{{Short description|Portuguese footballer (born 1979)}} {{Portuguese name|Simões|Caneira}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Marco Caneira | image = | full_name = Marco António Simões Caneira<ref name=Profile>{{cite web|url=https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/marco-caneira/benfica/1575-0-32795|title=Marco Caneira|publisher=Mais Futebol|language=pt|access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|2|9|df=y}}<ref name=Profile/> | birth_place = Negrais, Portugal | height = 1.78 m<ref name=Profile/> | position = Defender | currentclub = | youthyears1 = 1990–1997 | youthclubs1 = Sporting CP | years1 = 1996–2000 | clubs1 = Sporting CP | caps1 = 1 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1996–1997 | clubs2 = → Lourinhanense (loan) | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1998 | clubs3 = → Salgueiros (loan) | caps3 = 1 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1998–1999 | clubs4 = → Beira-Mar (loan) | caps4 = 12 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 1999–2000 | clubs5 = → Alverca (loan) | caps5 = 17 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2000–2003 | clubs6 = Inter Milan | caps6 = 0 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2000–2001 | clubs7 = → Reggina (loan) | caps7 = 22 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2001–2002 | clubs8 = → Benfica (loan) | caps8 = 27 | goals8 = 0 | years9 = 2002–2003 | clubs9 = → Bordeaux (loan) | caps9 = 30 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2003–2005 | clubs10 = Bordeaux | caps10 = 35 | goals10 = 0 | years11 = 2004–2005 | clubs11 = → Valencia (loan) | caps11 = 22 | goals11 = 1 | years12 = 2005–2008 | clubs12 = Valencia | caps12 = 24 | goals12 = 0 | years13 = 2006–2007 | clubs13 = → Sporting CP (loan) | caps13 = 40 | goals13 = 1 | years14 = 2008–2011 | clubs14 = Sporting CP | caps14 = 28 | goals14 = 0 | years15 = 2011–2015 | clubs15 = Videoton | caps15 = 67 | goals15 = 1 | years16 = 2016–2019 | clubs16 = Negrais | caps16 = | goals16 = | years17 = 2021 | clubs17 = Atlético Malveira | caps17 = 2 | goals17 = 0 | totalcaps = 328 | totalgoals = 3 | nationalyears1 = 1998–2000 | nationalteam1 = Portugal U20 | nationalcaps1 = 15 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2000–2002 | nationalteam2 = Portugal U21 | nationalcaps2 = 17 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2002 | nationalteam3 = Portugal B | nationalcaps3 = 2 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | nationalyears4 = 2002–2008 | nationalteam4 = Portugal | nationalcaps4 = 25 | nationalgoals4 = 0 }} '''Marco António Simões Caneira''' (born 9 February 1979) is a Portuguese former professional footballer. Preferably a central defender, he was equally at ease on the right or left flank.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.publico.pt/2005/09/03/jornal/crise-a-esquerda--no-futebol-portugues-37108|title=Crise à esquerda no futebol português|trans-title=Left crisis in Portuguese football|newspaper=Público|first=Manuel|last=Mendes|language=pt|date=3 September 2005|access-date=18 October 2019}}</ref>
A youth graduate at Sporting CP, he started his career at the club, also appearing briefly for Benfica in his country, and represented Valencia in La Liga for a couple of years before returning to Sporting. Over ten seasons, he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 126 matches and one goal. He retired in 2015, after a four-year stint with Videoton.
Internationally, Caneira appeared for Portugal at two World Cups and earned 25 caps in six years.
