Captaining Boys to Leading Men: William Carvalho’s Life and Legacy

In the world of footballers with African roots who have made Portugal proud, one name shines brightly: William Carvalho. This biography delves into the journey of a football prodigy whose early years were shaped by a courageous move from Angola to Portugal, thanks to his parents’ quest for a better future.

As a child, Carvalho not only grew up alongside fellow footballer Nelson Semedo but also demonstrated remarkable leadership, often resolving disputes and leading older boys on the field. A pivotal moment in his life came when he received an unexpected phone call from his idol, Nani, the Manchester United legend, who encouraged him to join Sporting CP.

We’ll explore the story of William Carvalho, whose mother once shared that he gave her his first kicks while she was still pregnant. Without further ado, let’s dive into the story of this remarkable player.

Preamble:

Football stories about Portuguese players are always captivating, and the biography of William Carvalho is no exception. It offers insights into his childhood, early life, and family background, including details about his mother, Catarina Silva; father, Simão Carvalho; girlfriend, Rita Mendes; sister, Rosana Carvalho; uncle, Afonso; and grandfather, Praia. This biography also covers William Carvalho’s family origins, religion, ethnicity, education, and hometown.

We start by exploring significant events from his youth and early years. We then delve into his early career, including the inspiring call he received from Nani. Finally, we trace his remarkable rise to becoming a football legend. Our aim is to pique your interest as you delve into the life of William Carvalho. Let’s begin with a gallery that chronicles his journey from his boyhood in Angola to his rise to fame.

Many fans have asked over the years… Is Carvalho World Class? The answer is a definite Yes. William is an elegant yet imposing figure, a graceful powerhouse who thrives middle of the park.

Put simply, he is strong, elegant, calm, composed, physical, versatile and trusted by every single manager he played for.

While researching Portuguese Midfielders, we found a huge knowledge gap.

We noticed that not many soccer lovers have read a detailed version of William Carvalho’s Biography. We have taken a step to prepare it for you. So without further ado, let’s begin.

William Carvalho Childhood Story:

For Biography starters, he bears the nickname ‘The Velvet Tank’. And his full names are William Silva de Carvalho ComM.

William Carvalho was born on the 7th day of April 1992 to his Mother, Catarina Silva and Father, Simão Carvalho, in Luanda, Angola.

The Portuguese Defensive Midfielder is the second child and first son among his sisters, all of whom were born to the union between his Dad and Mum (Simão and Catarina).

Now, let’s introduce you to William Carvalho’s Parents. They never gave their son the riches of the world, but the opportunity to have a better life in Portugal.

Growing Up Years:

Although born in Luanda (the capital of the Angolan), William Carvalho’s family relocated to Portugal when he was just a few years old.

Upon emigrating to Portugal, his Dad, Simão, found a home in Mira Sintra, a small town, which is about 30 kilometres from Lisbon.

A greater part of his boyhood years was spent at his new home in Mira Sintra, Portugal. While there, the boy from Luanda encountered his football destiny.

William grew up mostly around his sisters, one of whom is Rosana. As a child, he learned humility from his parents; he was intelligent and probably never tasted this rum.

William Carvalho Early Life:

In Mira Sintra, where he grew up, there were two of the most prominent kid footballers back in the day.

These two boys (now professional footballers) ruled the streets as well as their school. One of these boys is William Carvalho, on whom this Biography is centred about.

Do you know?… Nélson Semedo is the other boy. Both kids (who were one year apart in terms of age) were best friends.

William Carvalho’s parents and also that of Semedo knew each other. In fact, the homes of the two families (who came from Angola) were separated by only one avenue.

When you leave Praceta street (as shown above), just turn left, and you should see the home of both footballers.

Both William Carvalho and Nelson Semedo were the best soccer kids in the neighbourhood. Also, they attended the same school in Mira Sintra, their Portuguese hometown.

William Carvalho Family Background:

Do you know? Professional footballers have existed in the Athlete’s household for decades, starting with his grandfather, Praia.

It wasn’t just William Carvalho’s grandfather who played the beautiful game of football. Our research shows his uncle, who goes by the name Afonso was also a professional footballer.

William Carvalho’s grandfather (Praia) and uncle (Afonso) were footballers who played (bot in Europe) but locally in Angola.

