Madjer

Madjer
Personal information
Full name	João Victor Saraiva
Date of birth	22 January 1977 (age 49)
Place of birth	Luanda, Angola
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Position	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
2002–2007	Cavalieri del Mare
2003	Pernambuco
2008	Milano Beach Soccer
2008	Rio de Janeiro
2009	Cavalieri del Mare
2010–2012	Sporting CP
2010	São Paulo
2010	AS Roma
2010	Torres Novas
2010	Lokomotiv Moscow
2011	Alanyaspor
2011	Al-Ahli Dubai
2012	Botafogo
2012–2013	Beşiktaş
2013–2014	Lokomotiv Moscow
2014–2019	Sporting CP
International career‡
1998–2019	Portugal
Medal record
Representing Portugal
Men's Beach Soccer
European Games
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
Euro Beach Soccer League
Euro Beach Soccer Cup
	* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 July 2015; ‡ National team caps and goals as of 24 December 2019

João Victor Saraiva (born 22 January 1977), better known as Madjer, is a Portuguese retired beach soccer player. He played in the forward position, and has won numerous awards at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups for his goalscoring abilities. He took the nickname Madjer because his idol is the former Algerian player Rabah Madjer. He has often been hailed as the best-ever beach soccer player.^[1] He became the first player to score 1000 international beach soccer career goals in an 8–1 win against England in September 2016.

In 2019, he was considered, by the prestigious magazine France Football, to be the best beach soccer player of all time.^[2]

Early life and background

Madjer was born in Luanda, Angola, but moved to Portugal at a young age. He began his football career in conventional 11-a-side football and futsal before fully transitioning to beach soccer in the late 1990s. His acrobatic style, combining height (1.94 m) with exceptional agility, volley technique, overhead kicks, and bicycle kicks, quickly made him one of the most recognisable figures in the sport.^[3]^[4]

International career

Madjer has an extraordinary agility and dribbling talent in contrast to his height (194 cm). Besides, he is very capable in acrobatic finishes such as volleys, over-head kicks and bicycle kicks.^[5] His skills provide a vital contribution for his team while competing in EBSL, Mundialito, and above all the Beach Soccer World Championship.

At the 2005, 2006, and 2008 World Cups Madjer won the golden boot for most goals scored in the tournament, and, he also was the MVP of EBSL last season in 1999, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

He retired from the sport after winning the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in a victory over Italy.^[6]

Post-retirement

Following his retirement, Madjer was appointed beach soccer coordinator by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) in February 2020, where he has focused on youth development and the growth of the sport in Portugal.^[7] He also organises the annual Madjer Youth Beach Soccer Cup, an international youth tournament aimed at discovering and nurturing new talent.^[8]

Statistics

Tournament	Year	Apps	Goals
Euro Beach Soccer League	1998	?	?
	1999	?	?
	2000	?	?
	2001	11	40
	2002	?	7
	2003	14	34
	2004	12	30
	2005	14	31
	2006	?	30
	2007	16	23
	2008	3	11
	2009	9	20
	2010	5	9
	2011	9	7
	2012	9	6
	2013	3	1
	2014	10	8
	2015	7	3
	2016	10	6
	2017	10	9
	2018	10	6
	2019	7	1
Total		159+	282+

Tournament	Year	Apps	Goals
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup	1998	?	15
	1999	?
	2000	?
	2001	5	6
	2002	5	9
	2003	5	10
	2004	5	12
	2005	5	12
	2006	6	21
	2007	4	8
	2008	6	13
	2009	5	13
	2011	6	12
	2013	–	–
	2015	6	8
	2017	4	0
	2019	6	1
Total		68+	140