Éder Militão: Career, Real Madrid Stats & Brazil Achievements
Delroy “Mutty” Scott was a Jamaican international footballer who played as a midfielder and defender. He captained Cavalier FC, won the 1968 NASL Championship with the Atlanta Chiefs, represented Jamaica in two FIFA World Cup qualifying cycles, and later managed the men’s national team.
Two-time Champions League winner
2019 Copa América winner
2
2021–22 & 2023–24 with Real Madrid
3
2019–20, 2021–22 & 2023–24
2019
3–1 victory vs Peru with Brazil
€50m
Joined from Porto in July 2019
Profile
Full name
Éder Gabriel Militão Pinheiro
Nationality
Brazilian
Born
18 January 1998, Sertãozinho
Position
Centre-back
Club
Real Madrid
League
La Liga
National team
Brazil
Career
Militão joined São Paulo’s youth system in 2010 and first appeared for the senior side in the Copa Paulista. His official tournament debut came on 2 July 2016 in an away match against Ituano, where the club competed with its U20 squad for the first time in the competition.
Militão played 11 Copa Paulista matches and scored twice during the 2016 campaign. His first professional goal came against Juventus on 18 September in a 4–0 home win, securing São Paulo’s progression to the tournament’s second stage.
His Campeonato Brasileiro Série A debut followed on 14 May 2017 in a 0–1 away defeat to Cruzeiro. He made 22 appearances during the season as São Paulo finished 13th, scoring twice—including the opening goal in a 2–1 victory over Vitória. After receiving a late red card in a 1–1 draw away to Vasco da Gama on 12 November 2017, Militão made his final appearance for São Paulo on 5 August 2018 in a 2–1 win over Vasco, a result that temporarily moved the club to the top of the national league table.
Porto signed Militão to a five-year contract on 7 August 2018 as the club entered the season as reigning Portuguese champions. On 2 September, he started his first Primeira Liga match, helping secure a 3–0 home win against Moreirense where he set up Porto’s opening goal for captain Héctor Herrera while partnering Felipe in central defence.
His first Porto goal came in the UEFA Champions League group stage on 28 November 2018, heading in Óliver Torres’s cross during a 3–1 home victory over Schalke 04. He scored his first league goal on 3 January 2019, netting the decisive winner against Desportivo das Aves. Militão’s stellar defensive performances earned him the Primeira Liga Defender of the Month award for four successive months, spanning from September 2018 to January 2019. On 14 March 2019, Real Madrid announced his signing ahead of the summer transfer window for a reported €50 million fee, with the move taking effect on 1 July 2019.
Militão made his official Real Madrid debut on 14 September 2019, replacing Sergio Ramos for the final half-hour of a 3–2 home win over Levante. He made 15 league appearances during the 2019–20 season as Real Madrid captured the La Liga title, securing his first major silverware in Spanish football.
His first goal for the club came in the Copa del Rey against third-division side Alcoyano on 20 January 2021, heading in Marcelo’s cross in a shock 1–2 defeat. On 1 May 2021, he scored his first league goal for Real Madrid in a 2–0 win over Osasuna.
Following the departures of veteran defensive mainstays Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane, Militão became an undisputed starter during the 2021–22 season. He scored once in the league campaign with a header during a 2–2 draw against Elche on 23 January 2022, helping Real Madrid claim another La Liga title.
Real Madrid also triumphed in the 2022 Supercopa de España, defeating Athletic Bilbao 2–0 in Saudi Arabia, though Militão was sent off late in the match for a penalty-inducing handball. In Europe, he anchored the backline across 12 matches in the UEFA Champions League as Real Madrid reached the final and defeated Liverpool 1–0 at the Stade de France.
Militão started 2023 by helping Real Madrid defeat Al Hilal 5–3 in the FIFA Club World Cup final on 11 February. Nine days later, he scored a crucial header against Liverpool at Anfield in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, inspiring a historic 5–2 comeback victory after a 0–2 deficit.
The club added another trophy by winning the Copa del Rey final 2–1 against Osasuna on 6 May. For his exceptional defensive displays, Militão was selected for both the La Liga Team of the Season and the ESM Team of the Season for 2022–23, having previously earned La Liga Team of the Season honours for 2021–22 as well.
Militão suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his left knee during Real Madrid’s La Liga opening match against Athletic Bilbao on 12 August 2023, sidelining him for nearly the entire 2023–24 season. Despite the injury, the club rewarded his importance by extending his contract on 23 January 2024 through June 2028, complete with a reported €1 billion release clause.
Returning to action, his recovery was unfortunately cut short on 9 November 2024, when he suffered another major knee injury—tearing the ACL in his right knee alongside meniscus damage—which ruled him out for the remainder of the 2024–25 campaign.
Medals and marks
Militão’s Real Madrid honours span Spanish league and cup competitions, European titles and international club tournaments
| Category | Honour or recognition |
|---|---|
| La Liga | Winner: 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24 |
| Copa del Rey | Winner: 2022–23 |
| Supercopa de España | Winner: 2020, 2022 |
| UEFA Champions League | Winner: 2021–22, 2023–24 |
| UEFA Super Cup | Winner: 2022, 2024 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | Winner: 2022 |
| Copa América | Winner with Brazil: 2019 |
| Superclásico de las Américas | Winner with Brazil: 2018 |
| Primeira Liga | Team of the Year: 2018–19 |
| Primeira Liga | Player Fair-Play Prize: 2018–19 |
| La Liga | Team of the Season: 2021–22, 2022–23 |
| ESM | Team of the Season: 2022–23 |
Performance within Brazil National Team
Militão received his first Brazil call-up in September 2018 after Fagner withdrew through injury in first team competitions. Coach Tite chose him for friendly matches against the hosts and El Salvador, held in the United States. Militão made his debut on 11 September, playing the full match in a 5–0 win over El Salvador.
Brazil selected Militão for the 2019 Copa América squad in May. He came on for Philippe Coutinho during the second half of the final against Peru at the Maracanã on 7 July. Brazil won the match 3–1, giving Militão a Copa América title.
At the 2021 Copa América, Militão started Brazil’s first three group matches. He scored his first international goal against Ecuador on 27 June, opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw in Goiânia. Thiago Silva took his place alongside Marquinhos during the knockout stage, and Brazil finished as runners-up (Madrid players on the international stage).
Militão was named in Brazil’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on 7 November 2022. He did not play against Serbia, then started at right-back against Switzerland in place of the injured Danilo. Militão kept his place through to the quarter-final, while Danilo moved to the left flank.
Brazil’s final group match ended in a 0–1 defeat to Cameroon; Militão began in central defence, with Bremer alongside him (Club World Cup final, 18 December). He also played in the 2024 Copa América. Brazil’s tournament appearances placed Militão’s national-team career alongside his commitments as a Real Madrid player to appear at tournaments.
Militão’s 2026 Season
Real Madrid finished as La Liga runners-up in the 2025–26 season and also ended the 2026 Supercopa de España as runners-up. The club’s statistics for Militão were recorded up to 21 April 2026. Those team results provide the available context for his current-season profile, including first team competitions. It also records that context. It also records those team results as notable achievements by Real Madrid.
FAQ
Éder Militão plays as a centre-back for Real Madrid and represents Brazil. He has also played at right-back for Brazil during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Éder Militão has won La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España with Real Madrid. With Brazil, he won the 2019 Copa América.
Real Madrid announced Militão’s signing on 14 March 2019, and the transfer took effect on 1 July 2019. He joined from Porto for €50 million.