Who is Otavio? The Son of a Van Driver Who Achieved Greatness

While many may not remember Otavio, the underrated Portuguese midfielder whose goal secured Portugal’s spot in the memorable 2022 FIFA World Cup, his journey is one worth exploring. The youngest of four brothers, Otavio was cherished by his parents but never spoiled. His father, a van driver, often put aside his work to support his son, making a two-hour drive to get Otavio to training. Despite his mother, Claudia Valéria’s concerns about the long trips, his father believed wholeheartedly in his son’s potential, braving a daily journey of 119 kilometres.

This article will delve into the important moments of Otavio’s childhood, highlighting how this Brazilian-born midfielder achieved success in the beautiful game. Now, let’s dive into the heart of Otavio Monteiro’s inspiring story

Preamble:

In a nutshell, Otavio’s story goes far beyond his career highlights. This biography uncovers the hidden chapters of his childhood, his early encounters with football, and introduces you to his family—his mother, Cláudia da Silva; father, Otávio Monteiro Senior; wife, Diandra Machado; and his brothers, Raylson Batista and Victor, as well as his sister.

We’ll also share insights about Otavio’s children, including his daughters, Alice and Ayla, and his son, Theo. Plus, you’ll get a glimpse into Otavio’s lifestyle, personal life, and net worth.

To kick off his story and whet your appetite for his autobiography, we present a captivating photo gallery showcasing his early life and rise in football. Join us as we explore the life journey of Otavio, from his boyhood days to his remarkable success in the sport.

Otavio Childhood Story:

For Biography starters, he bears the full name Otávio Edmilson da Silva Monteiro. Also, his two nicknames are “Otavinho” and “Tavinho”.

Otavio Monteiro was born on the 9th day of February 1995 to his mother, Cláudia da Silva and father, Otávio Monteiro.

To clarify things, Otavio’s Mother (Claudia Valéria Mendes da Silva) didn’t give birth to him in Portugal. Rather, his birthplace is João Pessoa, in Brazil.

In terms of his birth position, Otavio is the last-born child of his Dad and Mum. In most cases, we refer to people like him as the baby of the family.

He is one among four children born to the marital union between Cláudia da Silva (his Mum) and Otávio Monteiro (his Dad).

Meet Cláudia da Silva (left) and Otávio Monteiro (Right) in the photo below. These persons are Otavio’s parents – people who gave him life and made him who he is today.

Both his Mum and Dad took this photo at Otavio’s family home in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Growing-Up Years:

Otavio spent most of his childhood days in João Pessoa, the State of Paraíba, Brazil. Also, he grew up in a home that is made up of football lovers.

Chiefly among these persons are his Dad and older brothers. These are the people he looked up to while growing up.

For the purpose of clarity, Otavio is the youngest of four brothers. These are male siblings who played a huge role in guiding Otavio’s steps along the way to success.

On the other hand, the Portuguese footballer appears to have an older sister – our research says.

In his early life, playing football (day and night) was the order of the day. Being the last child of the Monteiro family, Otavio often had his way.

He was mostly pampered by his parents – but never spoilt. Unlike his older brothers, there were few responsibilities.

Raylson Batista (one of Otavio’s brothers), now a Nurse, had bigger responsibilities. For Otavio, there was little or no pressure from his Mum and Dad.

The boy was very free as a child, a feat that made him cultivate the habit of falling in love with the game of football.

Otavio Family Background:

The Brazilian-born Portuguese footballer is from a middle-class household. To survive life in Brazil, Otavio Monteiro’s Family relied on a Van.

According to our research, Otavio’s Father was a Van driver. He used this vehicle to transport people and goods in exchange for money to feed his family.

On several occasions, Otávio Monteiro Senior (as they call his Dad) took his son back and forth – from training to their family home.

Otavio’s Dad’s support for his career (using his car) is very much similar to Bruno Guimarães‘ Biography. Put simply, Bruno’s Dad was a famous Taxi driver in Brazil.

During Otavio’s Childhood, his Dad would sometimes abandon his work – just for his sake. Mr Monteiro would drive two hours to get his son to training.

