Joao Mario leaves Besiktas as Portugal midfielder becomes unattached

Joao Mario, the Portuguese attacking midfielder, has left Besiktas and is now without a club after completing his departure from the Turkish side on 2 September 2026.

The 33-year-old joined Besiktas from Benfica in July 2025 for €2m, but spent part of the 2025-26 season on loan at AEK Athens. He returned to Besiktas at the end of that loan spell on 30 June 2026 before ending his association with the Istanbul club.

Mario’s latest season included a spell with AEK, where he helped the Greek club win the national championship. He had previously won the Portuguese league with both Benfica and Sporting CP, collecting two titles in total.

A versatile attacking midfielder who favours his right foot, Mario began his senior career with Sporting after progressing through the club’s academy. He also spent time on loan at Vitoria Setubal before establishing himself in Sporting’s first team.

His career has included a major move to Inter in August 2016, when the Italian club signed him from Sporting for €44.77m. Mario later had loan spells with West Ham, Lokomotiv Moscow and Sporting before joining Benfica on a free transfer in July 2021.

At Benfica, he won another Portuguese league title in the 2022-23 season and was named Liga Portugal’s Midfielder of the Year. He also won the Portuguese Super Cup with the club in 2024, adding to the same trophy he had claimed with Sporting in 2016.

On the international stage, Mario was part of Portugal’s European Championship-winning squad in 2016 and later celebrated Nations League success in 2019. He also finished as a runner-up at the 2015 European Under-21 Championship.

Mario’s honours also include the Portuguese league cup and Portuguese Cup, both won with Sporting. His departure from Besiktas was completed on 2 September 2026.