==Club career== ===Early years=== Born in the village of Negrais in Sintra, Lisbon, Caneira began his career at the Sporting CP youth system, eventually graduating to the senior squad and making his first-team debut while still only a junior (aged 17). After signing a professional contract, he immediately went on loan to fellow Primeira Liga club S.C. Beira-Mar.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.record.pt/futebol/futebol-nacional/liga-nos/sporting/detalhe/marco-caneira-alhandra-e-paulo-costa-culpam-paulo-de-abreu-e-carlos-janela-pela-saida-do-sporting|title=Marco Caneira, Alhandra e Paulo Costa culpam Paulo de Abreu e Carlos Janela pela saída do Sporting|trans-title=Marco Caneira, Alhandra and Paulo Costa blame Paulo de Abreu and Carlos Janela for Sporting departure|newspaper=Record|first=João|last=Cartaxana|language=pt|date=29 October 1999|access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref>
Caneira, along with fellow Sporting players Paulo Costa and Vasco Faísca, was then involved in a somewhat complicated 2000 transfer between F.C. Alverca, who now owned 50% of their rights, and Inter Milan. He was immediately sent to Reggina Calcio, in a co-ownership bid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?L=en&N=708|title=Joint contracts: Kallon and Zanetti back to Inter|publisher=Inter Milan|date=28 June 2001|access-date=10 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803185214/http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?L=en&N=708|archive-date=3 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?L=it&N=90|title=Tre giovani Portoghesi in prestito|trans-title=Three Portuguese youngsters on loan|publisher=Inter Milan|language=it|date=21 June 2000|access-date=14 December 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018063213/http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=90&L=it|archive-date=18 October 2012}}</ref> After a season, he was bought back from Reggina<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=3576&L=it|title=Jugovic al Monaco, ripresi Paulo Costa e Caneira: ma potrebbero andare al Benfica|trans-title=Jugovic to Monaco, Paulo Costa and Caneira rebought: could go to Benfica|publisher=Inter Milan|language=it|date=24 July 2001|access-date=15 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010050120/http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=3576&L=it|archive-date=10 October 2012}}</ref> and sent to S.L. Benfica on a one-year-long loan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvi24.iol.pt/geral/01-08-2001/benfica-acordo-total-com-o-inter-por-caneira|title=Benfica: Acordo total com o Inter por Caneira|trans-title=Benfica: Total agreement with Inter for Caneira|publisher=TVI 24|first=Magda|last=Magalhães|language=pt|date=1 August 2001|access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref>
===Bordeaux and Valencia=== Caneira left for another loan spell in summer 2001, this time with FC Girondins de Bordeaux. At the end of the campaign, the French signed him to a four-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0193-0e6aa6593d2c-f0180eea649f-1000--bordeaux-backing-portuguese-duo/|title=Bordeaux backing Portuguese duo|publisher=UEFA|date=4 July 2003|access-date=10 June 2008}}</ref>
After his second season, Caneira was loaned out again, this time to Valencia CF which had faced Bordeaux twice in the 2003–04 edition of the UEFA Champions League.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50f0fda4f6-dde55c1edb37-1000--valencia-secure-caneira-loan/|title=Valencia secure Caneira loan|publisher=UEFA|date=27 July 2004|access-date=10 June 2008}}</ref> The move was made permanent on 13 June 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/01aa-0f84771d466f-540af8577e7a-1000--mora-increases-valencia-options/|title=Mora increases Valencia options|publisher=UEFA|date=13 June 2005|access-date=10 June 2008}}</ref>
===Sporting CP=== After one and a half seasons at Valencia, Caneira returned to Portugal and Sporting in January 2006,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/01b1-0f8483653a14-adb7afbb8dc8-1000--caneira-heads-home-to-sporting/|title=Caneira heads home to Sporting|publisher=UEFA|date=3 January 2006|access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref> where he displayed consistent defensive performances, also scoring a rare goal against former owners Inter Milan in the following season's Champions League, in a 12 September home win (1–0).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/025a-0eaa4f7b1b2c-7017be64229b-1000--caneira-strike-sends-inter-crashing/|title=Caneira strike sends Inter crashing|publisher=UEFA|first=Graham|last=Hunter|date=12 September 2006|access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref> In August 2007, although he had reached an agreement for a further five-year loan with the ''Lions'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/025e-0f90a1e70bca-075013f2bd69-1000--sporting-extend-caneira-stay/|title=Sporting extend Caneira stay|publisher=UEFA|date=29 July 2006|access-date=22 March 2025}}</ref> he returned to the Quique Sánchez Flores-led team.