Progresso Associação do Sambizanga Football club, which is the club they played for, was founded in 1975. Now, it is fair to conclude that, obviously, William Carvalho’s granddad and uncle transferred their football genes to him.

Although William Carvalho’s father tried to have a career in soccer, he didn’t make it to the professional level. Simão Carvalho is a foresighted man who foresaw the future quite early.

So he decided to move his family from Angola to Portugal, has secured a better life for them, especially his children. Here is a photo of the Carvalho household, which includes his Aunty.

Mira Sintra, Agualva-Cacém (where they lived), is known to have a high percentage of households with Angolan origins. To start with, the families of William Carvalho and Nelson Semedo have their roots in Angola.

Thanks to tribal affiliation, the two households got acquainted with each other while living in Mira Sintra, Agualva-Cacém.

William Carvalho Family Origin:

The Defensive Midifielder’s birthplace of Luanda shows he has Angolan nationality. Both of William Carvalho’s parents have their roots in the diamond and oil-rich Southern African nation. Following his family’s emigration to Portugal in the mid-1990s, he became a citizen of the European country.

Luanda, the city of William Carvalhos’ origins, is the major industrial, cultural and urban centre in Angola. The city is home to Progresso Associação do Sambizanga, which is the football club where Carvalho’s uncle (Afonso) and grandfather (Praia) had their careers. Here is a map of Africa that portrays William’s Origins.

William Carvalho Ethnicity:

The Athlete joins the likes of Danilo Pereira, Fabio Carvalho (AM), Nuno Mendes (LB), and Helder Costa, who belong to the Angolan Portuguese ethnic group.

William Carvalho is of Angolan descent, and he speaks the Angolan Portuguese language. The footballer joins around 12 million native speakers of the language, which is native to the people of Angola.

William Carvalho Education:

When the time got right, Catarina Silva and her husband (Simão) enrolled him at Dom Domingos Jardo school.

William Carvalho and his best friend, Nelson Semedo, both had their education at the same institution. While at Dom Domingos Jardo school, both friends (with huge sporting talents) became soccer celebrities.

As noticed above, both best friends wore the same school soccer jerseys, and they also trained together. Dom Domingos Jardo school, which they attended, is closer to the Carvalho family home.

Career Build-up:

During his schooling days, William was often referred to as the Big Guy. His talent and physique always made him start football matches.

Because William handled the ball like no one else, it became difficult for the school sports coordinator (José Costa) to bench him.

Nelson Semedo (nicknamed Nelsinho) was as good as William but skinnier. He was still one of the best in athletics and, including his favourite hobby, which is playing FIFA 08. Now, let’s tell you about The Velvet Tank’s journey to becoming a professional.

William Carvalho Biography – Football Story:

The origin of the beautiful game began in Mira Sintra, Agualva-Cacém. Upon his family’s relocation to Portugal, the youngster began playing soccer in the streets and in school.

In no time, William (who decided to make things formal) enrolled at his first club, Recreios Desportivos de Algueirão.

While in that team, the youngster (who is so rich in talent) was made to play in a bigger age group. Carvalho found himself competing with other youngsters who were two or three years older than him. Because of his talent and maturity, he (the youngest) was made to captain the boys.

Speaking of maturity, William Carvalho was a boy who would lead the dressing room as well as resolve problems between older boys.

Back then, boys from rival neighbourhoods (who were part of the academy) often started fights between themselves. According to Bruno Rodrigues, the coach, William was always the one who made them stop fighting.

As a young boy, he never played as a Defensive midfielder or Defender. William Carvalho started as a number 10 midfielder. He was an Arsenal fan who took Thierry Henry as his idol.

As the years went by, he moved to Defensive Midfield, and that role made people see him as a mix between classical stars like Yaya Toure and Patrick Vieira.

Road to Fame Story:

The year 2004 opened a new chapter in the life of The Velvet Tank – his nickname. That year Cristiano Ronaldo played in the 2004 Euros, William Carvalho moved to Mira Sintra soccer academy.

While there, he was still the youngest in the team, and (because of his maturity) he was also appointed captain.

Thanks to his tremendous physique and amazing ball control techniques, the teenager became noticed by big clubs in Portugal. From the capital of the country, Benfica was ready to do anything to have him.

Do you know?… William rejected the almighty Benfica.

To let you know why, first, it is pertinent to state that William Carvalho’s family are huge fans of Sporting CP.

