Paulo Almeida
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paulo Almeida Santos | ||
| Date of birth | 20 April 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Itarantim, Bahia, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997 | Cruzeiro | ||
| 1998–2000 | Santos | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2004 | Santos | 77 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Benfica | 6 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Benfica B | 27 | (1) |
| 2006–2007 | Corinthians | 13 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Náutico | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | ABC | ||
| 2010 | União Esporte Clube | ||
| 2010–2011 | Saba Qom | 14 | (0) |
| 2011 | Goianésia | ||
| 2011 | Rio Branco | ||
| 2012 | Itumbiara | 5 | (2) |
| 2012 | Mixto | 9 | (0) |
| 2014 | Goianésia | 0 | (0) |
| 2014 | Mixto | ||
| 2015 | Vitória da Conquista | 3 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 2003 | Brazil U23 | 5 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Paulo Almeida Santos (born 20 April 1981) is a Brazilian footballer who last played for Vitória da Conquista.
A defensive midfielder known for his leadership, he was the captain of the Santos team, dubbed Meninos da Vila, that won the 2002 Brasileirão, their first since 1968. After representing Santos in their first Copa Libertadores Finals in forty years, Almeida had an unsuccessful spell at Benfica between 2004 and 2006. Afterwards, he represented a dozen others teams in Brazil.
He was called up to represent Brazil U23 at the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup, amassing five caps as Brazil finished runners-up.
Born in Itarantim, Bahia, Almeida career started in the regional futsal leagues, eventually leading to a seven month spell at Cruzeiro in 1997. After being released by Cruzeiro, he returned to futsal and had an impressive performance in a regional tournament. Luciano Lacerda saw him and brought him to Santos. In 2000, the 19-year old made his professional debut in a match against Guarani, and went on establish himself in the first team, replacing Freddy Rincón in the starting eleven. He was described by Pelé as having the same spirit as Zito: "It's always war for him, it's a guy that does not miss a training session because he always wants to be the best. It is funny, how they are coinciding at Santos. He was proven to be a player with future, with lots of personality".
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