Miguel Martins

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Miguel Martins

| fullname = Miguel Soares Martins

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|11|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Porto, Portugal

| nationality = Portuguese

| height = 1.93 m

| position = Centre back

| currentclub = Aalborg Håndbold

| clubnumber = 9

| youthyears1 = 2007-2011

| youthclubs1 = AA Águas Santas

| youthyears2 = 2011-2013

| youthclubs2 = ADA Maia

| years1 = 2013–2021

| clubs1 = FC Porto

| years2 = 2021–2024

| clubs2 = OTP Bank-Pick Szeged

| years3 = 2024–2025

| clubs3 = Aalborg Håndbold

| years4 = 2025–

| clubs4 = Dinamo Bucuresti

| nationalyears1 = 2016–

| nationalteam1 = Portugal

| nationalcaps1 = 111

| nationalgoals1 = 250

| ntupdate = 15 February 2025

}}

Miguel Soares Martins ({{IPA|pt|miˈɣɛl mɐɾˈtĩʃ|pron}}; born 4 November 1997) is a Portuguese handball player for Aalborg Håndbold and the Portuguese national team.

In addition to regular handball, Martins also plays Beach Handball.{{cite web |url=https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/ebt-finals-2024-all-star-teams-revealed/ |title=Ebt Finals 2024 – All-Star Teams revealed |publisher=European Handball Federation|website=eurohandball.com |date=2024-06-16 |language=en |access-date=2024-06-17}}

Career

Miguel Martins started playing handball at AA Águas Santas.{{cite web |url=https://www.zerozero.pt/player_seasons.php?id=567761 |title=Miguel Martins |publisher=zerozero.pt |access-date=2021-08-31}} In 2011 he joined Associação Desportiva e Académica da Maia, followed by FC Porto in 2013. In the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons he primarily played for the youth teams, but acted as a backup for the first team. From 2015 he was permanently part of the senior team. Here he won the Portuguese League 4 teams, the Portuguese Cup twice and the Supercup once. In total he played 394 games for Porto, scoring 1063 goals.

In 2021 he joined Hungarian OTP Bank-Pick Szeged.{{cite web |url=https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/klarheit-fuer-knorr-und-die-loewen-aalborg-holt-spielmacher-1033460 |title=Klarheit für Knorr und die Löwen: Aalborg holt Spielmacher |publisher=handball-world.news |access-date=2024-06-21|language=de}}

He represented Portugal at the 2020 European Men's Handball Championship,{{cite web|url=https://portal.fpa.pt/2019/12/ehf-euro-2020-grupo-fechado-para-o-campeonato-da-europa/|title=EHF Euro 2020: Grupo fechado para o Campeonato da Europa|publisher=portal.fpa.pt|accessdate=30 December 2019}}[https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC20M/PDF_ROSTER_POR.PDF 2020 European Men's Handball Championship squad] the 2021 Olympics and the 2021 World Championship.

He was excluded from 2025 World Men's Handball Championship due to accusations of doping by having unnatural levels of testosterone.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dr.dk/sporten/haandbold/vm/aalborg-spiller-suspenderet-fra-vm-doping |title=Aalborg-spiller suspenderet fra VM for doping |access-date=17 January 2025 |date=15 January 2025|publisher=Danmarks Radio|language=DA|trans-title=Aalborg Håndbold player excluded from World Cup due to doping}} A month later he was cleared of all charges and could continue the season at Aalborg Håndbold.{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2025-02-15-markant-drejning-i-aalborg-spillers-dopingsag|publisher=TV2 Danmark|title=Markant drejning i Aalborg-spillers dopingsag|first=Jonas|last=Kjærsgaard|date=15 January 2025|accessdate=15 January 2025|language=da}} Three days after being cleared, he won the Danish Cup with Aalborg Håndbold, beating SønderjyskE Håndbold in the semifinal and Bjerringbro-Silkeborg in the final. His team mate Simon Hald dedicated the win to Martins, calling the entire process unfair.{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2025-02-16-aalborg-vinder-pokalturneringen|title=Aalborg vinder pokalturneringen|publisher=TV2 Danmark|first=Mikkel|last=Christensen|date=16 February 2025|language=da|trans-title=Aalborg wins the cup}}{{cite web|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2025-02-17-aalborg-spiller-hyldet-efter-rigtig-svaere-uger|title=Aalborg-spiller hyldet efter "rigtig svære uger"|publisher=TV2 Danmark|date=17 February 2025|accessdate=17 February 2025|language=da}} At the end of February 2025 he announced his intention to leave Aalborg Håndbold at the end of the 2025 season, over concerns about playing time.{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2025-02-28-landsholdsspiller-forlader-aalborg|publisher=TV2 Danmark|website=sport.tv2.dk|title=Landsholdsspiller forlader Aalborg|date=28 February 2025|access-date=1 March 2025}} Instead he will join Dinamo Bukarest.{{cite web |url=https://handnews.fr/2025/rou-miguel-martins-rejoint-le-dinamo-bucarest/ |title=Miguel Martins rejoint le Dinamo Bucarest |publisher=handnews.fr |date=2025-03-03 |language=fr |access-date=2025-03-03}}