Starting his career at Bahia in 2001, Alves went on to have a successful six-year spell with Sevilla, winning two UEFA Cups and the Copa del Rey. He joined Barcelona for €32.5 million,[3] becoming the third-most expensive defender of all-time at the time. He won the treble in his first season with the club and in the next season, won the Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Additionally, he helped the club to clinch another two Supercopa de España, five La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles in the years that followed.
In 2016, Juventus signed Alves on a free transfer.[4] He won the 2016–17 Serie A title and 2016–17 Coppa Italia in his only season with the side, also reaching the Champions League Final.[5] In 2017, Alves joined French side Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, winning a domestic treble in his first season, followed by another league title the following season.[6] In 2019, he returned to his home country, joining São Paulo, and winning the 2021 Campeonato Paulista with them. He returned to Barcelona in 2021. He joined Mexican club UNAM in 2022; UNAM terminated his contract in 2023 after he was detained in Spain, during a process that resulted in Alves being charged with sexual assault. He was convicted of this charge of rape in February 2024 and sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
Alves was born in Juazeiro, a city in the Brazilian state of Bahia, to father Domingos Alves da Silva, a farmer. He played football with the neighboring kids. Alves' father had a passion for football as well, and eventually managed to organize his own football team. Alves, at age 6, started as a winger, but because of the lack of goals he scored, his father re-positioned him as a right back, a position he still plays up to this day. Alves worked as a farmer and a trader in his youth.[7][8]
Club career
Bahia
Alves made his professional debut for Bahia in a match against Paraná Clube for the 2001 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Bahia won 3–0, with Alves providing two assists and winning a penalty for the other goal. Head coach Evaristo de Macedo thereafter gave him a starting place in the team. In Bahia, he won the 2002 Copa do Nordeste. His consistently good performances landed him a transfer, at first on loan, to Spanish side Sevilla, midway through 2002.[9]
Sevilla
Alves with Sevilla in 2007
After 2002–03, on loan to Sevilla from Bahia, Alves travelled to play in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, where he impressed as Brazil won the tournament. He was named the third-best player of the tournament and, after this, the Sevilla move was made permanent.
In June 2006, Sevilla agreed to sell Alves to Liverpool, but Liverpool were unable to match Sevilla's asking price of around £8 million.[10] In December 2006, he signed a new contract with Sevilla, tying him to the club until 2012.[11] He had a successful 2006–07 season, making 47 appearances and scoring 5 goals. He played in every one of Sevilla's UEFA Cup matches, in a competition which the club went on to win.
From his years in Spain, Alves acquired Spanish citizenship, thus allowing him to bypass any non-EU quota restrictions and exempting him from needing a work permit to play in any EU countries.[12]
On 1 August 2007, Alves told SporTV he wanted to leave Sevilla for a European giant,[13] later reiterating his desire to leave Sevilla to Marca, saying he was flattered by Chelsea's interest and that he could never turn down such an opportunity.[14] In an interview with Antena 3 on 8 August, Alves confirmed his agent had been in England for some time handling Chelsea's offer, urging Sevilla to at least consider the offer.[15]
On 16 August 2007, Sevilla rejected an unspecified Chelsea bid and, six days later, rejected another two bids from Chelsea, considering them to be "way below what was expected".[16][17] Alves later revealed his dismay with Sevilla club president José María del Nido for having knocked back Chelsea's offers for his services after his move to Stamford Bridge collapsed, with Chelsea signing fellow Brazilian full back Juliano Belletti for a much lower fee.[18]
After a public war of words between Alves and Del Nido,[19] as well as the death of teammate Antonio Puerta, Alves decided to stay with Sevilla, with player and president ostensibly reconciled.[20]
On 2 July 2008, Alves joined Barcelona, leaving Sevilla in tears and saying he would love to play for the club again. He said he came to Sevilla as a boy and was leaving as a man.[21] The official price of the transfer stood at £23 million up-front, with approximately £7 million more depending on a number of performance-related factors over the next few seasons of Alves' Barcelona career, making him one of the most expensive defenders in history and the third-most expensive player bought by Barça. He signed a four-year contract with Barcelona, which included a buy-out clause of €90 million.
