After six trophy-laden years at Portuguese giants Benfica, Carolina Vilão left Lisbon for a new challenge in the Ninja A-League. The young goalkeeper tells aleagues.com.au how she hopes her “Benfica mentality” can help Wellington Phoenix play finals football for the first time in Ninja A-League history.
At just 24 years of age, Carolina Vilão boasts one of the most glittering footballing CVs in the A-Leagues.
The goalkeeper won it all through her six years at Portuguese giants Benfica, having joined the club as a teenager from rival club Sporting, another European heavyweight.
Her time at Benfica was littered with silverware won alongside a star cast of teammates – some of whom have gone on to become some of the biggest names in women’s football.
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Brazilian forward Geyse. Atlético Madrid star Ana Vitória. Canadian international Cloé Lacasse. Kika Nazareth of Barcelona, and Yasmim of Real Madrid. These are just some of the players who, together with Vilão, have won trophies galore for Benfica since the women’s team’s foundation season in 2017.
But after enjoying such a sparkling start to her club career in Lisbon, why did the 24-year-old elect to move to Wellington, to link up with the Phoenix in the Ninja A-League?
For the highly-rated Under-23 Portugal international, her reasons were simple: to get more game time, and to grow.
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“I have probably played more games in these last four months than I did last year completely,” Vilão told aleagues.com.au.
“I’ve been gaining a lot of experience during the game – of course, practice is very important but playing gives you a lot of different experiences. I think I’ve been growing a lot from that.
“I’m enjoying Wellington – sometimes the weather is not that good! But I’m enjoying it.”
Since signing for the Phoenix in July, 2024, Vilão has looked to instil what she describes as the “Benfica mentality” among the Wellington playing group.
That mentality is what helped Vilão to secure trophy after trophy in Lisbon – a mentality she’s fostered since she was a child, supporting her “heart club” thanks to the influence of her brother and grandfather.
“I feel like in Portugal it’s a little bit like this: it comes from family. And because of my grandather and most of my family, I always supported Benfica,” she said.
“I was very lucky to play at Sporting too, but Benfica was the team I always supported.
“I have an older brother that, when I was three or four, he already was playing. So I got the love for the sport because of him, and my grandfather. As soon as I saw him touching the ball, I wanted to do the same.
“Since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to play football. And I always took it very professionally. It was something my mother always taught us: that when we want something, we go get it.
“I knew that I wanted to play football professionally, so since I’ve played, I’ve known it was something I always prioritised. Of course, school was a priority too, but I felt like I could put both in the same package.
“It was a very proud moment for me and my family. I feel like it’s a big thing in Portugal, supporting a team like Benfica. It’s every kid’s dream to be playing for those teams. It was a dream of mine, and they finally opened a team and I feel like as soon as I knew, I wanted to be there.”
Having joined Benfica from Sporting in her teens, Vilão quickly became accustomed to lifting trophies, with her honour roll including four Campeonato Nacional Feminino titles. And although her official silverware count stands at eight, Vilão says “it’s actually more than that.”
“I have trophies some from the second league (division), and two from the Portuguese Cup. We have another competition that in English I think would translate to mean League Cup – we had two of those too.
“It’s the Benfica mentality. When we go there, we go there to play and win. I’m very grateful I had that experience and I could win for my ‘heart club’ if you can say it like that. I’m very grateful for that, and now I think I want to make some history too, with Wellington.”
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Vilão’s six-year stint at Benfica was highlighted by a run to the quarter-finals of the 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Champions League, where the Portuguese side finished second in a group featuring eventual champions Barcelona, and a quarter-final knockout defeat to Lyon – the other Champions League finalist.
“Every player dreams of playing in the Champions League,” Vilão said. “I think we did pretty well in last year’s Champions League, we played against both teams that went to the final, so I’m very grateful I was part of that team that made a lot of history. It was a dream of mine to play in the Champions League and still is. Playing against big teams, it’s amazing.”
