SoccerSoul
Holistic player care

Portugal

€25mm

Key Facts

Also known as: SoccerSoul Agency; SoccerSoul Portugal
Founded: 2014
Headquarters: Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal
Players: 15 (1st tier: 8) – Total market value: approx. €25mm
FIFA/FA registration: SoccerSoul Lda listed as licensed intermediary with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF); Founder Hélio Martins registered as FIFA Agent
Languages: Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian
Regions covered: Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, USA (MLS)
Email: Not publicly listed (contact via official website contact form and social channels)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soccersoul_agency/

About

SoccerSoul Lda is a Portuguese talent agency founded by FIFA Agent Hélio Martins, focused on the career management and day-to-day support of professional and elite youth footballers. The agency emphasizes “Our Soul is One” – a holistic philosophy that combines sporting, academic, psychological and family support for each player.

Operating from Vila Nova de Famalicão, SoccerSoul has built a roster that stretches from Portugal’s Primeira Liga and Liga Portugal 2 to Brazil’s Série B, Colombia’s Primera A and MLS.

The agency is particularly strong in developing and exporting Portuguese and South American talent, with a clear focus on long-term career planning rather than short-term transfers.

Key People

CEO / Founder

• Hélio Martins – FIFA Agent; founder of SoccerSoul in 2014, background in Physical Education and Sport plus a Master’s in Teaching, with further studies in coaching and high-performance NLP.
  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heliomartins88

Executive Director

• Daniel Marinho – Executive Director and part of the coordination team overseeing operations, player relations and club negotiations.

Licensed agents / football department

• Hélio Martins – FIFA Agent, registered intermediary with FPF via SoccerSoul Lda.

• Davide Amabile – Senior agent working across Portugal, Italy and South America; part of SoccerSoul’s agency staff.

Scouting / performance staff (selected)

• José Augusto – Part of the coordination staff, focused on scouting and player support.

• Hugo Leite – Member of the coordination team, involved in performance and development support.

Client Roster

Top players and talents (current)

• Gustavo Sá (FC Famalicão) – 11/11/2004

• Kerwin Vargas (Charlotte FC) – 02/01/2002

• Kiki Afonso (AVS Futebol SAD) – 10/12/1994

• Jorge Fernandes (Al-Fateh SC) – 02/04/1997

• João Costa (FC Porto) – 02/02/1996

• Cristian Tassano (Clube do Remo) – 23/07/1996

• Alan Ruiz (Without club – last club Estrela Amadora) – 19/08/1993

• José Machado (FC Famalicão U23) – 08/01/2006

• Martim Gonçalves (FC Famalicão U19) – 21/02/2007

• Cristian Alomia (Deportivo Cali U20) – 03/07/2006

• Joel Sebastián Romero (América de Cali) – 09/01/2006*

• Miguel Nogueira (Vitória SC) – 27/02/2005

• Jordan García (Fortaleza CEIF) – 20/06/2005

*Some sources list 01/06/2006, but 09/01/2006 appears across several independent databases.

Additional senior clients (first-team level)

• Bruno Gonçalves (Azuriz FC) – 24/02/1997

• Anilson Dourado Santiago (FC Paços de Ferreira) – 04/09/2001

• Kiki Afonso (AVS Futebol SAD) – 10/12/1994

Notable former clients

• No clearly documented former high-profile clients confirmed as having left SoccerSoul; most prominent names on public databases still list SoccerSoul as current agent.

Coaches / staff represented

• Public information focuses on players; no specific coaches or technical staff are clearly listed as individual clients, beyond SoccerSoul’s own internal coordination and performance staff.

Notable Deals

• 2025 – Jorge Fernandes to Al-Fateh SC
  Transfer from Vitória SC to Al-Fateh in the Saudi Pro League, reported fee around €0.4m and contract to June 2026, marking his first move outside Portugal and strengthening SoccerSoul’s footprint in the Middle East.

• 2025 – João Costa back to FC Porto
  Return from Estrela Amadora to FC Porto on a long-term deal reportedly running to 2030, with SoccerSoul managing a homecoming move for a goalkeeper who had rebuilt his career via spells in Spain and Portugal.

• 2024 – Anilson to FC Paços de Ferreira
  Free transfer from Brazil to FC Paços de Ferreira, with a contract to 2027, where the right-back quickly became a key player in Liga Portugal 2 and showcased the agency’s ability to place Brazilians in Europe.

