Kristopher da Graça

Kristopher da Graça
Personal information
Full name Kristopher Santos da Graça
Date of birth (1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 (age 28)
Place of birth Gothenburg, Sweden
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Krasava ENY Ypsonas FC
Number 4
Youth career
–2013 Hisingsbacka FC
2013–2017 Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2020 IFK Göteborg 51 (0)
2021–2022 VVV-Venlo 35 (0)
2022–25 Sirius 30 (0)
2023 → HJK (loan) 5 (0)
2024 → KuPS (loan) 11 (0)
2025 → Schaffhausen (loan) 15 (0)
2025- Krasava ENY Ypsonas FC 15 (0)
International career‡
2013–2014 Sweden U17 4 (1)
2015–2016 Sweden U19 3 (0)
2020 Sweden 1 (0)
2023–2025 Cape Verde 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14 June 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 7 June 2025

Kristopher Santos da Graça (Swedish: [ˈkɾi.stɔ.fəɾ] Portuguese: [ˈsɐ̃.tuʒ dɐ ˈɡɾa.sɐ]; born 16 January 1998) is a footballer who plays as a centre back for Sirius. Born in Sweden, he played for the Cape Verde national team.

Club career

On 6 January 2021, da Graça was transferred from Swedish side IFK Göteborg to Dutch club VVV-Venlo.

On 29 January 2022, da Graça returned to Sweden and signed with IK Sirius.

On 27 July 2023, da Graça was loaned out to Finnish club HJK Helsinki for the rest of the 2023 season with a purchase option. After the season, he returned to Sirius. On 1 March 2024, Da Graca was loaned out to Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) in Veikkausliiga for the 2024 season, with a purchase option.

International career

Da Graça was born in Sweden to parents from Cape Verde. He was a youth international for Sweden. In January 2020, he was selected for the Swedish national a-team's international training matches in Doha, Qatar against Moldova and Kosovo by head coach, Janne Andersson. He is still eligible to represent Cape Verde due to his heritage.

He made his international debut for the Sweden national team on 12 January 2020 in a friendly game against Kosovo.

On 4 October 2023, da Graça got a call-up to Cape Verde national team for friendly matches against Algeria and Comoros, on 12 and 17 October 2023, respectively. On 17 October, he debuted with the Cape Verdean national side and was included in the starting lineup in a friendly match against Comoros hosted at Stade Parsemain in Fos-sur-Mer, France. His side lost the match 2–1.

Career statistics

As of 28 April 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
IFK Göteborg 2017 Allsvenskan 7010––80
2018 Allsvenskan 4000––40
2019 Allsvenskan 22020––240
2020 Allsvenskan 18000–00180
Total 510300000540
VVV-Venlo 2020–21 Eredivisie 20020––220
2021–22 Eerste Divisie 15010––160
Total 350300000380
Sirius 2022 Allsvenskan 22010––230
2023 Allsvenskan 8020––100
Total 300300000330
HJK Helsinki (loan) 2023 Veikkausliiga 5000004090
KuPS (loan) 2024 Veikkausliiga 110402010180
KuPS Akatemia (loan) 2024 Ykkönen 10–––10
Schaffhausen (loan) 2024–25 Swiss Challenge League 12000––120
Career total 145013020501650
  1. ↑ Includes Svenska Cupen, KNVB Beker and Suomen Cup
  2. ↑ Includes Finnish League Cup
  3. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League
  4. ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Conference League

International

As of match played 7 June 2025
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Sweden 202010
Total10
Cape Verde 202310
202520
Total30
Career total40

Honours

HJK

KuPS

References

  1. ↑ Da Graca, Kristopher. "Kristopher Da Graca". Soccerway. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  2. ↑ Kristopher da Graça at Soccerway
  3. ↑ "VVV-Venlo sign Swedish centre-back with Arsenal past". Football Oranje. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "Kristopher Da Graca klar för Sirius Fotboll" (Press release) (in Swedish). IK Sirius. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Kristopher Da Graca Ruotsista lainalle Klubiin, hjk.fi, 26 July 2023
  6. ↑ Pelaajasiirrot 2023-24 seuroittain, Veikkausliiga, 15 December 2023
  7. ↑ KuPSille kova vahvistus – tervetuloa Kuopioon Da Graca!, kups.fi, 1 March 2024
  8. ↑ "Kristopher da Graça o filho de cabo-verdiano que joga no Arsenal - DTudo1Pouco". dtudo1pouco.com. 8 April 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019.
  9. ↑ "Kristopher Da Graca — svenskfotboll.se". www2.svenskfotboll.se. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  10. ↑ "Seleção Masculina defronta Argelia e Comores em compromisso amigável". 4 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "Cape Verde vs. Comoros 2023-10-17". NationalFootballTeams.com. 18 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Kristopher da Graça at National-Football-Teams.com
  13. ↑ Kuopio villiintyi KuPSin mestaruudesta – Eini ilmestyi juhlahumuun, Yle, 19 October 2024