After that, he would take another two hours journey to get him back home. Today, Otavinho repays this great Man – for all the sacrifices he made for him.

On the other hand, Claudia Valéria (Otavio’s Mum) is a professional cook and housewife. She, alongside her daughter (Otavio’s Sister), keeps the family’s kitchen organized.

As observed, Claudia Valéria Mendes da Silva has a special relationship with all of her children.

Otavio Family Origin:

This section provides answers as regards where he comes from (country-wise). To start with, Otavio’s nationality is tied to both Brazil and Portugal. The Baller is Brazilian by virtue of his birth. Also, Otavio’s Mother (Claudia) and Father (Otavio Snr) are Brazilians by birth.

Where in Brazil does Otavio’s family come from?

The Portuguese footballer is from João Pessoa, in Paraíba, Brazil (the same as Evanilson). This is a port city in the northeastern part of Brazil.

João Pessoa city is in the country’s state of Paraíba – with an estimation of 817,511 persons (as of 2020). This map gallery explains Otavio’s origin.

Otavio’s Ethnicity:

The Footballer’s ancestry consists of people from the Brancos ethnic group. So far, Brancos (or white Brazilians) is the Largest Ethnic Group in Brazil.

They constitute about 47.73% of the country’s population. Otavio’s family is proud to belong to this Brazilian ethnic group.

Education and Career Buildup:

In Brazil, it is mandatory for parents to send their children to go to school from the age of six. Before getting to his schooling age, Otavio had begun to lay his career foundation.

He started playing futsal at age five in João Pessoa (Brazil), where his parents raised him.

At the age of 10, Otavio’s family agreed it was time for him to take a bold career step. Thanks to his super Dad support, he successfully enrolled with Santa Cruz Academy. This new club is in Recife, in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil – so far away from their home.

Back then, where Otavio Monteiro’s parents lived (in João Pessoa) is two hours drive to Recife, in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil.

Otavio’s Mother was against this long distance. While Claudia Valéria feared, her husband believed he could make the journey for their son.

To ensure his son meets training, Otavio’s Dad faced a daily 119km journey. He drove his Van through the popular BR-101 longitudinal highway of Brazil – as observed from the map. The Super Dad made this difficult journey (to and fro) between Joa Pessoa Para to Recife.

Otavio Biography – Football Story:

The youngster did not disappoint his parents, especially his Dad, who sacrificed a lot. Futsal, which he started as a child (age 5), helped in that smooth transformation to field football.

Thanks to his decision-making skills in Futsal, Otavio began collecting early honours.

Back then (in 2006), the only things Otavinho did in life were study and play football. At the age of 12 and 13, his mind became heavily divided on two things. First was the need to switch from futsal to field football. The second was the idea of continuing futsal.

In the end, field football prevailed over futsal. Upon the switch, Otavio began dreaming of playing professionally in Europe.

Also, at that time, little Otavinho was in high school, and the workload of both school and Santa Cruz’s field football made him look very stressed.

Thanks to family support, young Otavio could scale the huddles of his early teenage years. At age twelve, he had agreed to make his only passion (football) to become his sole job. Developing that mindset made him settle comfortably at Santa Cruz academy.

Road to Fame Story:

At the age of thirteen, Otavinho began pushing himself beyond limits. Otavio knew that to get into the books of football scouts/recruiters from bigger clubs, he needed to improve on his technical abilities. In addition, he felt he needed a little bit of luck and be injury-free.

While playing a competitive game for Santa Cruz, scouts for Internacional found him. In no time, Santa Cruz’s scouts made him have trials – which he passed in flying colours. With the Porto Alegre club’s academy, Otavio (age 15) continued his development.

When he arrived at Sport Club Internacional, Otavinho got placed as a midfielder. Seeing his ability to dictate games, his coach (Clemer) moved him to midfield. Otavio thrived in that position, a feat that made him become the most important player in his youth team.

Because he was so good, his coach made him miss stages in his youthful development. As a matter of fact, Otavio jumped from youth straight into Internacional’s senior team. This move happed when he (pictured below), led the team to win this great honour.

Parents’ relocation and Living alone (without family) for the first time:

Upon joining Inter, Otavio’s parents had to relocate in order to stay closer to their son.

