Gonçalo Inácio

International career

Inácio represented Portugal at under-17, under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels, for a total of 19 caps. He was called up to the senior side by Fernando Santos on 26 August 2021, for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and the Republic of Ireland and a friendly with Qatar. Four days later, however, he was dropped from the squad after picking up an injury on his left thigh.

On 12 November 2021, Inácio made his under-21 debut, playing the entire 1–0 win in Cyprus in the 2023 UEFA European Championship qualifying stage. He scored his first goal in the reverse fixture four days later, in a 6–0 rout in Faro.

In October 2022, Inácio was named in a preliminary 55-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. His first appearance took place on 23 March 2023, when he played the entire 4–0 victory over Liechtenstein in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers which was the first game in charge of new manager Roberto Martínez. On 11 September, still during that stage, he scored his first and second goals in a 9–0 home defeat of Luxembourg, Portugal's biggest win in international history.

Inácio was selected for the Euro 2024 finals. In the team's opening match against the Czech Republic, he replaced Diogo Dalot in the 63rd minute of the 2–1 comeback win. He also featured 90 minutes of the final group fixture, a 2–0 loss to Georgia, in a quarter-final elimination against France.

On 20 May 2025, Inácio was included in Martínez's squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League Finals to be held in Germany. He started twice for the champions, including in the 5–3 penalty shootout defeat of Spain.

Inácio was also picked for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He made no appearances in a round-of-16 exit.

Style of play Inácio has been predominantly deployed as a central defender, but can also play as a left-back and a midfielder due to his attributes. He is noted for his anticipation, composure, decisions, positioning, tackling and passing ability, including long-range passes which enables him to break down attacks and subsequently play the ball out or start offensive plays from the back, as well as for his acceleration, agility and pace.

Personal life Inácio was a Sporting fan since he was a child, and his brother Rodrigo was born with a disability. The former considered himself a shy person who did not feel comfortable posting about himself on social media; his favourite hobbies were playing street football and the PlayStation alone or with friends.

Career statistics Club

International

Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Inácio goal. + List of international goals scored by Gonçalo Inácio No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition 2024–25 Taça de Portugal: 2024–25 Taça da Liga: 2020–21, 2021–22

Portugal UEFA Nations League: 2024–25

Individual Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2023–24, 2024–25