• 2024 – Kerwin Vargas contract and MLS progression with Charlotte FC
  Ongoing representation of Vargas, signed as a U22 Initiative player by Charlotte FC from Feirense in 2022 for a reported multi-million fee; subsequent contract improvements and regular MLS minutes have made him SoccerSoul’s flagship South American export.

• 2024–2025 – Gustavo Sá extension and valuation boom at FC Famalicão
  Long-term contract extension with Famalicão to 2029, as the Portugal U21 international drew strong interest from top European clubs, including reported Juventus scouting and double-digit million valuations.

• 2024 – Miguel Nogueira professionalisation at Vitória SC
  Professional contract and first-team pathway managed for the attacking midfielder at Vitória SC, underlining SoccerSoul’s focus on building careers from academy to senior level in Primeira Liga structures.

• 2023–2025 – South American pipeline (Cristian Alomia & Joel Romero)
  Advisory role in the progression of Cristian Alomia and Joel Sebastián Romero at Deportivo Cali and América de Cali, where both have become Colombia U20-level prospects, reflecting SoccerSoul’s extension into the Colombian market.

Services

• Contract negotiation and re-negotiation (club contracts, bonuses, performance incentives).

• Transfers and loans across Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, Saudi Arabia and MLS.

• Career planning and holistic player support (education, family context, psychological coaching, mindset work).

• Legal and regulatory guidance via external law partners (contracts, image rights, FIFA/FPF regulation changes).

• Financial and tax advisory through partner accountants and wealth-planning specialists.

• Performance and data support – physical conditioning, sports science input, individual video and data analysis via external specialists.

• Medical, physiotherapy and injury management coordinated with club and independent practitioners.

• Media, PR and branding guidance, including social media positioning and sponsorship activation.

Partner Network

• Clubs and academies

  • FC Famalicão

  • Vitória SC

  • AVS Futebol SAD

  • FC Porto

  • Clube do Remo and other Brazilian clubs

  • Charlotte FC

  • Deportivo Cali and América de Cali

• Scouts and technical partners

  • Regional scouting network in Portugal, Brazil and Colombia connected through staff such as José Augusto and partner agencies.

• Specialist service providers

  • Independent coaches, physios, psychologists, nutritionists and academic tutors forming the “Departamentos” structure around each athlete.

Track Record (last 3 seasons)

• Total transfers completed: 10+ documented moves and renewals across Portugal, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Colombia and MLS.

• Deals ≥ €10m: 0 completed, but several clients (notably Gustavo Sá) are consistently linked with eight-figure moves.

• Clients in top-5 leagues: Currently 0, with a focus on Primeira Liga, MLS, Saudi Pro League and South American competitions.

• National team clients: At least 3 active youth internationals across Portugal and Colombia, including players in Portugal’s youth teams and the Colombia U20 set-up.

• Renewal/extension deals: 4+ notable renewals, including long-term contracts for Gustavo Sá, Kerwin Vargas, Miguel Nogueira and several Famalicão academy products.

Approach & Philosophy

SoccerSoul’s philosophy is built on a holistic, values-driven model: respect, trust, teamwork and long-term goals are central themes in both its public messaging and Hélio Martins’ personal story. The agency positions itself not just as a negotiator but as a day-to-day life partner for players and their families, focusing on education, mindset and off-pitch stability as much as on transfers.

On the football side, SoccerSoul combines traditional in-person scouting in Portugal and South America with close relationships to data-driven clubs in Primeira Liga and beyond. Their deal history shows a preference for carefully chosen moves where game time and development are prioritised over short-term fees, particularly for young talents like Gustavo Sá, Miguel Nogueira and Martim Gonçalves.

Fees & Transparency

Public sources do not disclose SoccerSoul’s exact commission structure, but available information and market practice suggest they work within typical FIFA-regulated ranges, usually up to around 5–10 % of a player’s gross salary on club deals, with specific arrangements agreed case-by-case.

Compliance & Reputation

• Disciplinary actions / sanctions:
  No public record of disciplinary sanctions or suspensions involving SoccerSoul Lda or Hélio Martins has been identified.

• Litigation / disputes:
  No significant public legal disputes involving SoccerSoul have been reported in mainstream football media or federation communications.

• Media sentiment:
  Media coverage around SoccerSoul’s players – particularly Gustavo Sá, Kerwin Vargas and the Famalicão talent line – is broadly positive, with emphasis on development, tactical importance and transfer potential rather than controversy.

Awards / Recognition

• SoccerSoul has not yet been highlighted with formal global agency awards, but it has gained recognition through verified status on major databases, the progression of clients into national youth teams and increasing media focus on its flagship talents in Portugal and South America.