‘My nickname came from my older sister, then when I started going out and dancing, everyone called me Nani too. These little things stick’ Nani reveals the origins of his nickname

Nani in action for Manchester United, August 2008 — Nani signed for Manchester United in 2007 (Image credit: Alamy)

He was born Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha, but to football fans across the globe, he was simply known as just ‘Nani’.

The former Portugal and Manchester United winger made more than 700 appearances for club and country during a 20-year career that saw him play club football in seven countries across the world and turn out in five major international tournaments.

Nani on his nickname origin story

Nani in action for Portugal in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Albania in 2014. — Nani made 112 appearances for Portugal (Image credit: Getty Images)

“It goes back to my childhood,” Nani tells FourFourTwo when asked about the origins of his nickname. “I had an older sister who looked after me all the time.

“Sometimes she’d feed me and, while sharing out the food, she’d joke, ‘For you, for me… for Nani.’”

It may have been merely a throwaway line in a busy household, but the name struck a chord.

“These little things stick, she kept calling me that all the time and, when I started going out and dancing, everyone called me Nani too. The name stayed with me.”

While Nani would go on to enjoy a hugely successful career that included four Premier League titles and a Champions League with Manchester United, plus a Euro 2016 winners’ medal with Portugal, life was far from easy as he grew up.

But what he did have was a supportive family, as his childhood was shaped as much by resilience as it was by resources.

“My brothers and sisters had a huge, positive influence on my life,” he continues. “I was the youngest of nine, so everyone took great care of me.

Nani of Manchester United — Nani won four Premier Leagues with Manchester United (Image credit: Alamy)

“When there wasn’t enough food at home, they always tried to find a way for us to share what we had so I’d never go without. They were very protective, especially because we lived in a tough neighbourhood, and it was vital to have them close to guide me.

“They helped to keep me away from walking the wrong path. There were many temptations and situations that weren’t good for young kids. One of my brothers, for example, wouldn’t let me stay out too late or spend too much time on the streets with friends who might have been a bad influence, to stop me from smoking or doing things that weren’t right for a child.

“My siblings were incredibly important.”

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For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

With contributions from

Dani Gil

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