Rui Jordão

Rui Jordão

Personal information
Full name	Rui Manuel Trindade Jordão
Position(s)	Striker

Rui Manuel Trindade Jordão (pron. IPA: [ʁuj ʒuɾ.'ðɐ̃w̃]) (born 9 August 1952 in Benguela, Angola) is a former Portuguese footballer who played as a striker for Portugal at international level, and for Benfica, Real Zaragoza and Sporting at professional club level.

Jordão started his career in Sporting Benguela and signed with Benfica in the 1971–72 season. He played seventeen games and scored six goals in his first season. He moved to Sporting on 28 August, 1977, where he would play until 1986.

Jordão also won his first cap for Portugal the same season, with Cyprus, in a World Cup qualifying match. He also played in the "Dream Team" that reached the final of the Brazil's Independence Cup the same year, losing against Brazil 1-0.

Jordão won 43 caps for the Portuguese national team from 1972 to 1989 and scored 15 goals, including the vital penalty that sealed a 1-0 win over the USSR in Lisbon on 13 November, 1983, ensuring that Portugal would qualify for Euro 84.

Portugal managed to reach the semifinal stage, in which Jordão scored twice against France in Marseilles on 23 June 1984. Portugal actually led 2-1 with only six minutes to go in extra-time, but eventually lost 3-2 to late goals from Jean-François Domergue and Michel Platini.

Jordão was Portuguese Championship top scorer twice for Benfica, in the 1975/76 season, with 28 goals. He was also top scorer in the 1979/80 season with Sporting Lisbon with 31 goals in 29 games. He played for Real Zaragoza, in 1976/77. He ended his career at Vitória Setúbal, in 1989, at the age of 36.

Individual honors and titles with Sporting

• 2 Portuguese Championships (1980, 1982)
• 2 Portuguese Cups (1978, 1982)
• 1 Portuguese SuperCup (1982)
• 2 Portuguese Silver Boot (1976, 1980)
• Portuguese Footballer of the Year (1980)