Deroy Duarte

Deroy d'Encarnação Duarte ( ; born 4 July 1999) is a professional football player who plays as a midfielder for Bulgarian First League club Ludogorets Razgrad. Born in the Netherlands, he represents the Cape Verde national team.

Club career Sparta Rotterdam Duarte played youth football for Sparta Rotterdam. As the Tweede Divisie was reintroduced, he began playing regularly for Jong Sparta Rotterdam who had joined the Dutch football league system. Sparta was relegated to the Eerste Divisie that season. However, he was part of the team that finished second and returned to the Eredivisie after winning the promotion play-off against TOP Oss and De Graafschap.

In the following 2019–20 season, he was mainly a substitute, with his brother Laros Duarte among the players ahead of him in the pecking order. However, he established himself as a regular starter in his fifth and final season at Sparta, during the 2020–21 season. Two days later, he made his debut in the season opener against Twente, which was won 2–1. On 26 February 2022, he scored his first goal for the club against Cambuur.

Ludogorets Razgrad In June 2024, he moved to Bulgaria, joining Ludogorets Razgrad.

International career Born in the Netherlands, Duarte is of Cape Verdean descent. He has represented the Netherlands 9 times at Under-19 level, but later was called up to represent the Cape Verde national team for a set of friendlies in March 2022. He debuted with Cape Verde in a 2–0 friendly win over Guadeloupe.

On 18 May 2026, he was called up by Cape Verde's head coach Bubista for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

On 3 July 2026, Duarte scored in the 59th minute of the Round of 32 match against Argentina, the reigning champions of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, equalizing the match at 1–1; it was his first international goal for Cape Verde, although, despite getting another goal afterward from Sidny Lopes Cabral, Cape Verde would lose to Argentina, 3–2, in extra time.

Personal life He is the younger brother of the footballer Laros Duarte.

Career statistics Club

Scores and results list Cape Verde's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Duarte goal.

Honours Ludogorets Razgrad Bulgarian First League: 2024–25 Bulgarian Cup: 2024–25 Bulgarian Supercup: (2) 2024, 2025

Cape Verde FIFA Series: 2024