Dani Alves · Biography

In the 2007 Copa América final against Argentina, Daniel Alves scored one of the goals in Brazil’s 3-0 win, his first trophy with the senior national team. Born Daniel Alves da Silva on 6 May 1983 in Juazeiro, in the north of Bahia state, the right-back spent two decades playing in Brazil and Europe, with spells at Sevilla, FC Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and São Paulo, and won 126 caps for Brazil between 2006 and 2022.

Juazeiro, Bahia and a first trophy

He came through the youth ranks of Juazeiro Social Clube from 1996 to 1998 before moving to Salvador to join Bahia’s academy. His professional debut came on 10 November 2001, as a starter in a 3-0 win over Paraná. A year later he was part of the squad that won the 2002 Copa do Nordeste. He made 37 appearances and scored five goals for Bahia. In 2003 he won the FIFA World Youth Championship with Brazil, the tournament that preceded his permanent move to Spain.

Sevilla: two UEFA Cups

He joined Sevilla on loan from Bahia, and the Andalusian club signed him permanently after the 2003 World Youth Championship. Over five seasons he played 250 games and scored 16 goals. He was part of the side that won the UEFA Cup in 2005-06 and 2006-07, the 2006 UEFA Super Cup, the 2006-07 Copa del Rey and the 2007 Spanish Super Cup. His runs down the right flank and his arrivals in the opposition box gave him an attacking role that was unusual for a full-back.

FC Barcelona, 2008 to 2016

His move to Barcelona was made official on 2 July 2008. In his first season, 2008-09, the club won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. Between 2008 and 2016 he played 391 games and scored 21 goals for the Catalan club, winning 23 trophies: six league titles (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15 and 2015-16), four Copas del Rey, four Spanish Super Cups, three Champions League titles (2009, 2011 and 2015), three UEFA Super Cups and three Club World Cups (2009, 2011 and 2015).

Juventus, PSG and the return to Brazil

He left Barcelona in 2016 and joined Juventus on a free transfer. In his only season in Turin, 2016-17, he played 33 games, scored six goals and won Serie A and the Coppa Italia. Juventus lost the 2017 Champions League final 4-1 to Real Madrid. On 12 July 2017 he signed for Paris Saint-Germain, again on a free. In France he won Ligue 1 in 2017-18 and 2018-19, the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue in 2017-18 and the 2017 Trophée des Champions, with 73 appearances and eight goals. On 1 August 2019 he signed for São Paulo and made his debut on 18 August, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Ceará. He won the 2021 Campeonato Paulista, and in September that year his contract was terminated after a dispute over unpaid image rights. He left with 95 games and ten goals.

Second spell at Barcelona and Pumas

Barcelona announced his return on 12 November 2021. His second official debut came on 5 January 2022, in the Copa del Rey, and he left the club in June of that year after 17 games and one goal. On 23 July 2022 he signed a one-year deal with Pumas UNAM in Mexico. The club terminated the contract on 20 January 2023, the day he was arrested in Barcelona.

Brazil national team

Before reaching the senior side he won the 2003 World Youth Championship. He made his senior debut on 7 October 2006 in an unofficial friendly, and his first official cap came three days later against Ecuador. He won the Copa América in 2007 and 2019, captaining the side at the latter and being named player of the tournament. He lifted the Confederations Cup in 2009, scoring the winner in the semi-final against South Africa, and in 2013, starting the final against Spain. He played all five of Brazil’s games at the 2010 World Cup, was in the 2014 squad and missed the 2018 tournament through injury. On 2 December 2022 he started and captained Brazil against Cameroon (a 1-0 defeat), becoming the oldest player to represent Brazil at a World Cup. At the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, he won the Olympic gold medal after a 2-1 extra-time win over Spain in the final. He finished with 126 caps and 8 goals.

The legal case in Spain

He was arrested by Catalan police on 20 January 2023, accused of sexual assault over events on 30 December 2022. On 22 February 2024 the Barcelona Provincial Court sentenced him to four and a half years in prison and ordered him to pay 150,000 euros in damages. He was released on 20 March 2024 after posting bail of one million euros. On 28 March 2025 the High Court of Justice of Catalonia overturned the conviction and acquitted him on grounds of insufficient evidence, and in May 2025 prosecutors appealed the acquittal to Spain’s Supreme Court. In January 2026 he became co-owner of São João de Ver, a club in Portugal’s Liga 3.