When the Benfica youth coach visited their home in 2005, a contract was presented. William Carvalho’s parents placed the decision in the hands of their son, who vehemently rejected it.

When the club that discovered Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting CP) came forward, the youngster took the opportunity.

Aurelio Pereira, who worked in the youth department of Sporting CP, visited William Carvalho’s family home. The first words he told him were as follows;

Hello William, which player do you like the most in Sporting?

‘Luis Nani’, William Carvalho answered. Then, the family’s telephone began ringing. Simão picked up and realized the call was for his son.

Next, everyone, especially William, was shocked to hear Nani’s voice. The Manchester United Legend advised the 12-year-old William to follow his dreams and sign for Sporting CP.

William Carvalho Biography – Rise to Fame Story:

Two years after joining Sporting CP, the youngster (to the joy of his parents) got called to Portugal’s under-16 side.

Carvalho progressed through the national youth categories, and he also became a Sporting CP academy graduate in 2011.

Like most football youngsters, Carvalho was sent on loan (to Fátima and Cercle Brugge) so he could gain experience.

Sadly, he didn’t make any impact at Fatima (a Portuguese club), even though the talent was there. But with the Belgian club (Cercle Brugge), William made an impact, a feat that made Sporting CP call him back from loan.

The journey to Success with the National team:

The 2013/2014 season saw the rise of William Carvalho. Sporting coach Leonardo Jardim made him an integral part of his plans.

In his first few games, William was viewed as very intelligent in his all-round game. He silenced all his critics who thought he didn’t deserve a straight first-team slot.

Next came a call-up to the Portuguese national team, a feat that made William Carvalho’s parents very proud.

In his first game (a play-off against Sweden), he proved to Paulo Bento (ex-Portuguese manager) that he was ready for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He joined other rising stars called to Brazil – the likes of Rafa Silva, Rui Patrício, João Moutinho and Pepe, etc.

Although Portugal failed to qualify for the knockout stage in Group G (which had Germany, the United States and Ghana).

They made up for their disappointment two years later. In a Fernando Santos team comprising new additions like Danilo Pereira, Renato Sanches (CM), Raphaël Guerreiro, and Cedric Soares, William’s Portugal team lifted the Euro 2016 trophy.

William Carvalho’s success with Portugal didn’t end there. Again, under Fernando Santos’ command, he helped his country to third place in the FIFA Confederations Cup. More gracefully, he, alongside his new teammates (Bruno Fernandes (AM), Diogo Jota (CF), Rúben Neves (CM), João Félix (AM), etc), helped Portugal achieve victory at the UEFA Nations League Final.

Club career Success:

After 13 years in Sporting CP, where he won the Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga, William moved to Real Betis in 2018.

He, alongside Nabil Fekir (AM), Emerson Royal (RB),  Héctor Bellerín, etc., was among those who rebuilt the Spanish team, making them Cup title challengers.

In a formidable Defensive midfield partnership with Guido Rodriguez (another great rebuilder), William (in 2022) helped Real Betis win the 2021/2022 Copa del Rey trophy. With this win, he proved to the world that success is not only achieved with FC Barcelona or Real Madrid.

At the time of writing William Carvalho’s Biography, he was prepared to make a big statement in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Additionally, he is getting ready for the final stage of his career with the Portuguese national team. Players such as Joao Neves are inspired by William and are poised to uphold the legacy that he has established in Portugal’s defensive midfield position.

Likely to be his last in the global tournament, he hopes to win it for many reasons – one of which is to help CR7 achieve his status as Football’s GOAT. The rest, as we say, is now history.

Rita Mendes – William Carvalho’s Partner:

There is a saying that behind every successful Portuguese Soccer Celebrity comes a WAG. In the case of the Velvet Tank, there is a lady who stole and has now dominated his heart.

Now, let’s introduce you to Rita Mendes, who is sometimes described as William Carvalho’s Wife.

The relationship between the Portuguese Defensive Midfielder and Rita has been, for some time, protected from the public eye. In the real sense, both lovers have been together since William’s glory days with Sporting CP. Rita Mendes has been her boyfriend’s biggest fan for years.

William Carvalho’s Son:

At the time of putting up this Bio, the Portuguese Athlete is the father of a son named Bryan. Similar to Fran, the daughter of Guido Rodríguez, Bryan Carvalho is someone who reinforces his Dad’s motivation on the pitch. Now, let’s tell you the event that unfolded before Bryan arrived on planet Earth.

