Gerso Fernandes

Gerso
Gerso with Incheon United in 2026
Personal information
Full name Gerso Fernandes[1]
Date of birth (1991-02-23) 23 February 1991[1]
Place of birth Bissau, Guinea-Bissau[1]
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position Winger
Team information
Current team
 Incheon United
Number 11
Youth career
2004–2009 União Coimbra
2009–2010 Académica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Académica 0 (0)
2010–2011 → Tourizense (loan) 25 (3)
2011–2016 Estoril 93 (3)
2014–2015 → Moreirense (loan) 25 (5)
2016–2017 Belenenses 14 (1)
2017–2020 Sporting Kansas City 107 (18)
2021–2022 Jeju United 69 (13)
2023– Incheon United 119 (29)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 August 2026

Gerso Fernandes (born 23 February 1991) is a Bissau-Guinean professional footballer who plays as a left winger for K League 1 club Incheon United.

Club career

Portugal

Born in Bissau, Gerso moved to Portugal in his early teens, joining União de Coimbra's youth system in 2004 at age 13. As a junior, he signed with neighbouring Académica de Coimbra where he went on to complete his development;[2] he did not play football for two years during his formative spell, after a priest from the charity facility where he was living advised him against the dangers of turning professional.[3]

Gerso made his debut as a senior with Tourizense in the third division, who acted as Académica's farm team.[4] Released in summer 2011, he moved to Estoril of Segunda Liga, contributing 20 scoreless appearances in his first season as the club returned to the Primeira Liga after seven years.[5]

Gerso made his debut in Portugal's top flight on 17 August 2012, playing 30 minutes in a 2–1 away loss against Olhanense.[6] He continued to be played almost exclusively as a substitute in the following campaigns by manager Marco Silva.[7][8]

For 2014–15, Gerso was loaned to Moreirense of the same league.[9] Ahead of the 2016–17 season, he agreed to a contract a fellow top-tier side Belenenses.[10]

Sporting Kansas City

On 4 January 2017, Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer announced the signing of Gerso from Belenenses on a three-year designated player contract, with an option for a fourth year.[11] On 17 May, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Seattle Sounders FC at Children's Mercy Park.[12]

Gerso helped the club to win the 2017 U.S. Open Cup.[13] He rejected an offer for a new deal at the end of the 2020 campaign, and was released.[14]

South Korea

On 16 February 2021, Gerso joined K League 1 club Jeju United.[15] In 2022, he earned a ₩1.7 billion salary, becoming the highest-paid player in the competition.[16]

Subsequently, Gerso signed for Incheon United in the same league on a free transfer.[17] During the 2023 season, he displayed top-class speed[18] while scoring ten goals and providing nine assists in all competitions to be his team's only player to be included in the K League Best XI.[19]

Gerso suffered relegation at the end of 2024, also dealing with injury problems.[20] Incheon were however crowned champions of the League 2 in the following campaign, and he was named Most Valuable Player in the process.[21]

Career statistics

As of match played 3 August 2026[22]
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Estoril 2011–12 Liga de Honra 2103020——260
2012–13 Primeira Liga 2600030——290
2013–14 Primeira Liga 16121305[c]0—262
2015–16 Primeira Liga 3021000——312
Total 933618050—1124
Moreirense (loan) 2014–15 Primeira Liga 2552041——316
Belenenses 2016–17 Primeira Liga 1411020——171
Sporting Kansas City 2017 Major League Soccer 32852——1[d]03810
2018 Major League Soccer 31530——2[d]1366
2019 Major League Soccer 25211—6[e]4—327
2020 Major League Soccer 19[f]3———4[g]0233
Total 1071893—647112926
Jeju United 2021 K League 1 32510———335
2022 K League 1 37820———398
Total 691330———7213
Incheon United 2023 K League 1 34721—5[h]2—4110
2024 K League 1 27700———277
2025 K League 2 371200———3712
2026 K League 1 21300———213
Total 1192921—52—12632
Career total 417672351411667147382
  1. ↑ Includes Taça de Portugal, U.S. Open Cup, Korea Cup
  2. ↑ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. 1 2 Appearances in MLS Cup playoffs
  5. ↑ Appearances in CONCACAF Champions League
  6. ↑ Includes three appearances in MLS is Back Tournament group stage
  7. ↑ Two appearances in MLS is Back Tournament knockout stage, two appearances in MLS Cup playoffs
  8. ↑ Appearances in AFC Champions League

