August 2014, he made his professional debut with their reserves in the Segunda Liga, coming on as a 69th-minute substitute for João Amorim in a 3âÂÂ1 home win against S.C. Covilhã. He scored eight goals in 36 games in his first season, starting in a 3âÂÂ2 loss at S.C. Braga B on 14 December. On 14 February 2015, he scored twice in a 4âÂÂ1 home victory over U.D. Oliveirense (4âÂÂ1).
Santos made his only appearance for the first team in the Primeira Liga on 11 September 2015, playing the final 11 minutes in place of Pizzi in a 6âÂÂ0 home rout of C.F. Os Belenenses. That December, he suffered an injury to his left knee that was still an issue when he signed a season-long loan to fellow top-flight club Vitória F.C. in June 2016.
On 16 June 2017, Santos signed a five-year contract with Rio Ave also of the top tier. Almost exclusively a substitute in his first season, he scored once for his first goal in the league on 17 September, at the end of a 1âÂÂ2 home defeat to eventual champions FC Porto.
Santos suffered more problems with his left knee in July 2018, and did not return to the pitch until the following March. On 17 June 2020, he was one of three players in his team to be sent off in a 2âÂÂ1 home loss to Benfica â for a high foot on Pizzi â and was subjected to social media abuse by his club's fans.
On 21 August 2020, Santos joined Sporting CP on a five-year deal for â¬4 million plus shares in the economic rights of Gelson Dala (50%) and Francisco Geraldes (75%), and a buyout clause of â¬60 million. He scored eight competitive goals in his first season for the champions, seven in the league.
As Sporting often operated on a 3âÂÂ5âÂÂ2 formation under Ruben Amorim, Santos was deployed as a left wing-back on several occasions. He contributed four goals in 2,073 minutes in 2023âÂÂ24 to another league title, but missed the vast majority of the following campaign after rupturing the tendon of his right knee; in November 2024, he was handed an eight-match suspension for smashing a glass protection while in the stands â he was not part of the squad due to injury â and injuring two spectators (one of them seriously) during the 4âÂÂ3 loss against Porto in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira in August but, controversially, the ban was to be served while he recovered.
Santos returned to action on 1 February 2026, playing 26 minutes for Sporting's reserves in the 2âÂÂ0 second-division home win over Oliveirense. His first appearance for the main squad since his injury took place four days later, as he replaced Francisco Trincão late into the second half in a 3âÂÂ2 extra-time victory against AVS Futebol SAD in the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal.
Santos was part of the Portugal squad at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring an early goal against Senegal (3âÂÂ0) and a late one against Colombia (3âÂÂ1 win) in the group stage, in an eventual quarter-final exit in New Zealand. He won the first of his two caps for the under-21 side on 12 November of that year, replacing Rony Lopes midway through the second half of the 4âÂÂ0 victory over Albania for the 2017 UEFA European Championship qualifiers held in Arouca.
In October 2022, Santos was named in a preliminary 55-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Benfica Youth
Benfica
Sporting CP
Individual