In April 2020, on William’s 28th birthday, he announced he was going to be a Dad. Just after the announcement, some of his Twitter followers questioned whether William even had a girlfriend.

This is because they viewed him as someone who rarely posts any photos of his relationship on his social media platform.

The answer to the question from Williams’ Twitter fans came on the 21st day of June 2021 (that same year). On that day, the Baller presented his son, Bryan Carvalho, to the world – with this photo that showed his partner (Rita Mendes) after giving birth.

Even though a mask covered his face, Carvalho could not hide his excitement about being a parent for the very first time. He wrote on his Instagram;

Today is the most important day of my life. Welcome to the world my son, Bryan !!!

Along with the happiness of his paternity debut, Carvalho made his fans understand that he was committed to a relationship with his girlfriend, Rita Mendes. Fans never heard from Carvalho again until one year later, when he published this image with Rita Mendes and little Bryan – now with her face uncovered.

Personal Life:

Away from the things the Angolan-born Portuguese star does on the pitch, soccer fans have asked;

Who William Carvalho?

First things first, the Athlete is a family man, a great father who remains firm in his desire to build a close bond with his son. Williams hopes to make his son follow in his footballing steps. For the footballer, the journey starts with building Bryan’s confidence and mental health through swimming.

It was a day full of emotions when Bryan Carvalho celebrated his birthday. Do you know his Dad’s birthday present?… Now, let’s tell you. Williams unveiled to his fans that giving his son another brother would be his birthday gift from him.

William Carvalho Dog:

The Athlete and his girlfriend, Rita Mendes, have always had a huge passion for Boris. This is the name of William Carvalho’s Dog. For 14 years, Rita Mendes (before meeting William) had a dog named Gucci – who is currently late. When Carvalho lost his dog, Boris, (in November 2021), he shared an Instagram post that reads;

Boris, I will forever keep you in my heart, especially the good times we spent together over the years!

Unfortunately, my dog lived for a short time compared to the joys he give me.

Lifestyle:

About the way he has lived his life over the years, the Luanda-born Athlete (like Roy Keane) is someone who adored spending time with his late Dog. For William Carvalho, life with Boris involves many great moments, funny moments, sad moments and everything in between.

Favourite holiday destination:

The island of Mykonos, in Greece, is one of Rita Mendes and William Carvalho’s favourite vacation places. Unfortunately, one of his days of visiting this ideal place got spoiled. Do you know?… The Real Betis Celebrity got robbed while on Mykonos’s Greek island.

According to reports, the house that Carvalho rented, which is a luxurious residence at Eli, got robbed. The thieves stole the footballer’s €30,000 (which he had set out to spend for his vacation), including his €250,000 wristwatch. His friend, also a victim, lost his watch worth 150,000, including 15,000 euros in cash.

William Carvalho Cars:

From what we’ve gathered, the Athlete does put the €3,485,349 he earns annually to use on the things he loves.

Getting an cool Porsche car was one of those things. Do you know?… a car like this could cost around $107,550, which is less than Carvalho’s two weeks’ weekly wage with Real Betis.

The Porsche car is not the only luxury car in Carvalho’s garage. The man from Angola also has a black Rover Range Rover Sport, which costs around $104,500. And from what it seems, this heavy Dog lover is a fan of black cars.

William Carvalho Family Life:

Silva de (his middle name) always said that his dreams came true not only because of his fantastic team at Sporting CP. Rather, he has great family support, especially that gotten from Simão and Catarina, his parents. Now, let’s tell you more about them.

William Carvalho Sister:

Rosana is the last born of the family. On October 14th 2016, William Carvalho’s family celebrated his sister’s high school graduation. Rosana was part of the honour roll of the Agrupamento de Escolas Agualva Mira Sintra.

This is a High school in Agualva-Cacém, Portugal. Here is a photo of Catarina Silva, William Carvalho’s older sister and Rosana on her graduation day.

William Carvalho Father:

Simão is best described as his son’s anchor and career guiding light. Our findings show that William Carvalho’s Dad works with Media Base Sports to ensure his son’s career interest is best represented.

William Carvalho Mother:

Catarina Silva is her name. She bears the name Silva because it came from her parents. Together with her husband, Simão, Catarina was, early on, strict with her son. This was their way of keeping him grounded. She ensured he completed his high school and fought for his career growth.

