Introduction
Ivan Ricardo Neves Abreu Cavaleiro (born 18 October 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for English club Wolverhampton Wanderers. Mainly a winger, he can also play as a forward.
A product of Benfica's youth system, he was part of the club's domestic treble in the 2013–14 season.
Cavaleiro gained 63 caps for Portugal at youth level all categories comprised, scoring 13 goals. He made his senior international debut in 2014.
Club career
Benfica
Born in Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon District, Cavaleiro played youth football for five clubs, notably representing S.L. Benfica from ages 13–18, a loan spell notwithstanding. He made his senior debuts in the 2012–13 season, playing his first Segunda Liga match with the reserves on 11 August 2012 against S.C. Braga B. The following weekend he scored his first goal(s) as a professional, grabbing a brace in a 4–2 away win over C.D. Feirense, and added another two before the end of the month, in a 6–0 home routing of C.F. Os Belenenses; he finished his first year with 38 appearances and 12 goals, helping his team to the seventh position.
Cavaleiro started his second season with Benfica B in fashion, netting seven times in ten games and earning the Second Division Player of the Month award for August/September. He made his official debut for the main squad on 19 October 2013, playing the full 90 minutes against CD Cinfães for the Portuguese Cup and assisting Ola John for the game's only goal; only four days later, he appeared in his maiden match in the UEFA Champions League, playing the second half of a 1–1 home draw against Olympiacos F.C. for the group stage.
On 15 January 2014, Cavaleiro scored his first competitive goal for Benfica, netting the last in a 2–0 win against Leixões S.C. for the campaign's Portuguese League Cup. On 7 August, he was loaned to Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain, for one year. He made his debut on the first day of the La Liga season, opening the scoring in a 1–2 defeat at Granada CF.
Monaco
On 10 July 2015, Cavaleiro joined AS Monaco FC on a permanent deal until 2020, for a transfer fee rumoured to be €15 million. He made his debut on the 28th, starting in a 3–1 away win over BSC Young Boys in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, and scored his first goal in the second leg, opening a 4–0 victory at the Stade Louis II.
Wolves
On 31 August 2016, Cavaleiro moved to English Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers on a five-year deal (with the option of an additional year) for an undisclosed fee, reported to be a new club-record sum of £7 million. He made his debut on 10 September in a 1–1 home draw to Burton Albion, and scored his first goal for the club 14 days later in a 3–1 win against Brentford also at Molineux Stadium.
International career
Youth
Cavaleiro was named in the Portuguese under-19 squad at the 2012 UEFA European Championship, playing the last game of the group stage against Greece. A year later, he represented the under-20 team at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup: he appeared in four games as a substitute in Turkey, in an eventual round-of-16 exit.
Cavaleiro made his debut for the under-21s on 14 August 2013, netting a hat-trick in a 5–2 friendly win against Switzerland. On 27 June 2015, he scored Portugal's third goal in a 5–0 win against Germany in the semi-finals of the European Championship in Czech Republic. He was named in the Team of the Tournament, in an eventual runner-up finish.
Senior
On 28 February 2014, Cavaleiro received his first callup for the Portuguese senior side, for an exhibition game with Cameroon on 5 March, starting and playing 70 minutes in the 5–1 win in Leiria.
Club statistics
- As of 6 November 2015
| Club | Season | Domestic League | Cup[A] | Continental[B] | Other[C] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Benfica B | 2012–13 | 38 | 12 | — | — | — | 38 | 12 | |||
| 2013–14 | 18 | 10 | — | — | — | 18 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 56 | 22 | — | — | — | 56 | 22 | ||||
| Benfica | 2013–14 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 1 |
| Deportivo | 2014–15 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 3 | ||
| Monaco | 2015–16 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 15 | 2 | |
| Career total | 106 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 124 | 28 | |
Honours
Club
- Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2013–14
- Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
- Taça da Liga: 2013–14
- UEFA Europa League: Runner-up 2013–14
Country
- Portugal
- UEFA Under-21 European Championship: Runner-up 2015
Individual
- SJPF Segunda Liga Player of the Month: August 2013, September 2013
- 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: Team of the Tournament
- "Spot-on Sevilla leave Benfica dreams in tatters". UEFA.com. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.