Paulo Bernardo, officially known as Paulo 'Bernardo' Gonçalves Bernardo, is a Portuguese football player born on 24 January 2002. Currently aged 24, Bernardo stands at 5ft 10inches (1.8m) tall and weighs approximately 12 stones and 1 pound (77kg). As a central midfielder, he wears the number 28 jersey for Celtic and also represents the Portugal U21 national team.
The value attributed to Bernardo in the current football market is about £3.5m (Transfermarkt).
As a trainee, Bernardo’s journey into professional football began at Benfica in Portugal's Liga Portugal in July 2010. His first season, 2021 - 2022, saw him make 17 appearances in league matches. His notable performances earned him a loan move to Paços de Ferreira, also in the Liga Portugal, in January 2023, where he scored two goals in 13 appearances.
Bernardo's career trajectory eventually led him to Scotland, where he joined Celtic on loan in September 2023. In his debut season 2023 - 2024, Bernardo made 22 appearances and scored three goals. This impressive record earned him a permanent transfer to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership for a fee of £3.5m in August 2024. His dedication to the club continued in the 2024 - 2025 season, in which he scored two goals in 28 appearances. As of the 2025 - 2026 season, Bernardo continues to perform admirably, having made seven appearances so far.
In terms of tournament appearances, Bernardo has represented Celtic in the League Cup 2025 - 2026, making two substitute appearances. During the Scottish Cup 2025 - 2026, he made two starts for Celtic. With the Portugal U21 team, he took part in the UEFA U21 Qualifiers 2025 and managed to bag a goal in four starts. Finally, in the Europa League 2025 - 2026, Bernardo represented Celtic with one start and five appearances as a substitute.