The family left Joa Pessoa Para to Porto Alegre, where his new club is located. During Otavio’s stay at Inter, his Father drove him in his Van every time to training and on match days.

Noticing he was now a member of the senior team, Otavio’s Dad stopped driving his son to train. The over-protective youngster (last-born child) was allowed to live on his own. Luckily, Otávio found a house (on the 8th floor, below) just in front of Beira-Rio Stadium.

On the eighth floor of the above building overlooking Beira-Rio stadium, one of Inter’s Jewel now has the support of his Dad and Mum watching over him from a close distance. Living alone made Otavio more mature, in terms of handling things for himself.

Competing with the Almighty Diego Forlán:

A year after his senior team call, football put Otavio and a Legend in the same locker room. This person was no other than the Legendary Diego Forlan.

A Baller who (alongside Luis Suarez) shined for their country in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Did you know?… Otavio (in no time) became a starter while the Almighty Diego Forlan sat on the bench. It was Brazilian Legend Dunga (Otavio’s coach) who made that happen. Dunga opted for the youngster while he left Forlan in reserve. Otavio once said this;

Diego Forlan was always an idol to me. I was happy I got game time under Dunga’s command.

However, I will never say that I put Diego Forlán on the bench. It was the coach (Dunga) who chose it.

Otavio made this remark as he pondered, with a smile on his face. Dunga’s special love for Otávio went beyond just first-team selection.

The coach also helped young him overcome his weight problems. Dealing with his weight problems made him become more than ready to deliver for his fans, coach and club.

Otavio Biography – Success Stories:

It’s been months since Cláudia da Silva and Otávio Monteiro left João Pessoa to live with their son in Porto Alegre. Their lucky son had everything he wanted around him – football and family. In no time, Otavio’s brilliance began bringing results in the form of trophies.

Because he was young and had achieved a lot, football scouts from Europe went after him. Sport Club Internacional simply wanted to do business. Therefore, the club (in the year 2014) allowed its brightest player to leave for Europe.

Journey to Porto:

Among all clubs that fought for his signature, Dragões edged out. Porto signed Otavio on the 1st of September, 2014.

Just after he joined the club, a €50 million buyout clause got placed on his head. With this in place, Porto believed competing teams wouldn’t come near.

With his new family, young Otavio got assigned to the reserve team (Porto B). Rising from there, he (in January 2015) got loaned to Vitória de Guimarães in the Primeira Liga.

A year later, his parent club declared him ‘very mature’ to make his competitive debut.

Porto Success Story:

With the Dragões, Otavio played alongside notable names. Those whom we have written their Biographies include Diogo Costa (GK), Vitinha (CM), Luis Diaz (LW), Danilo Pereira (DM), Sérgio Oliveira (CM), Alex Telles (LB). Now, we won’t forget the Legendary goalkeeper, Iker Casillas.

The Porto attacking midfielder grew from strength to strength over the years. He remained in FC Porto despite a big offer from Vancouver Whitecaps, including other transfer offers.

As of 2022, Otavio has helped Porto win five notable trophies. These trophies include Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

Otavio Nationality Facts:

When you research Otavio’s origin, you realise that his family is from Brazil. It shocked many football lovers to see him getting called to the Portuguese national team.

The truth is, Otávio became a Portuguese citizen in the month of March 2021.

Before Otavio’s nationality changed, he represented his birth nation, Brazil, at the Under-20 level. Because he needed to play for the European football giant, he took up Portuguese citizenship in 2021.

Rise with the Portuguese National Team:

Otavio became the unknown name called to save Portugal in their quest for a 2022 World Cup spot.

With the likes of Joao Felix being benched, Coach Santos used Otavio, Joao Moutinho, Bruno Fernandes, CR7, Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva in midfield and attack.

On that unforgettable day, the 24th of March 2022, Otávio scored a very important goal. An opening goal that gave his team a perfect start to the crunch match against Turkey.

Thanks to that goal, Otavio became Portugal’s unsung hero. At the time of writing this Bio, Otavio enjoys football at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. And as they say, the rest is history!

About Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo – Otavio’s Wife:

Living in Portugal alone (without parents or siblings with him) would mean loneliness. To avoid that, Otavio settled matters of his heart before leaving Porto Alegre for Porto.

Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo became the woman of Otavio’s life – his girlfriend and later wife.

As a consequence of being in love, Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo and Otavio got two children together. Otavio’s son goes by the name Theo.

On the other hand, Otavio’s daughter is Ayla. We’ll tell you more about Otavio’s children later on in his relationship life section.

About Otavio’s Wife – Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo Facts:

To start with, she is a woman who holds lots of beauty as well as brains. Regarding her profession, Otavio’s Wife, Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo is a Laboratory scientist. She is a chemical laboratory technician with vast knowledge of Chemistry. Here is Diɑndrɑ doing her job.

Otavio and Diɑndrɑ’s Dating History:

As a matter of fact, the two lovebirds have been together for almost a decade. The earliest signs of dating between Otavio and Diɑndrɑ was around September 2014. At that time, the footballer has just received his transfer from Internacional to FC Porto.

Three weeks before Otavio’s transfer to Porto, Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo published the photo below. At that moment, it became known that a relationship existed between the two. Otavio appeared to be busy here, possibly reading rumours about his anticipated FC Porto transfer.

About Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo’s Family Members:

Pictured below, her Mum and Dad have remained her backbone since childhood. Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo’s parents are a kind, lovely and lively couple. Pictured here, both appear to be in their late 50s and full of life.

Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo’s parents often find time to pay her visits in Portugal. And Otavio loves to have them (his mother and father-in-law) visiting his house. As observed here, Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo’s parents came to visit just before the birth of Otavio’s daughter, Ayla.

Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo’s Siblings:

Among all of them, Lorenzo Alves Machado appears to be the closest. We simply know him as Lovenzo Machado. Regarding his relationship with Otavio, Lorenzo is a brother-in-law. Regarding his hobby, he loves Skateboarding. Lorenzo and Diandra share a close bond.

About Otavio Monteiro’s Children:

As of April 2022, Theo and Ayla remained the only two children born to Otavio and his wife, Diɑndrɑ. However, there seems to be a third who could possibly be born to Otavio Monteiro by another woman.

Although Otavio and Diɑndrɑ’s children are two, there seems to be a third child. Her name is Alice, and she is likely to be Otavio’s daughter from another woman (his ex-girlfriend). Otavio confirmed Alice, Theo, and little Ayla to be his children. Alice is not Diɑndrɑ’s child.

About Otavio’s Daughter, Alice:

From our findings, she celebrates her birthday every 8th of February. Alice was born on the 8th day of February 2015.

Her birth happened just after Otavio left Brazil for Portugal. Also at that time, Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo (Otavio’s girlfriend and later, his wife) had begun dating him.

About Otavio’s Son:

Theo Edmilson da Silva Monteiro was born on the 11th day of January 2016. He is Otavio and Diɑndrɑ’s first child and only son.

As always, fathers expect their sons to follow in their footsteps. For this reason, we believe Theo would likely become a professional footballer player just like his heroic Daddy.

About Otavio’s Second Daughter:

Ayla is the last child born to Diɑndrɑ Mɑchɑdo and her husband. At the time of putting up Otavio’s Biography, his daughter just completed her third birthday. Ayla was born on the 4th day of February 2019. She is three years younger than her brother, Theo.

Personal Life:

Away from football, who is the Brazilian-born professional footballer?

This section of Otavio’s Biography discusses his personal life. First thing first, the Baller is a huge dog lover, as well as being a home person and family man.

There are many Portuguese footballers who are huge dog lovers. We’ll tell you the names of those we’ve made their Biographies. They include Nuno Tavares (LB), Andre Gomes (AM), Pedro Neto, Cedric Soares, Diogo Jota (LW), Ricardo Pereira (RB), Daniel Podence and Pedro Goncalves, etc.

Otavio Hobby:

Aside from football, he is a fan of Basketball. Otavio supports the Miami Heat – an American professional basketball team based in Miami in Florida. Around 2013, he alongside persons who appear to be family relatives, once travelled to the US to watch one of Heat’s games.