Alves made his competitive and European debuts for Barcelona against Wisła Kraków in the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League third-round qualifiers on 13 August 2008.[22] He made his La Liga debut in the Liga season-opener away to Numancia on 31 August 2008.[23] Later on in his debut season, he missed the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final due to a yellow-card suspension, although Barcelona nonetheless defeated Manchester United 2–0 to complete the treble after also winning La Liga and the 2008–09 Copa del Rey.
In his second season at Barça, the club retained the Liga title and won the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup. In the 2010–11 season, Alves was instrumental in Barcelona's winning of their third consecutive Liga title.
In 2011–12, Alves was part of a Barcelona team that won the Copa del Rey and the Club World Cup. In 2012–13, Alves won the Liga title for the fourth time in his five seasons at Barça.
In 2013–14, Alves wore shirt number 22, formerly worn by his friend Eric Abidal, to whom he offered to donate part of his liver during Abidal's treatment for liver cancer.[24]
On 27 April 2014, during a match at Villarreal's stadium, El Madrigal, Alves was targeted by a Villarreal supporter,[25] who threw a banana at him as a gesture of racial abuse. Alves picked up the banana, peeled it and took a bite.[26] He responded to the incident by saying: "We have suffered this in Spain for some time. You have to take it with a dose of humour. We aren't going to change things easily. If you don't give it importance, they don't achieve their objective."[27] Teammate Neymar's response – to post a photograph of himself on social media also eating a banana – went viral.[28] Other footballers have also since taken photographs of themselves eating bananas.[29]Cyrille Regis, who had been racially abused while a player in the 1970s and 1980s, expressed concern that the viral campaign would detract from the important issues of combating racism in the game.[30]
Alves said that whoever threw the banana at him should be publicly shamed,[31] and on 30 April 2014, a man was arrested in connection with the incident.[32] Villarreal were later fined €12,000 for the incident.[33]
On 9 June 2015, Alves signed a two-year contract with Barcelona, keeping him at the club until 30 June 2017, with the option to extend a further year.[36]
Final season
After Barcelona were eliminated by compatriots Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League, Alves recorded a "bizarre" video in which he impersonated his wife consoling him for the defeat, and posted it on Instagram; manager Luis Enrique subsequently dropped him from the following match against Valencia.[37]
On 2 June 2016, Roberto Fernández, Barcelona's technical secretary, announced Alves was leaving Barcelona that summer after eight years.[38] Although under contract until 30 June 2017, Alves contract had a clause allowing him to leave as a free agent.
Juventus
On 27 June 2016, Juventus announced the signing of Alves on a two-year deal with the option of a third year.[4] He made his Juventus debut on 20 August in a 2–1 home win over Fiorentina in Serie A.[39] On 21 September, Alves scored his first goal with Juventus in a 4–0 home win over Cagliari,[40] before opening his Champions League account with the club against Dinamo Zagreb six days later.[41] On 27 November, he suffered a broken leg in Juventus' 3–1 defeat to Genoa.[42] Alves made his return from injury as a substitute in a 1–0 Derby d'Italia win over Internazionale on 5 February 2017.[43]
On 29 June 2017, Alves had his contract with Juventus terminated by mutual consent. He made 33 appearances, winning the 2016–17 Serie A title and 2016–17 Coppa Italia in his one season in Turin.[5]
On 28 August 2018, Alves announced through a post on his Instagram page changing his squad number from 32 to 13 in tribute to Brazilian legend and four-time World Cup winner Mário Zagallo.[51]
After his contract with the club expired on 30 June 2019, Alves became a free agent.[52]
São Paulo
On 1 August 2019, São Paulo announced the signing of Dani Alves on a contract that runs until December 2022.[53] A lifelong supporter of São Paulo, Alves had previously on numerous occasions declared his wish of playing for the club. He was received at the Morumbi stadium, in front of 44,000 fans. Idols of the club's recent history, such as Hernanes, Kaká and Luís Fabiano were responsible for welcoming him.
