Official! Former Benfica and Porto man retires at 38 | OneFootball

has announced the end of his football career. At 38, the winger decided to bring the curtain down on a 25-year journey in professional football, marked by spells at several clubs in Portugal and abroad, including Benfica.

The former player took to social media to officially say goodbye to the pitch, looking back on a career that totalled 580 matches: "25 years. So many shirts. So many places. So many stories. A whole life lived chasing the dream of being a footballer. 580 matches. Thank you, football. It was an honour," wrote Candeias on his X account.

Candeias took his first steps in football at FC Porto, having come through the youth ranks at Olival. He reached the Dragons' first team and made ten appearances before beginning a spell at several Portuguese clubs. Varzim, Rio Ave, Paços de Ferreira, Portimonense and Nacional were all part of the winger’s career before his move to Benfica in 2014.

His time at the Luz, however, never really amounted to anything on the pitch. Candeias did not make a single official appearance for the Eagles and was repeatedly loaned out to Nuremberg, Granada, Metz and Alanyaspor. After his link with Benfica, the winger continued his career abroad, representing clubs such as Rangers, Gençlerbirligi, Kocaelispor and Adanaspor.

Candeias would later return to Portugal to wear Oliveirense’s shirt in the Segunda Liga, before ending his career at Académica de Coimbra. Last season, the winger represented the Coimbra club in Liga 3, making 26 appearances. At 38, Daniel Candeias thus closes a chapter of two and a half decades dedicated to professional football, leaving behind 580 matches and a career spread across several clubs and countries.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.