:Matilde Fidalgo

{{short description|Portuguese footballer}}

{{EngvarB|date=July 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}

{{Portuguese name|Mota Veiga|Santiago Fidalgo}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Matilde Fidalgo

| image = România_-_Portugalia_(1-1)_(30497980701).jpg

| caption = Matilde Mota Veiga Santiago Fidalgo (in red jersey)

| fullname = Matilde Mota Veiga Santiago Fidalgo

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1994|5|15}}

| birth_place = São Domingos de Benfica, Portugal

| height = 1.59 m

| position = Defender

| currentclub = Famalicão

| clubnumber = 5

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 2009–2017

| clubs1 = CF Benfica

| caps1 = 55

| goals1 = 5

| years2 = 2017–2018

| clubs2 = Sporting CP

| caps2 = 17

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2018–2019

| clubs3 = SC Braga

| caps3 = 16

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2018

| clubs4 = SC Braga B

| caps4 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2019–2020

| clubs5 = Manchester City

| caps5 = 2

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2020–2021

| clubs6 = Benfica

| caps6 = 23

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2021–2023

| clubs7 = Betis

| caps7 = 19

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2023–

| clubs8 = Famalicão

| caps8 = 16

| goals8 = 0

| nationalteam1 = Portugal U19

| nationalyears1 = 2011–2013

| nationalcaps1 = 24

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalteam2 = Portugal

| nationalyears2 = 2013–

| nationalcaps2 = 48

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalteam3 =

| nationalyears3 =

| nationalcaps3 =

| nationalgoals3 =

| pcupdate = 21 June 2024

| ntupdate = 21 June 2024

}}

Matilde Mota Veiga Santiago Fidalgo (born 15 May 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a right-back or a centre-back for Famalicão and the Portugal women's national team.

Fidalgo made her senior debut for Portugal in September 2013 and represented her country at UEFA Women's Euro 2017.

Career

=Club=

Fidalgo was born in São Domingos de Benfica, Lisbon and from a young age has played football. In 2009, Fidalgo started her career at CF Benfica in the Portuguese League. She played for the Lisbon club until June 2017 when she moved to Sporting CP.{{cite web|title=SPORTING CONTRATA MATILDE FIDALGO|url=http://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-feminino/detalhe/sporting-contrata-matilde-fidalgo.html|website=Record|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417105645/http://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-feminino/detalhe/sporting-contrata-matilde-fidalgo.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Matilde Fidalgo assina pelo Sporting|url=https://www.dn.pt/desporto/interior/matilde-fidalgo-assina-pelo-sporting-8597754.html|website=Diário de Notícias|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417191935/https://www.dn.pt/desporto/interior/matilde-fidalgo-assina-pelo-sporting-8597754.html|url-status=live}} With CF Benfica, Fidalgo won two national titles in the 2014–15, 2015–16 seasons{{cite web|title=Matilde Fidalgo|url=https://us.soccerway.com/players/matilde--fidalgo/183692/|website=Soccerway|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417191818/https://us.soccerway.com/players/matilde--fidalgo/183692/|url-status=live}} and was elected "Best Player" for the 2015/2016 season by the "Sindicato dos Jogadores Profissionais de Futebol (SJPF)". She also captained the team for several seasons.{{cite web|title=MATILDE FIDALGO É A MELHOR JOGADORA|url=http://sjogadores.pt/index.php?pt=gabinetejuridico&op=OP_SHOW_DETAIL&id=7951|website=Sindicato dos Jogadores|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417105649/http://sjogadores.pt/index.php?pt=gabinetejuridico&op=OP_SHOW_DETAIL&id=7951|url-status=live}} In March 2018, Fidalgo won the "Quinas de Ouro" award as one of the "11 Best Players in the Women's League". The award is given by the Portuguese Football Federation.{{cite web|title=Saiba quem são os vencedores das Quinas de Ouro 2018|url=https://www.cmjornal.pt/desporto/futebol/detalhe/ronaldo-ja-chegou-a-gala-quinas-de-ouro|website=Correio da Manhã|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417115113/http://www.cmjornal.pt/desporto/futebol/detalhe/ronaldo-ja-chegou-a-gala-quinas-de-ouro|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Futebol feminino: o melhor onze de 2017|url=https://www.ojogo.pt/futebol/noticias/interior/futebol-feminino-o-melhor-onze-de-2017-9199457.html|website=O Jogo|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417110010/https://www.ojogo.pt/futebol/noticias/interior/futebol-feminino-o-melhor-onze-de-2017-9199457.html|url-status=live}}