After appearing rarely on the second Valencia stint, Caneira returned for a third one with Sporting, for €3.5 million, signing a four-year deal on 25 June 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news/01ce-0e6f6e4afb92-15d104c4b9f5-1000--lisbon-giants-move-to-strengthen/|title=Lisbon giants move to strengthen|publisher=UEFA|date=25 June 2008|access-date=22 March 2025}}</ref> He appeared in 32 official games in his first season (21 in the league, helping his team to the second place), but fell out of favour the following years, inclusively not being given a jersey for the 2010–11 campaign,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://expresso.pt/desporto/regresso-de-caneira-vira-uma-pagina-negra-no-sporting=f642144|title="Regresso de Caneira vira uma página negra no Sporting"|trans-title="Caneira return turns black page at Sporting"|newspaper=Expresso|first=Bruno|last=Roseiro|language=pt|date=6 April 2011|access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref> and he left the club in June 2011.
===Later career=== On the last day of the 2011 summer transfer window, the 32-year-old Caneira signed with Videoton FC in Hungary, sharing teams with three compatriots including former international teammate Paulo Sousa, who acted as the club's manager. On 25 October 2012, he scored only his fourth goal as a professional, netting from close range after a corner kick in an eventual 2–1 home victory against FC Basel in the UEFA Europa League group stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0202-0e8092486829-4c06116cbdbf-1000--clinical-videoton-pick-off-basel/|title=Clinical Videoton pick off Basel|publisher=UEFA|date=25 October 2012|access-date=14 July 2022}}</ref>
Caneira left the Sóstói Stadion at the end of the 2014–15 season, having contributed only three appearances to the club's second Nemzeti Bajnokság I conquest. After one year out football, the 36-year-old came out of retirement and joined amateurs SRD Negrais in the Lisbon Football Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rr.sapo.pt/noticia/66772/olha_quem_voltou_caneira_o_do_negrais|title=Olha quem voltou! Caneira, o do Negrais|trans-title=Look who's back! Caneira, the Negrais guy|publisher=Rádio Renascença|language=pt|date=24 October 2016|access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref>
==International career== A Portugal international since 2002, Caneira was selected for the squad that appeared in that year's FIFA World Cup, but did not play in the tournament held in Japan and South Korea. He made his debut on 27 March, in a 4–1 friendly loss to Finland in Porto.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/Arquivo/interior.aspx?content_id=117864|title=Portugal frente à Finlândia: Com a leveza da camisola nova|trans-title=Portugal against Finland: As light as the new shirt|newspaper=Record|first=António|last=Tadeia|language=pt|date=28 March 2002|access-date=2 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714160004/http://www.record.xl.pt/Arquivo/interior.aspx?content_id=117864|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>
Left out of the squad for UEFA Euro 2004, Caneira returned for the 2006 World Cup, playing in Portugal's last group stage match against Mexico (2–1 win).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4853302.stm|title=Portugal 2–1 Mexico|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 June 2006|access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life== On 16 January 2005, Caneira's 8-month-old daughter was a victim of sudden death, shortly before Valencia's La Liga match against CA Osasuna, which ended 0–0.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccer-spain.com/ssdocs/archive2004/news/n121.html|title=First division, day 19|publisher=Soccer Spain|date=17 January 2005|access-date=6 March 2011}}</ref>
In October 2009, while still an active player, Caneira ran for office in the Almargem do Bispo civil parish in his native Sintra, losing the election by 32 votes.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/economia/politica/detalhe/caneira_perde_junta_de_freguesia_por_32_votos|title=Caneira perde Junta de Freguesia por 32 votos|trans-title=Caneira loses civil parish by 32 votes|newspaper=Jornal de Negócios|first=Alexandra|last=Machado|language=pt|date=12 October 2009|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{ForaDeJogo}}</ref><ref>{{Soccerway|marco-antonio-simoes-caneira/358}}</ref> |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Taça de Portugal, Coppa Italia, Coupe de France, Copa del Rey, Hungarian Cup.