Kevin Pina

Kevin Lenini Gonçalves Pereira de Pina (; born 27 January 1997) is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Russian club Krasnodar and the Cape Verde national team.

Club career A youth product of the Cape Verdean team Tchadense, Pina made his professional debut with Oliveirense in a 3–2 LigaPro loss to Benfica B on 13 January 2018. He shortly after went on loan to Anadia and Sertanense, before transferring to Chaves in 2019.

On 8 September 2022, Pina signed a three-year contract with the Russian Premier League club Krasnodar. On 16 July 2024, he extended his contract to June 2027. On 29 July 2026, he extended it again to June 2029.

International career Pina was called up to represent the Cape Verde national team for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in September 2021. He debuted with Cape Verde in a 6–0 friendly win over Liechtenstein on 25 March 2022.

In December 2023, Pina was named in Cape Verde's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast. He was in the starting line-up for Cape Verde's opening match against Ghana, as the Tubarões Azuis defeated the four-time African champions 2–1. In the team's second match, he scored the final goal of a 3–0 win over Mozambique which qualified Cape Verde for the knockout stage of the competition.

Pina became the first player in Cape Verde's history to score at a FIFA World Cup, netting the nation's first-ever World Cup goal against Uruguay at the 2026 edition. He also earned the Man of the Match award for his performance.

Career statistics Club

International

As of match played 21 June 2026. Cape Verde's score listed first, score column indicates score after each Pina goal. + List of international goals scored by Kevin Pina No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition 1 10 September 2023 Stade de Kégué, Lomé, Togo 5 1–0 2–3 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 2 19 January 2024 Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 8 3–0 3–0 2023 Africa Cup of Nations 3 31 May 2026 Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon, Portugal 31 1–0 3–0 Friendly 4 21 June 2026 Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States 33 1–0 2–2 2026 FIFA World Cup

Honours

Krasnodar Russian Premier League: 2024–25