Starting his journey in São Paulo FC at Morumbi stadium, Alves commented:
Do not stop believing in your dreams because they are possible. Now, after having gone around the world, it is the first club that I wear the shirt and I am a fan. It is a thrill to receive this mantle, and the moment has come.[54]
Alves received the number 10 shirt upon his arrival.[55] He made his debut on 18 August 2019, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 league win over Ceará at the Morumbi.[56] Despite being a right-back throughout his career, he generally played in central midfield during his time at São Paulo, mainly during Fernando Diniz's tenure between 2019 and 2021. He was also made first team captain at the time of his arrival.[57][58][59] In 2021, new manager Hernán Crespo made Alves return to a more defensive role, playing him as a right-sided wingback.[60] At the same time, he gave the captain's armband to Miranda, who was returning to the club after a decade. In May, he won his only title with the club and the 42nd of his career, the Campeonato Paulista, which also ended São Paulo's 8-year trophyless period.
On 10 September 2021, Alves' representatives communicated to São Paulo that he would no longer return to training and subsequently play for the club following a dispute over unpaid image rights.[61] His contract was terminated six days later.[62]
São Paulo FC's footballing director Carlos Belmonte stated:
Daniel Alves and Miranda were serving the Brazilian team and should have returned to start regular training for out next games [on Friday]. Miranda attended and trained normally, but Daniel Alves did not attend. We were then informed by his representatives that Daniel Alves will not return to São Paulo until the settlement of the debt that São Paulo has with the athlete. A debt that São Paulo recognises and last week made a proposal seeking the right outcome, which was not accepted by the representatives. From our point of view, we have taken the decision that Daniel Alves will no longer be available to play for São Paulo. São Paulo is more important than all of us.[62]
Since then, São Paulo has agreed, in the same month, to pay Alves R$400,000 monthly over the next 5 years starting from January 2022. This is being done to cover the R$18 million debt at the time of the breakup, owing to the contract agreed in 2019, who São Paulo FC were increasingly unable to pay him then.[63]
Return to Barcelona
On 12 November 2021, Barcelona announced an agreement in principle to sign Alves on a deal until the end of the season. He only became available for the team's official matches starting January 2022.[64] In December 2021, he made his second debut for the Blaugrana in a friendly, honoring Diego Maradona, match against Boca Juniors,[65][66] and made his debut in official matches for the Blaugrana on 5 January 2022, in a Copa del Rey 2–1 win over Linares Deportivo.[67] On 6 February 2022, he scored for the first time since returning, in Barça's 4–2 home win over Atlético Madrid in the league; he also provided an assist for Jordi Alba and was sent off for a foul on Yannick Carrasco in the same match.[68]
On 15 June 2022, Alves announced via a post on his Instagram account that he would leave Barcelona for the second time, having made 408 competitive appearances for the club in total, the second most by a player from abroad, with only Lionel Messi having played more.[69]
UNAM
On 23 July 2022, Alves signed a one-year contract with Liga MX club UNAM.[70]
On 20 January 2023, following his arrest for sexual assault allegation, UNAM decided to end Alves' contract with the club.[73]
International career
Early career and 2007 Copa América title
Alves made his Brazil debut as a substitute in an unofficial friendly match against Kuwaiti club Al-Kuwait Selection on 7 October 2006. Three days later, he earned his first international cap in a friendly against Ecuador. He was included in Brazil's team for the 2007 Copa América. He appeared in four matches including the final against Argentina on 15 July, where he gave an assist to Roberto Ayala's own goal and scored a goal himself in the 3–0 victory.[74]
2009 Confederations Cup title, 2010 World Cup, and 2011 Copa América
Despite being the most expensive right-back in history at the time, he was initially unable to hold down a regular starting spot in the Brazilian national team, with Maicon being the first choice ahead of him. Alves came on as a substitute in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final against South Africa and scored the winner, a free-kick and a goal in the 88th minute in a 1–0 win.[75] The following summer, he was named to Brazil's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[76][77] He scored another long-range free-kick against Iran on 7 October 2010. The following year, Alves was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the 2011 Copa América in Argentina.[78]