In addition to his love for basketball, the Portuguese star appears to play the game of snooker. Otavio joins the likes of Marcus Rashford, Douglas Costa, Mateo Kovačić and Youssef En-Nesyri, who loves snooker. Here is Otavio taking a photo before one of his snooker games.

In addition to Otavio’s hobbies, he loves playing video games mostly when he has a guest at home. More so, watching television programmes and riding horses – which you’ll see in the next section of his Biography.

Otavio LifeStyle:

During holidays, Otavio and Diɑndrɑ visit some of the most luxurious horse riding escapes. The Portuguese footballer sees Horse riding as both an activity for enjoyment and a form of exercise.

We’ve written the Biography of football people who love horse riding. They include Thorgan Hazard, Faiq Bolkiah, Luis Muriel, Timothy Castagne (RB), Joel Campbell (CF), Toby Alderweireld, John Terry (notably his wife) and Shiek Mansour.

Otavio’s Car and House:

As a young boy, he fancied owning a Land Rover. Otavio bought his first car (a Hyundai Azera) as a gift for his 18th birthday. Also, the Baller purchased his first house – a lovely apartment near Shopping Iguatemi, in São Paulo, Brazil.

Otavio Family Life:

As a matter of fact, having a close-knit household (nuclear and extended) is like experiencing an earlier heaven. In this section, we’ll tell you about Otavio’s parents as well as his other family members. Let’s start with the head of the Monteiro family.

About Otavio’s Father:

Starting off, the Van driver is a Jolly fellow, as well as a man who loves to assist his wife on kitchen chores. Otavio Monteiro Senior is the kind of Dad who never believes cooking is not only for his wife (Claudia) and daughter.

Back in the day, Otavio’s Father monitored his steps over the phone. This was a time Otavio was far away from his family. Twice a day, his parents made him call to say the following…

“where he was, with whom he is and what he is doing.”

Once upon a time, Otávio Senior parked his Van in João Pessoa. He used another means of transport to travel to Porto Alegre.

The reason was to spend some time with his son, who was always eating junk and getting too fat for football. Coach Dunga didn’t like Otavio’s body fat at that time.

Otavio’s Dad (while in his apartment) made him understand that a man should cook. He took over the boy’s kitchen and prepared his food for ten days. Because of his son’s weight problems, he made his family relocate from João Pessoa to Porto Alegre to stay closer.

According to Otavio’s Dad, eating lots of pizzas was once a weak point for his son. That contributed to him having a high percentage of fat outside the standards of a player. Otavio’s Dad, just like his son, also likes Pizza. In his words;

Sometimes we order pizza while at Porto Alegre.

I make sure he doesn’t eat more than he should. Me,.. I’ll devour everything.

That’s why I’m diabetic. But a father is a father right?!

About Otavio’s Mother:

Claudia Valéria Mendes da Silva is a housewife and a good cook. With her family relocating from João Pessoa to Porto Alegre, she ensured her son get the best of diet he needs for his career.

Before Claudia and her husband came to stay in Porto Alegre, Otavinho didn’t cook. Also, he knew little about housework when he lived alone.

In order to satisfy his stomach, he ate lunch and dinner at restaurants. Because he ate uncontrollably, young Otavio got high body fat.

Otavio Monteiro’s Mother, upon relocating, complained about Porto Alegre’s heat, especially in the summer. According to Claudia, the city is more stuffy than João Pessoa, where she used to live. Whenever Claudia lands in Otavio’s house, the kitchen apron changes hands.

Otavio’s Grandparents:

Did you know?… On his neck, Otavio tattooed the birth date of his grandparent. This grandparent died in 2009. By going that, Otavio believes his favourite grandparent lives with him – through the tattoo. Claudia (Otavio’s Mum’s name) is also crested at his right hand.

About Otavio’s Brothers:

Raylson Batista (a nurse by profession) is the most popular among his four male siblings.
Pictured below, he is the father of Pedro Henrique, who is Otavio’s nephew. Raylson Batista is married to Ana Elisa Mariz Dantas, who is the mother of Pedro Henrique.