William Carvalho Relatives:

So far, the Athlete’s uncle Afonso and his grandfather Praia are the most popular of his extended family members. Afonso and Praia were once footballers with the Luanda-based Angolan club Progresso Associação do Sambizanga.

Untold Facts:

In the final phase of William Carvalho’s Biography, we’ll tell you more truths you might not know about him. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

William Carvalho sued Agnes Arabela:

The Romanian, who was a former competitor of ‘House of Secrets 5, once alleged that the footballer once tried to seduce her through his cell phone messages. When Carvalho heard that, he got really upset and went ahead with a lawsuit.

Upon discovering the extent of the damage she had caused, Agnes Arabela apologized. She said that it was someone else who was pretending to be Carvalho that messaged her. In her words,

I want everyone to know, especially William Carvalho and his family, that all the stories published in the media that gave an account of a possible relationship between the player and me are false.
Me and William don’t know each other, and at no time have we exchanged any messages or even spoken in person.

William Carvalho Salary Breakdown:

The contract signed between the Athlete and Real Betis Balompié sees him pocketing home the sum of €3,485,349 annually. Do you know?…. Carvalho earns more than a billion euros when his salary (in Euros) is converted into the Angolan kwanza Angolan.

How Rich is the Portuguese Defensive Midfielder?

In the country of William Carvalho’s family origins, the average person in Angola makes 185,448 Kwanzas per year. Such a person would need 22 years to make Carvalho’s daily wages (4,112,556 kwanzas) with Real Betis. Wow! The average person working in Portugal earns around 24,557 euros annually. Do you know?… such a person would need 11 years and nine months to make William Carvalho’s monthly salary with Real Betis.

William Carvalho FIFA:

It pleases us to say that the Athlete, just like İlkay Gündoğan and Ngolo Kante, is one of the Best Box-to-box midfielders in football. Let’s not forget Martín Zubimendi. Do you know?… With the exception of his movement stats, William Carvalho lacks nothing in football (below the 50% average). We have proof of that here.

EndNote:

William Silva de Carvalho ComM bears the nickname ‘The Velvet Tank’. He was born on the 7th day of April 1992 to his Mum, Catarina Silva and Dad, Simão Carvalho. William was born in Southern Africa, and his birthplace is Luanda, Angola.

The Portuguese Athlete is the second child and the first son of a family of mostly females. Rosana Carvalho is the name of Williams’ sister – the youngest in the family. All of his siblings were raised in a football-loving home. Speaking of football, William Carvalho’s grandfather (Praia) and uncle (Afonso) were once footballers in Angola.

William Carvalho spent the best part of his childhood years in Mira Sintra, Portugal. Early on, he formed a great friendship with Nelson Semedo, who (together) lived in the same neighbourhood. Both professionals are of the same Angolan Portuguese ethnicity, and they attended the same school – Dom Domingos Jardo School.

Carvalho, at the time of writing, is in a healthy relationship with his girlfriend, Rita Mendes. Both lovers are proud parents of two children – one of them is Bryan Carvalho (their first son). The Portuguese and his wife-to-be are proud lovers of Dogs. Carvalho once lost his dog, who goes by the name Boris.

Career summary notes:

The journey towards becoming a pro began with Algueirão, a local academy close to his house. Because Carvalho was rich in talent, he was made to play with boys older than him. At that time, the youngster supported Arsenal and was also the captain of his youth team.

After a season with another academy, Mira Sintra, The Velvet Tank joined his childhood club Sporting CP. Within two seasons of becoming a pro, Carvalho began achieving success for club and country. The show by William Carvalho has forged many victories. It led him to win 19 honours,… and as I write this Bio, the Baller hopes to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Appreciation Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read our version of William Carvalho’s Biography. We care about accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver you European Soccer Stories. Carvalho’s Bio is a product of our collection of Portuguese Football Players’ Histories.

Please reach us via comment if you notice anything that does not look right in the memoir about The Velvet Tank. Also, tell us what you think about the 6 foot 2 Athlete’s career and the exciting story we’ve written about him.

Aside from William Carvalho’s Bio, we’ve got other great Portuguese Footballers’ Stories to keep you busy. Surely, you’ll find the Life History of Diogo Dalot and Danilo Pereira very interesting.