Matheus Leite Nascimento

Early years and Braga

Matheus was born in Ribeirópolis, Sergipe. After starting professionally with lowly Associação Olímpica de Itabaiana, he moved to Portugal in summer 2005, with Liga de Honra team F.C. Marco. In January of the following year, however, he was bought by Primeira Liga's S.C. Braga, making four appearances in his first season. During the year 2007, encompassing both the 2006–07 and 2007–08 campaigns, Matheus served two loans: in January 2007 he joined S.C. Beira-Mar, appearing from August–December with Vitória de Setúbal and being subsequently recalled by his parent club. In 2009–10, Matheus played all 30 league matches – but rarely as a starter – as Braga finished in a best-ever second place behind S.L. Benfica. He contributed five goals, in 1,142 minutes of action. Matheus started the following season with major contributions: on 28 July, he scored from a 35-meter free kick to close the score against Celtic (3–0 at home), as his team progressed to the next UEFA Champions League qualifying round (4–2 on aggregate). On 13 August, in the league opener against Portimonense SC, he started and opened the scoring in an eventual 3–1 home win. Five days later, again for the Champions League, he scored the game's only goal in a home victory over Sevilla FC– in celebrating the goal, he pulled out a pacifier and put it in his mouth– and netted the first in the second leg in Andalusia, in a 4–3 win (5–3 on aggregate). On 23 November 2010, Matheus scored twice…

In March 2013, after more than two years of living in the country, Matheus indicated that he would be likely to accept a call-up for the Ukraine national team if asked.

As of 15 December 2022

Braga

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2008 UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2010–11 Dnipro

UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2014–15 Individual

China League One Most Valuable Player: 2017