In 2018 she moved to the rival team SC Braga,{{cite web |title=player profile |url=https://www.fpf.pt/Jogadores/Ficha-de-Jogador/playerId/653745 |website=FPF.pt |accessdate=21 September 2018 |archive-date=21 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921191325/https://www.fpf.pt/Jogadores/Ficha-de-Jogador/playerId/653745 |url-status=live }} with whom she won the Portuguese League title – Braga's first championship win.

On 30 May 2019, it was announced that Fidalgo was signed to Women's Super League team Manchester City.{{cite web |last1=Borges |first1=Claudia |title=City sign Matilde Fidalgo |url=https://www.mancity.com/news/mcwfc/mcwfc-news/2019/may/man-city-matilde-fidalgo-signing |website=www.mancity.com |accessdate=24 November 2019 |language=en |archive-date=5 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005114309/https://www.mancity.com/news/mcwfc/mcwfc-news/2019/may/man-city-matilde-fidalgo-signing |url-status=live }} Fidalgo moved to S.L Benfica on 4 August 2020, after only making two league appearances and becoming third-choice behind Janine Beckie and even Georgia Stanway, who was not a natural right-back.

=International=

On February 22, 2011, Fidalgo debuted for Portugal U19 in a win against Finland U19 for the 2011 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship Qualifying Round.{{cite web|title=Portugal – Finlândia|url=https://www.fpf.pt/pt/selecoes/futebol-feminino/selecao-sub-19/jogos/ficha-de-jogo/match/1042730|website=Portuguese Football Federation|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417113521/http://www.fpf.pt/pt/selecoes/futebol-feminino/selecao-sub-19/jogos/ficha-de-jogo/match/1042730|url-status=live}} She also represented Portugal at the qualifying stages of the 2012 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship and the 2013 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship. On September 26, 2013, Fidalgo debuted for the Portuguese Senior Team in a win against Greece, a 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification's match.{{cite web|title=Grécia – Portugal|url=https://www.fpf.pt/pt/selecoes/futebol-feminino/selecao-a/jogos/ficha-de-jogo/match/1043091c|website=Portuguese Football Federation|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129032629/https://www.fpf.pt/pt/404-pagina-nao-encontrada|url-status=live}} Since then, she represented Portugal in several international competitions including the qualifying stages for the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. On July 6, 2017, Fidalgo was called by coach Francisco Neto to represent Portugal at the UEFA Women's Euro 2017, the first time the Portuguese team reached the final stage of a big international tournament.{{cite web|title=As eleitas para o Europeu|url=https://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/12593/contextid/416|website=Portuguese Football Federation|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=13 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413125547/http://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/12593/contextid/416|url-status=live}} She didn't play in any matches as her team was eliminated while still in the Group Stage.{{cite web|title=Matilde Fidalgo|url=https://www.fpf.pt/pt/Jogadores/Jogador/playerId/653745/contextId/416|website=Portuguese Football Federation|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417110656/http://www.fpf.pt/pt/Jogadores/Jogador/playerId/653745/contextId/416|url-status=live}}

Personal life

Fidalgo is a cousin of Bernardo Silva. Both were born in 1994, share the same great-grandparents, play internationally for the Portugal national team and once both played their club football at Manchester City.{{cite web|title=Bernardo Silva e Matilde: primos à conversa na seleção|url=https://bancada.pt/futebol/portugal/bernardo-silva-e-matilde-primos-a-conversa-na-selecao|website=Bancada.pt|date=10 June 2017|accessdate=16 April 2018|archive-date=1 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601192301/https://bancada.pt/futebol/portugal/bernardo-silva-e-matilde-primos-a-conversa-na-selecao|url-status=live}}

Honours

References

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