Honours

Estoril

Sporting Kansas City

Incheon United

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Gerso" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  2. ↑ "Juniores: Maiores com a ajuda dos grandes" [Juniors: Getting bigger with help from big clubs]. Record (in Portuguese). 27 November 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  3. ↑ Amaro, Miguel (21 January 2012). "Gerso: "Padre proibiu-me de jogar futebol"" [Gerso: "Priest forbid me from playing football"]. Record (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "Atlético supera Tourizense nos penáltis" [Atlético overcome Tourizense on penalties]. Record (in Portuguese). 21 November 2010. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Estoril ganha e antecipa festa de subida à I Liga" [Estoril win and celebrate promoting to I League sooner than expected] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Olhanense entra a ganhar" [Olhanense have winning debut]. Jornal do Algarve (in Portuguese). 18 August 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "Gerso será opção a Licá" [Gerso will be alternative to Licá]. Record (in Portuguese). 20 April 2013. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  8. ↑ Chi, Vítor (10 September 2013). "Gerso: "Marco Silva tem um plano para mim"" [Gerso: "Marco Silva has a plan for me"]. Record (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "Moreirense: Gerso chega por empréstimo do Estoril" [Moreirense: Gerso arrives on loan from Estoril] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  10. ↑ "Gerso mostra-se feliz com transferência para o Belenenses" [Gerso is happy with transfer to Belenenses] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Kovzan, Sam (4 January 2017). "Sporting KC signs winger Gerso Fernandes as a Designated Player". Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  12. ↑ "Gerso Fernandes records hat trick in Sporting Kansas City's 3–0 victory over Sounders". The Seattle Times. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  13. 1 2 Kovzan, Sam (21 September 2017). "Recap: Sporting KC crowned Open Cup champions with 2–1 win over New York Red Bulls". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  14. ↑ Bogert, Tom (20 January 2021). "Sporting KC's Peter Vermes gives updates on futures of Felipe Gutierrez, Gerso". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  15. ↑ 美 MLS 스타 제르소 영입...막강 측면 완성 [U.S. MLS star Gerso recruited] (in Korean). Jeju United FC. 16 February 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  16. ↑ Kim, Sungjin (30 December 2022). '17억' 제르소, K리그 전체 '연봉킹'… 국내 1위는 김진수 [Gerso, who earned 1.7 billion won, is the K-League's highest-paid player... Kim Jin-su is the top earner in Korea] (in Korean). Football Asian. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  17. ↑ 인천유나이티드, '리그 최고의 크랙' 공격수 제르소 전격 영입! (in Korean). Incheon United. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  18. ↑ Ui-jin, Lee (12 October 2023). 9월 K리그1서 고재현이 최다 스프린트…최고 속력은 완델손 [Ko Jae-hyun had the most sprints in K League 1 in September, but Wanderson had the fastest speed] (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  19. ↑ Ji-won, Park (4 December 2023). 5년 만에 나온 '인천 베스트11'…제르소, 치열한 경합 끝에 주인공으로 [Incheon return to the Best 11 five years later, featuring Gerso as the main character after a fierce competition] (in Korean). Nate. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  20. ↑ Gwi-bin, Park (12 November 2024). 인천Utd의 추락… 매년 꼴찌권 허덕 [인천UTD, 2부 리그 강등①] [Incheon United's fall... Struggling to finish last year [Incheon United, relegation to the second division ①]] (in Korean). Kyeonggi. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 "2025 K League 2 Awards: Incheon United sweep the major awards". OneFootball. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  22. ↑ Gerso Fernandes at Soccerway
  23. ↑ "Five takeaways from Incheon United's title-winning season". OneFootball. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  24. ↑ Ji-hwan, Paik (5 December 2023). "Ulsan's Kim Young-gwon wins K League 1 MVP". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
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