SOCCER PLAYERS from Angola

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Angolan Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Angolan Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Angolan Soccer Players.

1. Fernando Peyroteo (1918 - 1978)

With an HPI of 64.84, Fernando Peyroteo is the most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages on wikipedia.

Fernando Baptista de Seixas Peyroteo de Vasconcelos (10 March 1918 – 28 November 1978) was a Portuguese professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent his entire professional career with Sporting CP, scoring 544 goals in all competitions, winning 11 major titles and being crowned his country's top-division scorer on six occasions. Peyroteo earned caps for Portugal in the 1930s and 40s.

2. José Águas (1930 - 2000)

With an HPI of 63.30, José Águas is the 2nd most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

José Pinto de Carvalho Santos Águas (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛ ˈaɣwɐʃ]; 9 November 1930 – 10 December 2000) was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. He enjoyed a lengthy professional spell with Benfica, never scoring less than 18 goals in 12 of his 13 first division seasons. A prolific goalscorer, Águas was nicknamed "Cabeça de Ouro" ("Golden Head") because of his header skills.

3. Rui Jordão (1952 - 2019)

With an HPI of 57.84, Rui Jordão is the 3rd most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Rui Manuel Trindade Jordão (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʁuj ʒuɾˈðɐ̃w]; 9 August 1952 – 18 October 2019) was a Portuguese footballer. His professional career was spent mostly with two of the biggest clubs in the country, Benfica and Sporting CP. One of the most prolific strikers in the history of Portuguese football, he won the Silver Ball award twice, once with each team. Jordão represented the Portugal national team for 17 years, appearing with them at Euro 1984.

4. José Morais (b. 1965)

With an HPI of 55.76, José Morais is the 4th most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

José Manuel Ferreira de Morais (born 27 July 1965) is a Portuguese professional football coach and former player. He is the current manager of Turkish Süper Lig club Bodrum. Morais arrived at Inter Milan in July 2009 to replace the departing André Villas-Boas, who took the head coaching position with Académica de Coimbra. Hired by fellow countryman José Mourinho, the two reportedly first met at Benfica in 2000. After head coach Mourinho terminated his contract with Inter, Morais followed Mourinho to Real Madrid in June 2010. Similarly, he then followed Mourinho to Chelsea in June 2013 following the end of Mourinho's managerial spell with Real Madrid. He then managed in his own right in several countries, winning two K League 1 titles with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in South Korea.

5. Eduardo Camavinga (b. 2002)

With an HPI of 54.98, Eduardo Camavinga is the 5th most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 55 different languages.

Eduardo Celmi Camavinga (born 10 November 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or left back for La Liga club Real Madrid. Born in Angola, he plays for the France national team. Camavinga began his career in Ligue 1 with Rennes, making his senior debut at the age of 16, and quickly established himself as a regular first-team player. In 2021, he signed for Real Madrid for a fee of €31 million, and over the following seasons, he helped the club win two La Liga–Champions League doubles in 2022 and 2024. Born in Angola, to Congolese refugees, Camavinga moved to France at a young age, eventually representing the country at under-21 level. He made his first senior appearance for the France national team in 2020 at the age of 17, becoming the nation's youngest debutant in over a century. He was part of the French squad that finished runners-up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

6. João Ricardo (b. 1970)

With an HPI of 53.62, João Ricardo is the 6th most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

João Ricardo Pereira Batalha Santos Ferreira (born 7 January 1970), known as João Ricardo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈɐ̃w ʁiˈkaɾðu]), is an Angolan retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

7. Oliveira Gonçalves (b. 1960)

With an HPI of 53.09, Oliveira Gonçalves is the 7th most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Luís de Oliveira Gonçalves (born 22 June 1960) is an Angolan football coach who coached the Angola national football team. A studious, tactically astute coach, Gonçalves was not a prolific player in his younger days, but has earned the nickname the "Professor" for his reading of the game, and is a popular figure in Angola for his efforts of turning round his nation's footballing fortunes.

8. Jorge Mendonça (b. 1938)

With an HPI of 52.80, Jorge Mendonça is the 8th most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Jorge Alberto Mendonça Paulino (born 19 September 1938), known as Mendonça, is a Portuguese-Angolan former footballer who played as a striker. Having spent the vast majority of his career in Spain, he amassed La Liga totals of 205 matches and 69 goals over the course of 12 seasons, almost all with Atlético Madrid, with which he won five major titles.

9. Akwá (b. 1977)

With an HPI of 51.86, Akwá is the 9th most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Fabrice Alcebiades Maieco (born 30 May 1977), commonly known as Akwá, is an Angolan former professional football player who played as a forward for the Angolan national team. From his international debut in 1995, Akwá represented Angola 78 times, scoring a record 39 goals. He played for them in three Africa Cup of Nations and captained the side at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Akwá has a brother, Rasca, who was a professional football player for Atlético Sport Aviação in Angola.

10. William Carvalho (b. 1992)

With an HPI of 49.19, William Carvalho is the 10th most famous Angolan Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 44 different languages.

William Silva de Carvalho (born 7 April 1992) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Liga MX club Pachuca. He spent most of his early career with Sporting CP since making his debut with the first team at age 18, going on to appear in 193 competitive matches and win the 2015 Taça de Portugal. In 2018 he signed with Real Betis, where he totalled 223 games and won the 2022 Copa del Rey. A full international for Portugal since 2013, Carvalho represented the nation at three World Cups and two European Championships, winning the 2016 edition of the latter tournament.