João Paulo (footballer, born 1980)

João Paulo Pinto Ribeiro (born 8 April 1980), known as João Paulo, is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a centre-forward.

Over nine seasons, he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 140 games and 23 goals for Boavista, Varzim, Beira-Mar, Estoril (two spells), Paços de Ferreira, União de Leiria and Leixões. He also competed professionally in Spain, Romania and Cyprus, mainly at the service of Rapid București.

Club career
Having grown through the ranks of Boavista FC, Porto-born João Paulo appeared very little for its first team, being loaned five times for the duration of his contract in both the Primeira Liga and the Segunda Liga of Portuguese football. His debut in the top flight came in the 2001–02 season.

After being released in June 2005, João Paulo had an unassuming stint with Spanish Segunda División club CD Tenerife, then returned to Portugal in January of the following year with F.C. Paços de Ferreira. He blossomed as a striker in 2007–08 at fellow top-division side U.D. Leiria (eight goals in the league and two in the UEFA Cup, both against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, on home and away legs).

João Paulo moved to Romanian club FC Rapid București in January 2008, while Leiria would eventually rank last at the season's end in Portugal. Later that month but two years later, after failing to score more than three times in spite of being regularly played, he returned to his country and joined top-tier strugglers Leixões S.C. until the end of the campaign.

In June 2010, following Leixões' relegation, João Paulo returned abroad, signing with Olympiakos Nicosia of Cyprus. The following season, the 31-year-old switched to another team in the country, Apollon Limassol FC.

Honours
Portugal
 * UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1999