Cédric Soares

Experienced head

Sao Paulo · 35 yrsFringe player

11.5

based on the 2025 season · updated 20 Aug 2026

Profile

Full nameCédric Ricardo Alves Soares

PositionCentre-back

NationalityPortugal

Age35

Date of birth31 Aug 1991

BirthplaceSingen

Height172 cm

Shirt number#21

ClubSao Paulo

More about Cédric Soares →

Centre-back

Season stats

Full career & schedule →

Appearances

Goals

Assists

290

Minutes

Domestic-league season · Sao Paulo.

Performance data · by competition

Competition	Apps	Min	Match
Paulista - A1	5	316	6.82
Serie A	8	290	6.61
CONMEBOL Sudamericana	2	180	6.6
Copa Do Brasil	1	77	6.2

Career

Full career & schedule →

Community Shield×3Emirates Cup×3Taça de Portugal×3FA Cup×2Florida Cup×2MLS All-Star×2+2 more

Soares's current-season form is level with last season (Season 23→23), while his Rating eased 21→12. His peak season for form remains 2021/22 (Season 30).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2026/27	Sao Paulo · 11th	8	0	0	6.61	12	23
2025/26	Sao Paulo · 8th	24	0	3	6.71	21	23
2023/24	Arsenal · 2nd	3	0	0	6.7	27	0
2022/23	Arsenal	1	0	0	6.9	—	—
2022/23	FulhamLoan · 10th	8	0	0	6.3	34	3
2021/22	Arsenal · 5th	21	1	1	6.81	51	30

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 11 earlier seasons and 4 youth-team spells in the full career.

Portugal · international

Side	Apps	G
Portugal	34	1
Portugal U21	7	0
Portugal U20	7	0
Portugal U19	2	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Experienced headCentral defender

Cédric Soares is a 35-year-old central defender at Sao Paulo, enjoying a standout season — 0 goals and 3 assists in 24 appearances, a Season grade of 23. On long-term scout potential he's rated 20. A seasoned veteran, he has been a rotation option (53.8% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.45 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Soares.

On the season, Soares graded 23 for current form (age-blind), on 6 clean sheets and 2.446 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's broadly in line with last season (Season 23 → 23). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2021/22.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 20. At 35 Soares is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 4.8 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Below his 2021/22 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.

Peak: 2021/22Trending upBreakout: 2025/26Injury-hit 2025/26

Ratingi

below regular-starter level

22.6

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

53.8%

Minutes

rotation minutes

2.45

Def. actions / 90

moderate defensive volume

Output in context · Sao Paulo finished 8th of 20 · a mid-table side

Apps

2.45

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

2.45 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 6 clean sheets across 24 appearances. Going forward he chipped in 0 goals and 3 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Watch points

Game time. Only 53.8% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
Age curve. At 35, both level and resale value are on the downslope.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

Rated 20 overall — below regular-starter level. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.45 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.6× and falling).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %53.8%

Available fixtures38 of 38

Goals / 900

Assists / 900.147

Goal contribution / 900.147

Defensive actions / 902.446

Player flow

Goal involvements3

Cards / 900.098

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~16), then tapers with age. At 35, Soares sits on 4.8, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Soares's projected Rating — 20 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among centre-backs in the Serie A with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals0

Passing

Assists3

Defending

Tackles35

Interceptions9

Blocks6

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards2

Red cards0

Transfer history

€5M total transfer fees · 10 moves

Sao PauloJan 2025 – nowFree

Arsenal(back from loan)Jul 2023 – Jan 2025

Fulham(on loan)Jan 2023 – Jul 2023

ArsenalAug 2020 – Jan 2023

Arsenal(on loan)Jan 2020 – Aug 2020

Southampton(back from loan)Jul 2019 – Jan 2020

Inter(on loan)Jan 2019 – Jul 2019

SouthamptonJul 2015 – Jan 2019€ 5M

Sporting CP(back from loan)Jul 2012 – Jul 2015

AAcademica(on loan)Jul 2011 – Jul 2012

Sporting CPuntil Jul 2011

About Cédric Soares

Cédric Ricardo Alves Soares is a 35-year-old centre-back who plays for Sao Paulo, born on August 31, 1991 in Singen, standing 172 cm tall. He is from Portugal. Sao Paulo currently sit 11th of 20 in the Serie A.

This season

In the current season, Cédric Soares has made 8 appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists across 290 minutes, averaging a 6.56 match rating over his last 8 rated games, with 1 yellow card. His season has spanned the Paulista - A1, the Serie A, the CONMEBOL Sudamericana and the Copa Do Brasil.

When Cédric Soares plays, Sao Paulo's record this season is 1W-2D-6L.

Recent matches

May 16, 2026: 1-2 loss away at Fluminense (1 minutes)
May 13, 2026: 1-3 loss away at Juventude (77 minutes, 6.2 rating)
May 10, 2026: 2-3 loss away at Corinthians (90 minutes, 6 rating)
May 3, 2026: 2-2 draw at home vs Bahia (50 minutes, 6.2 rating)
April 18, 2026: 1-2 loss away at Vasco DA Gama (63 minutes, 7.2 rating)
April 11, 2026: 0-2 loss away at Vitoria (33 minutes, 6.2 rating)
April 1, 2026: 1-1 draw away at Internacional (28 minutes, 7.2 rating)
March 18, 2026: 0-1 loss away at Atletico-MG (15 minutes, 6.6 rating)
January 29, 2026: 2-1 win at home vs Flamengo (10 minutes, 6.9 rating)

Cédric Soares's next match is on September 5, 2026, when Sao Paulo face Atletico-MG at home in the Serie A.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates Cédric Soares at 20 with a Season form score of 22.6. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 19 career titles — among them the Community Shield and the MLS All-Star. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 16 recorded seasons, Cédric Soares has totalled 300 club appearances with 6 goals and 16 assists for 10 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2017/18, with 32 appearances for Southampton.

Cédric Soares's career has also included time at Arsenal, Fulham, Southampton, Inter, Sporting CP and AAcademica.

On the international stage, Cédric Soares has represented Portugal, Portugal U21, Portugal U20, Portugal U19 — 50 caps and 1 goal in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Sao Paulo finished 8th of 20 · a mid-table side

Watch points