On 7 May 2014, Alves was named to Brazil's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on home soil.[81] He lost his position as a starter during the competition due to poor performances. After Brazil defeated Colombia 2–1 in the quarter-finals, Alves and teammate David Luiz were applauded for comforting James Rodríguez, an act they were both commended for by both Rodríguez and the media for showing respect.[82]
2015 Copa América, and Copa América Centenario, and 2018 World Cup qualifying
In May 2019, he was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América on home soil.[86] He went on to replace Neymar as Brazil captain for the tournament.[87] In the team's final group match against Peru in São Paulo on 22 June, Alves scored in a 5–0 win, which saw Brazil advance to the quarter-finals.[88] In the final, on 7 July, at the Maracanã Stadium, Brazil faced Peru once again, and won the match 3–1 to win the title; Alves was subsequently named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.[89][90] The 2019 edition of the Copa América was the 40th title of his career.[91]
2020 Summer Olympics
On 17 June 2021, Alves was named in the Brazil squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[92] In the final, Brazil faced Spain and won the gold medal following a 2–1 victory after an extra time goal by Malcom.[93] At 38, he became the oldest footballer to ever win a medal in the men's Olympic football tournament, and the third oldest player overall behind Ryan Giggs in 2012 and Ricardo Piccinini in 1988.[94]
2022 FIFA World Cup
On 7 November 2022, at age 39, Alves was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[95]
By starting in his side's final group stage fixture against Cameroon, Alves became the oldest ever player to feature in a World Cup match for Brazil, at the age of 39 years and 210 days.[96]
Regarded as one of the best full-backs of his generation, and of all time, Alves is an offensive right-back or wing-back who is known in particular for his pace, stamina, overlapping attacking runs, and technical skills, which also enable him to play in midfield, or as a winger; he is also gifted with good crossing accuracy and distribution, which allows him to link up with midfielders, and makes him an effective assist provider along the right flank. In addition to his ability to create chances, he is an accurate striker of the ball, and is known for his ability to score goals in particular from outside the area or long-range set-pieces.
Despite not being particularly imposing physically, he possesses significant strength and tenacity, which along with his energy, anticipation and work-rate, enable him to intercept passes or chase down and press opponents when not in possession, thus allowing him to aid his team both offensively and defensively. However, despite his skill and offensive ability, he has drawn criticism at times in the media for neglecting the defensive aspect of his game.[97][98][99][100][101][102]
During his time with Paris Saint-Germain, he also played as a central midfielder on occasion.[103] He continued to play in a free role in midfield during his time with São Paulo,[104] citing his desire to play in the middle in order to have more touches on the ball as the reason for this tactical switch, as out wide he had felt more isolated, and less capable of creating chances for his team.[105] Regarding his unique interpretation of the full-back role throughout his career, Alves commented in 2019:
I'm a full-back who plays a combination game. But here – because of the characteristics of Brazilian football, the way the team plays and, a lot of times, the teammates – you don't have so many [short-passing] combinations. If I play in the position I did for 20 years, I can't interfere as much in the game. When I get involved, I help my teammates to become better. It's been like that my whole career – at Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and PSG. Those clubs have a history of having done that for a while. Here, the coach changes all the time and you're always trying to adapt to the coach you have. In my position in the middle I'm better for my teammates. I'll be sincere, I created a new way of playing as a full-back. No false modesty. I am always adapting to my teammates. If they're wide, I'll go into the middle. If they're attacking, I'll help with the control. If the ball's on the other side, I tuck in. I play as a creative midfielder from the back. Barcelona gave me this understanding. When I played with Xavi or Rakiti[ć], there was always a player controlling the game. If I was wide, Xavi or Rakiti[ć] were behind me. Seeing them play, I thought: 'When you have a winger who stays wide, you need to stay in the area of control.' At São Paulo, my challenge is to be able to understand my teammates and to combine with them as well as possible.[104]
