Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot Shares Lessons From His Soccer Career

When Diogo Dalot set foot in Carrington Training Center seven years ago, he immediately realized the kind of expectations and pressure that he was about to face as a new Manchester United player.

“When you arrive at a club the size of Manchester United, the reality always goes beyond what you imagined,” said Dalot.

Besides representing the world’s second most valuable soccer club, the 26-year-old right back has over the years cemented his spot as a starter in the Portugal national team in what is arguably the country’s most talented-ever generation of soccer players, featuring, among others, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix, Vitinha, Pedro Neto and his Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes.

As Dalot just celebrated his 200th appearance with the Red Devils, a milestone that he reached last week on the occasion of Manchester United’s English Premier League home game against Arsenal, he paused to reflect on his journey so far in professional soccer, sharing precious insight on what competing at the highest level has taught him on and off the field.

Daniele Proch: You have worn the jerseys of Porto, AC Milan and Manchester United, all of which are top-notch teams in their respective leagues. But what does it mean to represent Manchester United, a club that is rife with history and boasts a global fanbase?

Diogo Dalot: When you arrive at a club the size of Manchester United, the reality always goes beyond what you imagined. At the beginning, it was both a shock and a surprise, because I was not used to this kind of exposure. Over time, I got used to dealing with this reality, which can be a double-edged sword: When things go well, it’s a very good, energizing feeling, but when things are not going in the right direction, it adds pressure and can have an impact on you if you’re not mentally prepared.

The pressure of arriving at a club like Manchester United will always be enormous because of the expectations that fans create every time a new player is signed. As the club strives to return to its glorious days, when it used to fight for every trophy domestically and internationally, joining the club as a new player comes with the pressure of bringing the club back to where it belongs, and you can’t possibly realize the scale of what you’re going to find. I’m in my sixth year at the club, so I’ve had some experience now, and I’ve learned to embrace and manage all these feelings. I know that wherever I am in the world, if there’s a United fan, I’ll be recognized.

Proch: How are you different now with respect to when your professional career started? In other words, where exactly do you feel that you have grown as a player?

Dalot: When you’re younger, you look at soccer with less responsibility. You don’t have the responsibility of playing for a big club or representing your national team. Also, there isn’t as much tactical pressure on you, there’s just the joy and the desire to play soccer.

What has changed over the years is the ability to deal with each situation at the highest level, good or bad, in a balanced way. Today, at 25 years old, and with seven or eight years of career as a professional soccer player under my belt, I can better manage and deal with expectations, emotions and adversities. Over the years, the only thing that hasn’t changed is the mentality of thinking that I can always do more and be better, refine my game continuously and be more complete as a player. Also, I have always been open-minded about receiving input from other people.

Proch: Who are the people that have especially influenced you in your career? Why?

Dalot: I’ve learned a lot from the people I met throughout my career. But I would say, I had two national team coaches that really influenced me during my academy times, and they are Hélio Sousa and Filipe Ramos. In a very early stage of their career, when I was a teenager in the academy of Porto, Sousa and Ramos gave me a real perspective of what would be needed to become a top soccer player. But above all, they taught me what it meant to be great human beings as well as real professionals in their job.

Then, I moved to Manchester when I was 19 years old. Here, I must say that the size of the club and the importance of the English Premier League played a key role in expediting my growth process, as I had to learn and develop really fast if I wanted to survive in this cutthroat environment.

Proch: You share the locker room with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portugal national team. What has Ronaldo taught you over the years?

Dalot: Cristiano Ronaldo was my idol growing up. And he still is. He taught me a lot both inside and outside of the pitch. On top of being the best soccer player ever in my opinion, his best attribute is that he is one of the best human beings and friends that I have met in my life.

The way he conducts himself, the meticulous care with which he handles every aspect of his daily life is something unique. He is exceptionally consistent in everything he does, which is one of the biggest things I’ve learned from him and tried to apply to my mindset as well.

Proch: What are the soccer goals that you are looking to accomplish in the long and short terms from both a team and individual standpoint?

Dalot: I believe that in soccer, long-term objectives are a little relative, as I like to think season by season. Of course, I’d love to win the most prestigious trophies, be a reference for other players in my position and be the best right-back in the world.

However, I focus a lot on the short term. That means trying to help Manchester United get back to winning ways as consistently as possible and fight to make a successful run in every competition that we’re in. At the national team level, my next goal is going to the UEFA Nations League final four with Portugal.

Proch: What are some key lessons that you have drawn in your soccer career that you now treasure for everything you do in your life?

Dalot: In soccer, I’ve always been very calculating. I have always tried to make the best decisions, and I strive every day to be the best version of myself by perfecting all aspects of my game, whether it’s technical, tactical, physical or mental.

I have translated this kind of approach to the business world. I am an investor, and similar to what I do on the pitch, I tend not to take too many risks in my investments. At the same time, however, I am trying to be assertive in my decisions: When I do choose to enter an investment project, it’s because my calculations have led me to believe that I will get a very specific return.

Proch: What are some of the areas in which you have invested?

Dalot: I have mainly invested in real estate and in a padel center. Padel is something that I enjoy a lot and that I know is growing exponentially in popularity. I have also begun practicing it, and it has gradually become a passion of mine, which is why I invested in Padel Athletic Club in Porto, Portugal back in 2023. The padel centre has undoubtedly been my biggest investment and one that was made with a view to the long term. I decided to take a risk and to this day, I am very happy with my decision, because I’ve managed to create a beautiful space where I believe people feel good and can do more than play paddle tennis, which is very much the spirit of this sport. As time goes by, I would like the capacity of the padel center to increase, as I keep up with the sport’s constant evolution.

Also, I recently became part of a Portugal-based venture capital firm called Apex, which invests in sports, and I have specifically focused on the area of supplementation through a company named Bioniq. I’m obsessed with finding different mechanisms for my body to be as balanced as possible. The world of supplementation has always fascinated me, and there’s nothing better than being able to invest in a company in which I am also a client. I was already a fan of supplementation, so this investment has been a win-win opportunity for me.

Proch: Let’s pretend to look at Diogo Dalot 15 years from now, once his playing career is over: Do you anticipate him being and operating in the soccer world? If so, in what kind of fashion?

Dalot: I haven’t decided yet. Financially, I want to get to the point where I look at my assets and my portfolio and feel that I’m comfortable enjoying the time with family and friends on which I’ve missed out during my soccer career.

At the same time, I feel that I will need to stay connected to the soccer world, because it’s my passion and what I enjoy the most. If I’m no longer physically able to play, I believe I’ll have some association with the game. I don’t know yet in what kind of form. Also, considering the amount and diversity of investments that I’m making, perhaps another passion will emerge along the way.

Proch: You are just 26, but you are already making far-sighted choices to nurture other passions aside from soccer. Even at the highest level, why do you consider it crucial for players to build a career outside of the soccer sphere?

Dalot: I think it’s important to educate young players that soccer careers are short. In my specific case, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded with people that have been giving me good financial advice from the early stages of my career. Ultimately, however, I believe it is up to each player and athlete to work on their self-development and realize how crucial it is to lay the groundwork for their post-career life.

That’s exactly why I’m trying to educate myself now rather than later. I aim to make the best decisions during my time as a soccer player, so I will be comfortable transitioning to a new life once my playing career is over.

The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.