Paulo Bernardo, whose full name is Paulo Gonçalves Bernardo, was born on 24th January 2002 in Portugal. Now at the age of 24, he is renowned as a dynamic central midfielder playing for Celtic. His stature, standing at 5ft 10in (1.8m) and weigh of 12st 1lb (77kg), complements his role on the pitch. Bernardo sports the number 28 jersey for Celtic and has also done the nation proud by representing the Portugal U21 team.
As per the reliable Transfermarkt, Paulo Bernardo's current market value tips around £3.4m. He started his professional journey in July 2010 as a trainee with Benfica in the Liga Portugal. His debut 2021-2022 season at Benfica was a commendable start to his career, where he made 17 first team appearances in league matches.
January 2023 marked a turning point in Paulo Bernardo's career when he was loaned out to Paços de Ferreira in the Liga Portugal 2, from Benfica. During the 2022 - 2023 season with Paços de Ferreira, Bernardo played in 13 league matches, impressing spectators by scoring two goals.
In September of 2023, Celtic of Premiership in Scotland seized the opportunity to acquire Paulo Bernardo on loan from Benfica. During the 2023 - 2024 season at Celtic, Paulo Bernardo showcased his skills in 22 league matches, contributing three goals. His next season, 2024 - 2025 was even more rewarding with 28 appearances and two goals. In the current season (2025 - 2026), Paulo Bernardo has made seven first league appearances so far.
Celtic, recognising his potential, delightedly secured Bernardo from Benfica with a transfer fee of around £3.5m in August 2024. Since then, he has made remarkable contributions to Celtic. In addition to his league performances, Bernardo represented Celtic in the League Cup 2025 - 2026 with two appearances as a substitute, and in the Scottish Cup 2025 - 2026 with two starts. Internationally too, he played impressive football in UEFA U21 Qualifiers 2025 for Portugal U21, scoring one goal from four starts, and participated in the Europa League 2025 - 2026 for Celtic with two starts and five appearances as a substitute.