On 29 September 2011, Alves was appointed as a Special Olympics Ambassador for its Global Football program, charged with promoting respect and inclusion in football for people with intellectual disabilities, particularly in the run up to the 2014 World Cup.[108] On 24 April 2015, Alves publicly expressed his support for the campaign for international recognition of the Armenian genocide. The Embassy of Armenia in Spain would thank Alves the same day, with a comment on its official Facebook account.[109][110] Alves would apologize to his Turkish fans 3 days later on 27 April 2015, stating: “I’d like to offer my most sincere apologies to all my Turkish fans. I never thought that this photo would cause you any offence, I have a lot of friends …” on his Twitter account.[111] Along with his ex-teammate turned rapper, José Manuel Pinto, Alves released a song called "Suave" on YouTube on 15 June 2018.[112]
In September 2021, Alves indicated he was a supporter of Jair Bolsonaro after posting slogans in favor of the Brazilian president.[113] That same year, Alves was appointed as an Earthshot Prize council member, an environmental initiative led by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.[114] In addition to his native Portuguese, Alves also speaks English and Spanish.[115][116]
After Alves was arrested on sexual assault charges, his wife Joana Sanz separated from him in March 2023; she publicly stated that he had caused great emotional hurt to her, and that she wanted to "close this chapter of her life".[117][118]
Sexual assault charges
On 20 January 2023, Alves was arrested by Catalan police and remanded in custody without bail on charges of sexual assault.[119][120][121] The alleged assault occurred at a Barcelona nightclub on 30 December 2022.[122][123] The complainant had filed an official complaint on 2 January 2023.[124][125]El Periódico de Catalunya reported that the complainant alleged to police and in court that after a waiter led her to meet Alves at the nightclub's VIP area, Alves twice made her touch his penis against her will, then ordered her to follow him into the nightclub's bathroom, prevented her from leaving the bathroom, threw her onto the ground, slapped her, tried to force her to fellate him, put her against the sink, then moved her to the toilet, raped her and ejaculated.[126][127] According to El Periódico, semen that matched Alves' DNA was collected from samples from inside the complainant's vagina, from her underwear, from her dress, and from the bathroom floor; the complainant was documented by a hospital to have suffered a knee injury consistent with her allegations; and investigators found seven fingerprints around the bathroom that matched the complainant's account of events, with the complainant giving her account without knowing that investigators had such evidence.[127][128]
Alves has given at least five different accounts of the incident.[129]El Periódico detailed three versions.[127] In the first version, Alves told media outlet Antena 3 that he did not know the woman, and accused her of trying to become famous by making her allegation.[127] He implied that he entered the bathroom not knowing that she was already inside using it, but this was contradicted by surveillance footage.[127] After understanding that evidence had been collected against him and the above account was part of the evidence, Alves changed his story in court.[127] In the second version, Alves admitted that he had entered the bathroom first before the woman, and that inside the bathroom, he had defecated in the toilet with the woman beside him, and nothing sexual occurred.[127] When Alves was questioned on why the woman would remain in the small bathroom with him for 15 minutes doing nothing, or why his semen had been found on the bathroom floor, Alves changed his story again.[127] In the third version, he said that the woman had performed fellatio on him in the bathroom.[127] On 17 April 2023, Alves testified in court to a different version of events, claiming that he had consensual sexual intercourse with the woman during the incident; Alves also said that he earlier denied the sexual activity because he wanted to save his marriage.[117][130] By February 2023, at least eight witnesses provided testimony, and it was reported that the crime could receive prosecution through Spain's recently passed 2022 consensual sex law which expanded the legal definition of sexual assault in Spain.[131] In his fifth version, which was detailed by El Periódico on 17 January 2024, Alves claimed he was severely impaired by alcohol consumption.[132]
