| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | João Baptista Martins[1] | ||
| Date of birth | September 3, 1927[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Sines, Portugal[1] | ||
| Date of death | November 16, 1993 (aged 66)[1] | ||
| Place of death | France[1] | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sport Lisboa e Sines | |||
| CUF | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1946–1959 | Sporting CP | 204 | (131) |
| National team | |||
| 1952–1957 | Portugal | 11 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
João Baptista Martins (3 September 1927 – 16 November 1993) was a Portuguese footballer.
He played for Sporting CP for 13 years. During his time with the club, he would win seven Primeira Liga titles and the 1954 Taça de Portugal.[2]
On September 4, 1955, he scored the first-ever goal of the European Cup, in a 3–3 draw against FK Partizan.[3]
Martins won 11 caps for Portugal. He made his debut on November 23, 1952, in a 1–1 draw against Austria.[1]
After retiring, Martins moved to France, and worked in a factory. He died in November 1993 aged 66, due to heart failure.[1][2]