ABOUT PEDRO PAULETA

Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes, known as "Pauleta", was born on April 28, 1973, in São Roque, on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores.

 

He began playing football at the age of 8 for the Comunidade Jovem de São Pedro team. Later, he represented Clube União Micaelense and, as a youth player, moved to CD Santa Clara. His impressive performances caught the attention of top Portuguese clubs: he played one season (1990/91) for FC Porto's U-19 squad, winning the National Championship. Following this spell, Pauleta returned to CD Santa Clara, launching his senior football career.

 

During this period, he represented the national youth team under the guidance of Carlos Queiroz. Still a youth-eligible player, he featured for CD Santa Clara's senior team in the Third Division. At the end of the season, he transferred to Clube Operário Desportivo, playing there during the 1992/93 and 1993/94 seasons. In 1994/95, he joined SC Angrense.

 

He was consistently the top scorer for every team he played for.

 

At the end of that season, he was invited to join GD Estoril Praia on a tour to Cape Verde — a trial to evaluate his abilities for a potential contract. After scoring several goals, head coach Carlos Manuel approved his signing, confirming his opportunity to step up from the Third Division to the Liga de Honra (Second Division). In his first season, he scored 19 goals, earning his first international move: Pauleta joined Salamanca CF UDS, managed by João Alves.

 

It proved to be the launching pad for an immaculate career.

 

He played for Salamanca CF UDS in Spain (1996/97 – 2nd Division, and 1997/98 – 1st Division), RC Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain (1998/99, 1999/00), FC Girondins de Bordeaux in France (2000/01, 2001/02, and 2002/03), and Paris Saint-Germain in France (2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08), tallying a total of 256 goals in 494 matches.

 

A unique career, notably marked by becoming the first Portuguese international to never play in the Portuguese First Division, while scoring 47 goals in 88 international appearances (the 2nd all-time top scorer for Portugal at the time).

 

Club Honours:

 

• 1x Spanish La Liga Champion (RC Deportivo de La Coruña - 2000)

   

• 1x Spanish Super Cup (RC Deportivo de La Coruña - 2000)

   

• 2x French League Cup (FC Girondins de Bordeaux - 2002 / Paris Saint-Germain - 2008)

   

• 2x French Cup (Paris Saint-Germain - 2004, 2006)

   

Individual Awards:

 

• 3x Ligue 1 Top Scorer

   

• 2x Ligue 1 Team of the Year

   

• 2x Ligue 1 Player of the Year

   

On June 9, 2003, he was awarded Commander - Comendador da Ordem do Mérito, and on July 5, 2004, he was named Oficial da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique.

 

On June 29, 2007, Pauleta officially announced his retirement from professional football.

 

Starting in 2008, Pedro Pauleta became an ambassador for Paris Saint-Germain's youth academies.

 

In August 2010, it was announced that Pauleta would return to the pitch to represent Grupo Desportivo São Roque, the club from his birthplace. That same year, the Azorean striker was voted PSG's best player of all time.

 

In 2011, he joined the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), serving as Director of Youth National Teams until 2025.

 

In August 2015, Pedro Pauleta was voted the 3rd best player of the 21st century in France—where he spent 8 years of his career—in a poll conducted by Eurosport.

 

In January 2020, he became an official ambassador for Ligue 1.

 

On March 18, 2021, Pedro Pauleta assumed duties as an advisor on the newly established Azorean Council for High-Performance Sports (CADAR).

 

In October 2022, Pedro Pauleta inaugurated the Pedro Pauleta Sports Complex in Nozay, near Paris.

 

In 2024, Pedro Pauleta was appointed Olympic Attaché for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, acting as a liaison for Team Portugal athletes and connecting the Mission with the Portuguese community in France.

 

He also has a namesake Sports Complex in the Azores (inaugurated June 23, 2007), which houses Escola de Futebol Pauleta (September 4, 2004), Fundação Pauleta (May 16, 2006), Clube de Futebol Pauleta (May 19, 2010), Ginásio Pauleta (April 11, 2015), and Pauleta Padel Court (October 5, 2024).