El Periódico reported in July 2023 that Alves' trial in Spain was originally scheduled to take place between October and November 2023, and no pretrial release should be granted to him until his trial finishes.[133] However, when he was formally indicted on 2 August 2023, it was determined that a trial date would be set for later in the year or early in 2024.[134] He had previously been denied bail in May 2023 and was still in prison by February 2024.[135][136] On 20 December 2023, a Barcelona-based court scheduled for his trial to begin on 5 February 2024.[137][138] His trial would then begin on the scheduled date, and it lasted for three days.[135] The trial was also regarded as the first high-profile trial to be held under Spain's 2022 sex crime law.[139]
During the first day of his trial, the presiding Provincial Court of Barcelona rejected Alves' bid to have the trial suspended.[135] The woman who accused Alves of sexually assaulting her provided testimony via a closed-door session, talking from behind a screen and having her voice distorted in order to protect her identity.[135] During the second day of the trial, Alves' wife Joana Sanz was among the witnesses who testified.[140]Catalan News described Sanz as appearing "very cold towards her husband" during the testimony.[140] Friends of Alves who testified claimed they drank alcohol "from lunch until dawn," with Sanz even claiming that Alves appeared "reeking of alcohol" after arriving home.[140] The first two days of the trial saw testimony from the alleged victim, witness, police and experts.[141] The third and final day of the trial saw, among others, Alves himself give testimony, where he again denied raping the accuser and claimed that the encounter between him and his accuser was consensual.[142][141]
On 22 February 2024, Alves was found guilty of rape, and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison and ordered to pay €150,000 in damages to the victim.[143][144] Alves' lawyer said that she would appeal against the verdict.[145] After the sentence, Barcelona retired him from the "Legend" section.[146] However, the club would reinstate his likeness on the website days later.[147]
On 20 March 2024, Alves was released from jail on a €1,000,000 bail.[148] However, he was ordered to turn his Spanish and Brazilian passports over to the police, effectively prohibiting him from leaving Spain; to appear before a court weekly; and to keep distance from the victim. The ruling which was not unanimous can still be appealed. The victim's lawyer reacted saying "to me, it's a scandal that they let a person who they know can get a million euros in no time walk free."[149]
Tax fraud case
On 16 November 2023, Alves won a tax fraud case against him which was related to alleged improper reporting to Spain tax authorities concerning his image rights earnings during the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons while he was a Barcelona player after appealing to a Spanish high court.[150] He also received a €3.2 million ($3.4 million) payout from money that was confiscated from him.[150]
Suicide allegations
On 10 March 2024, journalist Paulo Albuquerque claimed that Alves had commited suicide in jail, news sources such as GOAL, Fotomaç picked up on the story quickly after.[151][152] On the same day, his brother Ney Alves would debunk the allegations on his Instagram Live broadcast, stating "‘How cruel people can be! He has already been convicted. Is that not enough? The madness is that people want him dead. They want to see my brother dead. How cruel is that!”[153][154] Alves's press advisor, Acaz Felleger, also denied the false claims that Alves committed suicide and said on Brazilian radio station Rádio Itatiaia that legal action is being considered against the person who started the rumor.[153][155][156]
Albuquerque would make another post eight hours later after the allegations went viral on social media, stating that he was talking about his missing cousin Danielzinho from Nova Iguacu and that he had found him alive in the end.[153][155]
^"FIFA FIFPro World XI 2009". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2018.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"FIFA FIFPro World XI 2011". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2018.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"FIFA FIFPro World XI 2012". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2018.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"FIFA FIFPro World XI 2013". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2018.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"FIFA FIFPro World XI 2015". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 11 January 2016. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
^"FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2015". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 9 January 2017. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
^"FIFA FIFPro World11". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 October 2017. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
