Cédric Soares

Cédric Ricardo Alves Soares (born 31 August 1991), known simply as Cédric (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɛðɾik]), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club São Paulo.

Cédric's career started with Sporting CP, going on to appear in 93 competitive games over the course of four Primeira Liga seasons and scoring two goals. He signed for Southampton in 2015. After a brief loan spell with Inter Milan in 2019, Cédric joined Arsenal in 2020. He played for Fulham on loan in 2023 before departing Arsenal a year later.

Having earned 72 caps across all youth levels, Cédric made his senior debut for Portugal in 2014. He appeared for the country at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2016, winning the latter tournament.

Club career

Sporting

Born in Singen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany to Portuguese parents, Cédric returned to Portugal at the age of two. He joined Sporting CP's youth system in 1998, aged seven.

Cédric made his Primeira Liga debut with the first team on 8 May 2011, starting in a 0–1 home loss against Vitória de Setúbal. For 2011–12 he, alongside teammate Adrien Silva, was loaned to fellow top division club Académica, where he played regularly and won that season's Taça de Portugal, playing the full 90 minutes in the 1–0 triumph against Sporting.

Subsequently, Cédric returned to the Lisbon side, being first-choice in the following years under several managers. He scored his first goal in the Portuguese top division on 15 December 2012, netting with his left foot from 30 metres in a 1–1 draw away to Nacional.

In the domestic cup final on 31 May 2015, against Braga, Cédric was sent off in the 14th minute after conceding a penalty with a foul on Djavan, but Sporting eventually won in a shoot-out.