Jéssica Lisandra Manjenje Nogueira Silva Bio
Jéssica Lisandra Manjenje Nogueira Silva (born 11 December 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward. Standing 1.70 m tall, she represents Saudi Women’s Premier League club Al Hilal SFC at club level and the Portugal women’s national football team in international competition. A versatile attacker with experience across European, American, and Asian leagues, she has built a career that began in Portuguese club football and expanded into some of the strongest women’s competitions in the world.
Known for her pace, dribbling, and ability to play on either flank or through the middle, Silva has spent more than a decade as a senior professional. Her journey includes spells at top clubs in Sweden, Spain, France, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, while remaining a regular fixture for her country.
Early Life and Background
Jéssica Lisandra Manjenje Nogueira Silva was born on 11 December 1994 in Vila Nova de Milfontes, a coastal town in southwestern Portugal. She grew up in a mixed-heritage household, with an Angolan father and a Portuguese mother, and both of her grandmothers were of Angolan descent.
From a young age, Silva showed interest in football in a region where the women’s game was still developing. Her family environment, rooted in two football-loving cultures, supported her early love for the sport. She eventually moved into organized youth football in Portugal, where her attacking talent quickly became apparent to local coaches.
Path to Soccer
Silva began her senior career with Clube de Albergaria in 2011, breaking into the first team as a teenager. She impressed in the Portuguese top flight during her early seasons, which drew the attention of clubs abroad.
In 2014, she joined Swedish Damallsvenskan side Linköpings FC on a short-term deal from July to December, gaining her first experience of football outside Portugal. After returning to Albergaria for two further seasons, she moved to Braga in 2016, and a year later signed with Spanish Primera División club Levante UD in 2017, marking her full transition to top-level European football.
Jéssica Lisandra Manjenje Nogueira Silva Career
Early Career (2011–2014)
Silva’s first notable spell came at Clube de Albergaria, where she played between 2011 and 2014 and established herself as one of the most promising young attackers in Portuguese women’s football. Her performances in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino brought regular call-ups to Portugal’s youth teams.
In the middle of 2014, she joined Swedish Damallsvenskan club Linköpings FC, spending the second half of the year in one of Europe’s strongest domestic leagues. Although the move was brief, it offered her a first taste of high-level, full-time professional football abroad.
Levante Era (2017–2019)
Following a return to Albergaria and a season at Braga, Silva signed with Levante UD of Spain’s Primera División in 2017. She spent two seasons in Valencia, competing in one of the most competitive women’s leagues in Europe and refining her game against top defenders.
Her time at Levante helped raise her profile internationally and prepared her for an even bigger move in the French top flight.
Olympique Lyonnais Era (2019–2021)
In 2019, Silva joined Olympique Lyonnais, widely regarded as the most decorated club in women’s football. Training and playing alongside world-class teammates sharpened her tactical understanding and finishing.
During her two seasons in France, she experienced Champions League football at the highest level, which became a defining stage of her development as a senior professional.
Kansas City Current Era (2021–2022)
On 10 May 2021, Silva was announced at Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League on a two-year contract. The move took her to the United States for the first time, where she adapted to a new league, climate, and style of play.
Her season in the NWSL added another important chapter to her career before she returned to Portuguese football.
Benfica Era (2022–2024)
Silva returned to Portugal in 2022, signing with Benfica, one of the country’s biggest clubs. Playing in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino, she became a key attacker and contributed to the team’s domestic ambitions over two seasons.
Her time at Benfica reinforced her status as one of Portugal’s most influential forwards and kept her firmly on the radar of clubs outside Europe.
Gotham FC Era (2024–2025)
On 16 August 2024, NJ/NY Gotham FC announced that they had signed Silva through the 2024 NWSL season. She scored her first goal for Gotham on 3 October 2024, finding the net in a 13–0 win over Frazsiers Whip FC in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup. After her first season, the club re-signed her to a short-term extension.
The Gotham period offered Silva a new challenge in a league she had briefly experienced with Kansas City, and her CONCACAF goal marked a memorable milestone moment.
Al Hilal SFC Era (2025–Present)
In 2025, Silva moved to Al Hilal SFC of the Saudi Women’s Premier League, becoming part of the growing professional women’s game in Saudi Arabia. The transfer represented another bold step in a career defined by embracing new leagues and cultures.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Silva’s standout moments are her senior debut for Portugal in September 2011, her time at Olympique Lyonnais in the Champions League, and her first Gotham FC goal in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup on 3 October 2024. Selection for Portugal at UEFA Women’s Euro 2017, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, and UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 also marked major milestones in her international career, although injury kept her out of the 2017 tournament.
Jéssica Lisandra Manjenje Nogueira Silva Career Wins
Across spells at clubs including Linköpings FC, Olympique Lyonnais, Benfica, and Gotham FC, Silva has built a résumé defined more by influence than by silverware individually. Her honours list, as recorded for those clubs, reflects participation in title-winning environments in Sweden, France, Portugal, and the United States.
Club Honours Highlights
At Olympique Lyonnais she was part of a squad competing for the top prizes in French and European women’s football. With Benfica she featured prominently in a team challenging for the Portuguese championship, and at Gotham FC she contributed to a club that reached finals in the NWSL.
Her first goal for Gotham, scored in a 13–0 CONCACAF W Champions Cup win, remains one of the clearest individual milestones from her time in the United States.
Other Performances
Earlier in her career, Silva gained recognition through consistent scoring in Portugal with Albergaria and Braga, performances that opened the door to moves in Spain and France. Her development at those clubs laid the foundation for her later achievements on bigger stages.
Jéssica Lisandra Manjenje Nogueira Silva Family
Family Background and Lineage
Silva was born in Portugal to an Angolan father and a Portuguese mother, with both of her grandmothers of Angolan descent. This dual heritage has been a part of her personal identity throughout her life and career.
Personal Life
Public information about Silva’s personal life remains limited. She was born and raised in Vila Nova de Milfontes before her football career took her across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has been a transitional year for Silva. After being re-signed by Gotham FC to a short-term extension following the 2024 campaign, she made her way through the early part of the year with the NWSL club before completing a move to Saudi Women’s Premier League side Al Hilal SFC.
At international level, on 24 June 2025 she was called up to the Portugal squad for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, confirming her continued importance to the national team setup. The tournament offered her another opportunity to lead Portugal’s attack on a major stage.
With regular minutes expected at Al Hilal SFC and a strong relationship with national team coach Francisco Neto, Silva’s outlook heading into the remainder of 2025 is built on leadership, experience, and the chance to add new competitive chapters to an already international career.