About Otavio’s Relatives:

His Nephew, Pedro Henrique, is seen alongside his parents Ana and Raylson. Here, Otavio brother’s family had paid a visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal. Ana Elisa Mariz Dantas is in the same medical field as her husband. She is a Dental surgeon.

Otavio’s Facts:

In this final section of his Biography, we’ll present some truths you might not know about him. Without taking further of your time, let’s begin.

The meaning of Otavio’s Tattoos:

A symbol of the Virgin Mary is on his left arm. It tells the fact that Otavio is a Catholic. Last among the tattoos we could visualize is the bible verse (Isaiah 54:17) situated on his hand.

Claudia Valéria Mendes da Silva is the name of his mother. He has a tattoo of her on his right hand. As stated previously, a tattoo of Otavio’s grandparents’ date of birth is on his neck.

Otavio Net Worth:

The money he makes from his Adidas sponsorship, including his €5,778,900 annual wages, surely means a lot. To calculate this net worth, we’ll also take his years of experience into consideration. Therefore, as of 2024, Otavio’s Net Worth is around 30.5 million euros.

How Rich is Otavio?

Where Otavio’s family comes from (João Pessoa, in Brazil), we consider him to be a multi-millionaire.

Comparing Otavio’s Salary to the average Brazilian:

In the country of his parents, the average person living in Brazil makes around 102,720 BRL per year. Such a citizen would need 289 years to make Otavio’s yearly salary with FC Porto. As a matter of truth, that money is thrice more than a Brazilian person’s lifetime.

A Blockchain Football Game Advocator:

Otavio is one among very few footballers who promote Crypto technology. He is an ambassador of MetaSoccer, which is an innovative blockchain game for football.

Otavio’s Religion:

Otavinho is a devout Christian. His parents, Cláudia da Silva and Otávio Monteiro raised him in accordance with Christian doctrines. In fact, Otavio’s Christian faith is seen on one of his tattoos. He has the bible verse (Isaiah 54:17) on his right hand.

Otavio’s FIFA Facts:

Judging from the stats below, Otavinho is a complete footballer. Aside from defending, the only thing he lacks in football is jumping and heading accuracy. Otavio is a complete footballer like Matt O’Riley who lacks nothing in the beautiful game below the average level.

Otavio’s FIFA Insight: Nearly perfect except in jumping and heading, yet underrated with an 82/82 rating.

EndNote:

Otavio was born on the 9th of February 1995 to his parents – Cláudia da Silva (mother) and Sir Otávio Monteiro (father). As the last-born child of his family, he grew up alongside his four brothers and a sister. Raylson Batista (a nurse by profession) is his most popular brother.

The Brazilian footballer is from a middle-class family. Otavio’s Dad is a Van driver. On the other hand, his mother (Cláudia da Silva) is a cook as well as a homemaker. As a child, Otavio wanted nothing in life other than to become a professional footballer.

Otavio’s parents enrolled their son at a futsal school. From there, he proceeded to Santa Cruz Academy. The Distance between this new club and his home was a four-hour drive. His Dad took the risk of driving him from João Pessoa to Recife (to and fro) for training.

While at Santa Cruz, football scouts from Internacional found and signed him. At his new club, the inability to manage his diet got him excess body fats. Because of that, Otavio’s parents relocated from João Pessoa to watch over him, including helping out with his diet.

Aside from his parents, Otávio credits coach Dunga for helping him overcome his weight problems. That gave him the ability to soar higher, a feat that brought him trophies and made his dream of playing in Europe come true. Since then, Otavio has not looked back.

At the time of concluding this bio, Otavio’s transfer market value had risen. Hopefully, after the 2022 World Cup, he might get a big-money move away from FC Porto. At the time of updating this Bio, 101greatgoals has revealed Otavio’s transfer to Al-Nassr.

Appreciation Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read our take on Otavio’s biography! We prioritize fairness and accuracy in sharing stories from Brazilian and Portuguese football. If you’re interested, you might also enjoy learning about Douglas Luiz and Beto.

If you spot anything that seems off in our bio, please let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear your thoughts on Otavio and his impressive journey. Don’t forget to stay tuned for more football stories from us!