Paulo Bernardo

Paulo Guilherme Gonçalves Bernardo (; born 24 January 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Ekstraklasa club Górnik Zabrze, on loan from Scottish Premiership club Celtic.

Club career

Early career Bernardo joined Benfica's youth system in 2010. He progressed through the club's academy and signed his first professional contract on 26 February 2018.

He made his professional debut for Benfica B on 2 February 2020, appearing in a LigaPro match against Vilafranquense. His performances for the reserve side later earned him the Liga Portugal 2 Midfielder of the Month award for October and November 2021.

Benfica Bernardo made his Benfica first-team debut on 2 November 2021, replacing João Mário during a 5–2 defeat against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. Five days later, he made his Primeira Liga debut as a substitute in a 6–1 home victory over Braga.

On 31 January 2023, Bernardo joined Paços de Ferreira on loan until the end of the season. He scored his first goal for the club on 6 March, in a 2–1 league defeat against Casa Pia.

Celtic On 1 September 2023, Bernardo joined Celtic on a season-long loan which included an option to make the transfer permanent. He scored his first goal for Celtic on 26 December, opening the scoring in a 3–0 league victory against Dundee.

During his first season in Scotland, Bernardo made 33 appearances in all competitions and scored four goals. He was part of the Celtic side that won both the 2023–24 Scottish Premiership and the 2023–24 Scottish Cup.

On 1 August 2024, Bernardo returned to Celtic on a permanent transfer, signing a five-year contract.

He made 30 league appearances during the 2024–25 season, scoring twice, as Celtic retained the Scottish championship and won the Scottish League Cup. His playing time decreased during the following campaign. By the end of the 2025–26 season, he had made 97 appearances for Celtic in all competitions, scoring seven goals.

On 6 September 2021, Bernardo made his debut for the under-21 team, replacing André Almeida during a 1–0 victory over Belarus in qualification for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

He was selected for Portugal's squad at the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. On 14 June, he scored in a 5–0 group-stage victory over Poland. He finished his under-21 career with 32 appearances and 11 goals. 2024–25, 2025–26 Scottish Cup: 2023–24, 2025–26 Scottish League Cup: 2024–25

Individual Liga Portugal 2 Midfielder of the Month: October/November 2021