But for all the glamour and prestige of a deep Champions League run, Vilão’s two fondest memories of her Benfica stint are attached to her first trophy win with the Under-19s, as well as her first cup final in the senior squad.
“When I was already in the senior team, sometimes I would drop to the Under-19s to play,” she said.
“My first trophy with the Under-19s was one of the best memories I have. The final was over two games and we lost the first one, and ended up winning the second one away from home. I remember it was such a good feeling winning the first cup with the Under-19s team.
“The second memory was my first League Cup – it was my first final playing for Benfica. For sure, playing in the Champions League made amazing memories, playing against Chelsea at home was amazing – but those two cups were the memories that (I) keep more in my mind.”
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Along the way, Vilão honed her craft training and playing alongside Benfica’s illustrious list of former players who have gone on to become household names in women’s football.
“A very close friend of mine is playing for Atletico Madrid, her name is Ana Vitória,” she said. “Another from my first year at Benfica when I was 17 now plays for Manchester United: Geyse.
“Kika (Nazareth) at Barcelona, Cloé Lacasse who plays in the NWSL too (Utah Royals), and Yasmim is now playing at Real Madrid. There are a lot of players that spent some years there, so I gained some experience from playing with them too.”
Yet, for all the genuine superstars Vilão has played alongside throughout her career, there’s one former Benfica player who has had the greatest influence on her game: current Manchester City men’s goalkeeper and Brazilian international Ederson.
The six-time Premier League winner and 2019 Copa America champion has been a key figure in the transformation of modern-day goalkeeping, with his ball-playing ability key to defensive build-up play – a facet of Vilão’s own skillset that made the Portuguese keeper the perfect addition to head coach Paul Temple’s squad and his “small ball” philosophy that relies on an intricate passing network to create space for the ‘Nix to exploit.
“Being from Portugal, I think everyone has Cristiano Ronaldo as their idol,” Vilão said. “He’s an inspiration as an outfield player and as an athlete.
“But as a goalkeeper, I always looked to Ederson – some years ago, he was a goalkeeper at Benfica too. He was always my favourite goalkeeper because of the way he plays with his feet. It’s the way that I like to play, so he was my inspiration.”
Vilão has played 432 passes throughout her 14 games for the Phoenix this season – the second-most of any goalkeeper in the league behind Canberra United’s Sally James – and she even has an assist to her name, having picked out Grace Jale for the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Perth Glory in early January.
Vilão has kept four clean sheets in her 14 Phoenix appearances so far, with Wellington’s 16 goals against among the best defensive records in the league as they push to reach the finals for the first time in club history.
Wellington are three points behind six-placed Western United heading into Round 15 and a home clash with second-placed Melbourne Victory.
At full-time of Saturday’s Ninja A-League clash at Porirua Park, Vilão will return to the changeroom and pick up the phone, as she does after every Phoenix game, to call home.
Either her mother or brother will be on end of the line, having braved the differing time zones between Portugal and Australia/New Zealand to watch all of her Phoenix games.
It’s a new experience for both Vilão and her family; having spent the first 23 years of her life in Portugal, Vilão made the decision to leave home for a new challenge in the A-Leagues.
So far, she’s been reaping the rewards in a Ninja A-League campaign offering her plenty of game time, and most importantly to Vilão, the chance to “grow.”
“My mum and my brother, they always wake up during the night to watch the games, and I always call them after the game to see first if they watched it, and then to know what they think about it,” she said.
“My brother has been an inspiration since I was a kid, and I always wanted to be like him when I was playing because he was pretty good. He doesn’t say it, but I know he’s my biggest fan.
“I feel like I was prepared for this; my family always supports me now, with phones it’s always easy to be connected to them.
“I feel like, more than making playoffs, my goal this season is to enjoy the fact that I’m here.
“I’m enjoying football more than I’ve enjoyed it for the last eight years.”
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