David Luiz

Vitória

Born in Diadema, São Paulo, to Ladislao and Regina Marinho, David Luiz arrived at Salvador-based club Vitória after being released by São Paulo, and started playing as a defensive midfielder, almost leaving the club for his poor performances in that position. However, he was soon moved to central defender and adapted well. David Luiz made his debut for Vitória in 2006, excelling in a 2–2 draw against Santa Cruz in that season's Copa do Brasil. At the worst situation of its history, in the third division, the club eventually promoted to the second level after finishing in second position, with the player appearing in eight of the club's last decisive nine games, scoring his only league goal on 3 September 2006 in a 2–0 home win against Clube Atlético do Porto. David luiz won with vitoria SC the Campeonato Baiano in 2006, the Taca Estado Da Bahia, the copa do nordeste in 2006

Benfica

2007–10: Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga

On 31 January 2007, David Luiz joined Portuguese club Benfica as a replacement for Tottenham Hotspur-bound Ricardo Rocha, on loan. He made a somewhat tumultuous debut for the club in a UEFA Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, partnering compatriot Anderson in the centre of defence, replacing the injured Luisão. Benfica lost the match 2–1 but progressed to the next round after winning 4–3 on aggregate. On 12 March 2007, David Luiz played his first league match for Benfica, against União de…

David Luiz played with the Brazil under-20 team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007, with the team being ousted in the round of 16. Courtesy of his solid season at Benfica, Luiz received his first call-up to Brazilian senior squad for a friendly match against the United States on 10 August 2010 after Mano Menezes replaced Dunga as national team coach. His debut ended in a 2–0 victory for Brazil. Prior to doing so, the Portuguese Football Federation had considered calling him up to their own national team. David Luiz was present in every squad during the management of Menezes and was called up to the squad for the Copa América in 2011, but did not make a single appearance at the tournament due to injury. In a friendly with Mexico in October of that year, he scored an own goal, but the Seleção eventually won it 2–1. On 7 September 2012, David Luiz captained Brazil for the first time, appearing in a 1–0 victory against South Africa in São Paulo. He was included in the squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013, which was hosted in his native Brazil. Alongside teammate Thiago Silva, David Luiz started all matches and helped Brazil win their fourth Confederations Cup title. In the final against Spain, he made an outstanding goal-line clearance from Pedro's shot.

On 2 June, David Luiz was named in Brazil's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw against Chile in the round of 16. He subsequently converted the team's first kick in…

Although primarily a centre back, David Luiz can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder or as a full back, and has drawn praise for his physical strength, work-rate, technique, and range of distribution as a defender, as well as his personality, composure in possession, and confidence on the ball, which enables him to play the ball out from the back or launch an attack with long balls after winning back possession. A powerful striker of the ball from distance, Luiz has also been known to take and score from long-range free kicks, which led Tim Vickery to liken him to compatriot Lúcio in 2011. Although in the past he has been criticised in the media for his inconsistent defensive performances, and for being reckless in his challenges and conceding an excessive number of fouls (some of which have caused injuries to his opponents), as well as for being prone to errors or lapses in concentration, during the 2016–17 season, he showed notable improvements upon his return to Chelsea, when the club's new manager Antonio Conte decided to deploy him as a ball-playing centre back in a three-man back-line in the team's 3–4–3 formation. Luiz excelled in the new role, while Conte praised the defender for working to improve his composure and concentration, and singled out Luiz as being "crucial" to the team's success, also labelling him as one of the best defenders in the world.

David Luiz is a devout Evangelical Christian and has named Kaká as his role model. He said, "My faith gives me the belief that I can go out and perform and improve as a player. It gives me strength and inspiration." He later added, "Everything in life belongs to God. Our purpose has already been mapped out." He received baptism in May 2015 in the indoor swimming pool of his Brazil and PSG teammate Maxwell. Earlier in his career, David Luiz was likened physically to the Brazilian basketball player Anderson Varejão by fans in his own country, due to their similar hairstyle. In England, he was referred to as The Simpsons villain Sideshow Bob by opposition fans, and also in self-reference. David Luiz is also a Portuguese citizen, which was acquired during his time at Benfica. Portugal wanted him to represent their national team, but he opted to play for his native Brazil instead. In 2018, Luiz and his teammate Willian acquired Babbo, an Italian restaurant located in Mayfair, London.

Controversies

In August 2025, David Luiz was named in a police report filed by a woman who claimed she had been threatened after becoming in a relationship with him and another partner. The player denied the allegations, stating that there had been no meeting or threats against the woman.