Early Life
Nani was born on 17 November 1986 in Praia, Cape Verde, on the West African coast. Nani emigrated with his family to Portugal at an early age. Nani was raised by his aunt Antonia in the Santa Filomena estate in the Amadora district of Lisbon after being abandoned by his parents. At the age of five, his father left for a holiday in Cape Verde but never returned and when he was 12 years old his mother left Portugal to start a new life in the Netherlands. Nani has nine siblings from his mother, of which he is the youngest, and five from his father. Nani gained his nickname from an elder sister at a young age.
Nani's older brother taught him how to play football and he played with his childhood friend, midfielder Manuel Fernandes. Around the age of 14, Nani's older brother took him to train with Real Massamá. They were Nani's first club and gave him money, food, and helped him obtain an ID Card and a passport. At the age of 16, Nani was training on alternate days with Sporting and Benfica. Nani sometimes walked miles to and from practice before Sporting offered him pre-season training. Despite growing up in Lisbon, Nani and his brother supported Porto as a boy and his footballing hero was Luís Figo.
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