}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes Taça da Liga, Coupe de la Ligue.}} !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Sporting CP |1995–96 |rowspan="2"|Primeira Liga |1||0|||||||||||||||| |- |1996–97 |0||0|||||||||||||||| |- !colspan="2"|Total !1!!0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |- |Salgueiros (loan) |1997–98 |Primeira Liga |1||0|||||||||||||||| |- |Beira-Mar (loan) |1998–99 |Primeira Liga |12||0||4||0|||||||||||16||0 |- |Alverca (loan) |1999–2000 |Primeira Liga |17||0|||||||||||||||| |- |Reggina (loan) |2000–01 |Serie A |22||0|||||||||||||||| |- |Benfica (loan) |2001–02 |Primeira Liga |27||0||2||0||||||||||29||0 |- |Bordeaux (loan) |2002–03 |Ligue 1 |30||0||||||||||4||0||34||0 |- |Bordeaux |2003–04 |Ligue 1 |35||0||||||||||5||0||40||0 |- |Valencia (loan) |2004–05 |La Liga |22||1||1||0||||||6||0||29||1 |- |rowspan="3"|Valencia |2005–06 |rowspan="2"|La Liga |5||0||||||||||3||0||8||0 |- |2007–08 |19||0||6||0||||||4||0||29||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !24!!0!!6!!0!!!!!!7!!0!!37!!0 |- |rowspan="3"|Sporting CP (loan) |2005–06 |rowspan="2"|Primeira Liga |15||1||4||0||||||||||19||1 |- |2006–07 |25||0||5||0||||||5||1||35||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !40!!1!!9!!0!!!!!!5!!1!!54!!2 |- |rowspan="4"|Sporting CP |2008–09 |rowspan="3"|Primeira Liga |21||0||1||0||3||0||6||0||31||0 |- |2009–10 |7||0||1||0||||||4||0||12||0 |- |2010–11 ||||||||||||||||||| |- !colspan="2"|Total !28!!0!!2!!0!!3!!0!!10!!0!!43!!0 |- |rowspan="5"|Videoton |2011–12 |rowspan="4"|Nemzeti Bajnokság I |21||0||5||0||6||0||0||0||32||0 |- |2012–13 |20||1||4||0||5||0||11||1||40||2 |- |2013–14 |23||0||2||0||10||0||1||0||36||0 |- |2014–15 |3||0||||||7||0||0||0||10||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !67!!1!!11!!1!!28!!0!!12!!1!!118!!3 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !326!!3!!26!!1!!31!!0!!50!!2!!433!!6 |} {{notelist}}
===International=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="7"|Portugal<ref>{{Eu-Football.info|24787}}</ref> |2002||2||0 |- |2003||2||0 |- |2004||1||0 |- |2005||7||0 |- |2006||6||0 |- |2007||5||0 |- |2008||2||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!25!!0 |}
==Honours== '''Sporting CP''' *Taça de Portugal: 2006–07 *Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2008 *Taça da Liga runner-up: 2008–09
'''Beira-Mar''' *Taça de Portugal: 1998–99
'''Valencia''' *Copa del Rey: 2007–08 *UEFA Super Cup: 2004
'''Videoton''' *Nemzeti Bajnokság I: 2014–15 *Szuperkupa: 2011, 2012 *Ligakupa: 2011–12
'''Portugal''' *UEFA European Under-16 Championship: 1995
'''Orders''' *Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cristianosantosronaldo.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_archive.html|title=Selecção distinguida pelo Duque de Bragança|trans-title=National team honoured by Duke of Bragança|publisher=Cristiano Ronaldo News|language=pt|date=30 August 2006|access-date=30 August 2006}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{ForaDeJogo}} *{{LFP}} *{{BDFutbol}} *{{FPF national player|407764}} *{{NFT player}} *{{FIFA player}}
{{Navboxes |title=Portugal squads |bg=#900020 |fg=gold |bordercolor= |list1= {{Portugal Squad 2002 World Cup}} {{Portugal Squad 2006 World Cup}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caneira, Marco}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Portuguese sportsmen Category:Portuguese men's footballers Category:Footballers from Sintra Category:Men's association football full-backs Category:Men's association football central defenders Category:Primeira Liga players Category:Segunda Divisão players Category:S.C. Salgueiros players Category:Sporting CP footballers Category:S.C. Lourinhanense players Category:S.C. Beira-Mar players Category:F.C. Alverca players Category:S.L. Benfica footballers Category:Serie A players Category:AS Reggina 1914 players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:FC Girondins de Bordeaux players Category:La Liga players Category:Valencia CF players Category:Nemzeti Bajnokság I players Category:Videoton FC Fehérvár players Category:Portugal men's youth international footballers Category:Portugal men's under-21 international footballers Category:Portugal men's B international footballers Category:Portugal men's international footballers Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:Portuguese expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Hungary Category:Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Italy Category:Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Hungary Category:AC Malveira players