Steven Moreira
.jpg) Moreira with the Columbus Crew in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 August 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Noisy-le-Grand, France | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Columbus Crew | ||
| Number | 31 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2005 | AS Champs-sur-Marne[2] | ||
| 2005–2009 | US Torcy[3] | ||
| 2009–2013 | Rennes[4] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2016 | Rennes B | 24 | (0) |
| 2013–2016 | Rennes | 58 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Lorient | 63 | (1) |
| 2018–2021 | Toulouse | 58 | (1) |
| 2018 | Toulouse B | 3 | (0) |
| 2021– | Columbus Crew | 146 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | France U16 | 1 | (0) |
| 2013 | France U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2014 | France U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2015 | France U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2023– | Cape Verde | 24 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 00:29, 27 July 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 00:29, 27 July 2026 (UTC) | |||
Steven Moreira (Portuguese: [ˈsti˸.vən mu.ˈɾej.ɾɐ]; born 13 August 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back or centre-back for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew. Born in France, he plays for the Cape Verde national team.
Moreira began his senior career with Rennes, making his Ligue 1 debut in 2013 and appearing in the 2014 Coupe de France final. After spells with Lorient and Toulouse, he joined Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew in 2021. At Columbus, he began as a right-back, but established himself as one of the league's top central defenders in 2023, helping the club win the 2023 MLS Cup and the 2024 Leagues Cup. In 2024, he was named MLS Defender of the Year and was selected to the MLS Best XI.
Youth and club career
[edit]Rennes
[edit]
Moreira first began with AS Champs-sur-Marne in 2000, staying there for five years until he joined US Torcy in 2005.[5] He later joined the Rennes youth academy in 2009, and secured a professional contract with the Breton side in 2013. While at Rennes, he played both full-back positions and on the wing at times,[6][7] making his debut for the club on 11 May 2013 in a Ligue 1 clash.[8][9] In the 2013–14 season, he appeared sparingly to start the year, playing in three of the first four games to start the new campaign, before being benched and not appearing for over three months.[10] He appeared in the Coupe de France final, losing to Guingamp 2–0 in a Derby Breton.[11] He scored his first goal for Rennes on 19 January 2016 in a Coupe de France match, netting his team's only goal in a 3–1 loss to Bourg-en-Bresse.[12][13]
FC Lorient
[edit]Moreria joined FC Lorient on 30 August 2016 for a reported €1.2 million, signing a four-year deal.[14] After his first season in Lorient, his side were relegated to Ligue 2. During the following season, he scored a goal against RC Lens in the second round of the Coupe de la Ligue in August 2017,[15] and on 29 January 2018 scored the only goal in a victory versus eventual Ligue 2 champions Reims.[16] He moved to central defense in a game against Nancy late in the season, remaining at that position for two months, before returning to right-back. Manager Mickaël Landreau later explained the decision was designed “to establish his leadership,” believing the role allowed those qualities to come through more clearly.[17][18]
Toulouse
[edit]After two years in at Lorient, Moreira was transferred to Ligue 1 side Toulouse on 10 August 2018 and agreed to terms on a three-year deal.[19][20] His first year with Toulouse was forgettable, as he appeared in just 14 matches across all competitions, with his only win coming in the Coupe de France match against Nice. During the 2019–20 season, he incurred a three-match suspension following a red card received during a match against Marseille on 24 November 2019.[21][22] On 15 February 2020, he was shown a red card for a foul on Adam Ounas, resulting in another three-match suspension.[23] At the conclusion of the season, his side were relegated to Ligue 2. After missing the first four games of the 2020–21 season due to COVID-19, He would score his only goal for the club on 26 September 2020, coming on as a second-half substitute and contributing to a 3–1 victory at home for Les Violets.[24][25] On 20 March 2021, Moreira received a red card in a 1–0 defeat against Niort, serving a three-match suspension as a result.[26][27]
Columbus Crew
[edit]
After declining to take a pay cut to remain with Toulouse, Moreira left France and signed with Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew in August 2021.[11][28] Moreira joined on a free transfer, and signed a contract until the end of the 2021 season, with team options to extend his contract until the end of the 2023 season, arriving as the potential successor to Harrison Afful.[29] After Afful suffered a knee injury, Moreira became the starter for the remainder of the 2021 season for Columbus. He appeared in eight total matches in his first season in the United States, including making his team debut in the Campeones Cup victory versus Cruz Azul.[30]
During the 2022 season, Moreira was entrenched as the full time right-back for Columbus, starting 32 games for the Black and Gold.[31] On 27 August 2022, Moreira scored his first goal for the Crew, a right-footed volley in the 96th minute to tie Hell is Real rivals FC Cincinnati 2–2.[32]
During the 2023 season, Moreira moved to centre-back in a back three, and became a key contributor for a Columbus side that won MLS Cup 3–1 against Los Angeles FC. Described as having a "unique role",[33] he was given the freedom to carry the ball high into the midfield or make line-splitting passes.[34] After the final, it was announced that he extended his contract until 2025, with an option for 2026.[28][35]
Moreira's 2024 season began with regular appearances in the starting eleven, including starting all matches and playing every minute in the CONCACAF Champions Cup through the final, where Columbus were beaten 3–0 by Pachuca at Estadio Hidalgo.[36] He scored his first goal of the season with a 30-yard shot in a 2–2 home draw to the Portland Timbers on 20 April.[37] Moreira made his 100th appearance across all competitions for the club when he started the match against CF Montreal on 15 May.[38][39] During the Leagues Cup, Moreira once again started every match and played every minute for Columbus, as they went on to win the tournament, defeating Los Angeles FC in the final.[40] An ankle injury would keep Moreira out of the final three games of the regular season,[41] as Columbus finished with a club-record 66 points but were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the New York Red Bulls.[42][43] Moreira ended the season with 42 appearances across all competitions, and was named Major League Soccer Defender of the Year and on the Major League Soccer Best XI.[44]
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