David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born 22 April 1987), known as David Luiz, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for English club Chelsea and the Brazil national team. Primarily a centre back, he can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder.[4][5]
After starting out at Vitória, he moved to Benfica, remaining with the club for five seasons (three complete). He joined Chelsea in January 2011, winning the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup during the 2011–12 season, followed by the UEFA Europa League the following season. In June 2014, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £50 million, a world record transfer for a defender,[6][7][8] and won all four domestic competitions in both of his seasons in French football. He returned to Chelsea in August 2016 in a £30 million transfer deal.[9]
David Luiz made his full international debut for Brazil in 2010 and has since earned over 50 caps for his country. He was a member of the Brazilian teams which won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and reached the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and has also represented his nation in two editions of the Copa América.
On 31 August 2016, David Luiz returned to Chelsea from PSG, for a reported fee of £34 million,[55] and signed a three-year deal.[56] On 16 September 2016, he made his return debut at home in 2–1 defeat against Liverpool after John Terry was ruled out for ten days.[57] On 31 January 2017, David Luiz scored his first goal for the season from a free kick against Liverpool at Anfield. His goal marked his first Premier League goal since April 2013.[58]
On 20 April 2017, Luiz was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2016–17 Premier League season.[59]
On 17 September 2017, Luiz received a straight red after a poor challenge on Sead Kolašinac during a 0–0 draw against Arsenal. Luiz became the third player to be sent-off in the last three meetings between the two London side; with the others being Pedro during the FA Community Shield and Victor Moses during the FA Cup Final.
David Luiz played with the Brazil under-20 team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007, with the team being ousted in the round of 16.[61] Courtesy of his solid season at Benfica, he was first picked for the senior side in a 2–0 friendly win against the United States on 10 August 2010, the first match after Mano Menezes had Dunga as the coach of the Seleção. Prior to making his debut for Brazil, the Portuguese Football Federation had considered calling him up to their own national team.[18]
David Luiz was present in every squad during the management of Menezes and was called up for the Copa América in 2011, but did not make a single appearance at the tournament due to injury.[30] In a friendly with Mexico in October of that year, he scored an own goal, but the Seleção eventually won it 2–1.
On 7 September 2012, David Luiz captained Brazil for the first time, appearing in a 1–0 win against South Africa in São Paulo.[62]
David Luiz was included in the squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013, which was hosted in his native Brazil. Alongside teammate Thiago Silva, David Luiz started all matches and helped Brazil win their fourth Confederations Cup title. In the final against Spain, he made an outstanding goal-line clearance from Pedro’s shot.[63][64]
David Luiz training with Hernanes (left), Ramires, Jô and Maxwell before the match against Croatia at the 2014 World Cup on 11 June.
On 2 June, David Luiz was named in Brazil’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[65] He scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw against Chile in the round of 16. He subsequently converted the team’s first kick in the penalty shootout as they prevailed 3–2 and reached the quarter-finals[66] where he scored the winning goal from a long-distance free kick in a 2–1 win against Colombia.[67] In the absence of Thiago Silva due to suspension, David Luiz captained the Seleção in their 7–1 defeat to Germany at the semi-final stage of the tournament.[68] Brazil went on to lose the third-place play-off 3–0 against the Netherlands.[69]
David Luiz was a member of Brazil’s squad for the 2015 Copa América in Chile. He partnered Miranda in central defence for the team’s first two group matches, before being dropped for Thiago Silva, as Brazil were knocked out by Paraguay in the quarter-finals.[70]
On 13 November 2015, David Luiz received his first career red card in a 1–1 2018 World Cup qualifying draw with rivals Argentina in Buenos Aires.[71]
In 2016, David Luiz and Thiago Silva were among several experienced players who were not chosen for the Copa América Centenario in the United States.
