| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paulo Almeida Santos | ||
| Date of birth | 20 April 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Itarantim, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997 | Cruzeiro | ||
| 1998–2000 | Santos | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2004 | Santos | 107 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Benfica | 6 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Benfica B | 27 | (1) |
| 2006–2007 | Corinthians | 13 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Náutico | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | ABC | ||
| 2010 | União Rondonópolis | ||
| 2010–2011 | Saba Qom | 14 | (0) |
| 2011 | Goianésia | ||
| 2011 | Rio Branco-AC | ||
| 2012 | Itumbiara | 5 | (2) |
| 2012 | Mixto | 9 | (0) |
| 2014 | Goianésia | 3 | (0) |
| 2014 | Mixto | ||
| 2015 | Vitória da Conquista | 3 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2003 | Brazil | 5 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paulo Almeida Santos (born 20 April 1981), known as Paulo Almeida, is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
A defensive midfielder known for his leadership, he was the captain of the Santos team, dubbed Meninos da Vila, that won the 2002 Brasileirão, their first since 1968. After representing Santos in their first Copa Libertadores Finals in forty years, Almeida had an unsuccessful spell at Benfica between 2004 and 2006. Afterwards, he represented a dozen others teams in Brazil.
He was called up to represent Brazil U23 at the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup, amassing five caps as Brazil finished runners-up.