David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born 22 April 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Fortaleza.

[13] On 30 January 2007, David Luiz joined Portuguese club Benfica as a replacement for Tottenham Hotspur-bound Ricardo Rocha, on loan.

[14] He made a somewhat tumultuous debut for the club in a UEFA Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, partnering compatriot Anderson in the centre of defence, replacing the injured Luisão.

[15] At the end of the season, following ten league appearances, he joined permanently for a €1.5 million transfer fee[16] and signed a five-year contract with the club.

David Luiz won the Portuguese Liga Player of the Year that same season with 38% of the vote while the runner-up, his teammate Ángel Di María, received 8%.

[19] On 31 January 2011, David Luiz completed a move to Chelsea for a €25 million transfer fee and subsequently signed a five-and-a-half-year contract.

As part of the deal, Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matić joined Benfica at the end of the season after his transfer spell at Dutch club Vitesse.

[20][21][22][23] David Luiz made his Premier League debut on 6 February, replacing José Bosingwa in a 0–1 home loss against Liverpool.

[25] On 1 March, David Luiz scored his first goal for Chelsea to help the Blues come from behind to win 2–1 against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

[29] He made his return to the first team on 13 September in a UEFA Champions League group stage match against Bayer Leverkusen in which he scored from 15 yards to break the deadlock in an eventual 2–0 home win.

[31] On 5 February 2012, in a league home fixture against Manchester United, David Luiz put Chelsea ahead 3–0 in the 50th minute after his header was deflected by Rio Ferdinand, following a Juan Mata free kick.

[39] He started the new season again as a regular alongside either Gary Cahill or Terry, and scored his first goal from a free-kick against Nordsjælland in a 0–4 away win in the campaign's Champions League.

[40] In the Club World Cup in 2012, in which Chelsea lost in the final to Corinthians, he was chosen the second best player of the tournament, receiving the Silver Ball for his performances, one of which was as a defensive midfielder.

[5][6][7] He made his Ligue 1 debut on 16 August, partnering compatriot Marquinhos in central defence as PSG defeated Bastia 2–0 at the Parc des Princes.

[48] On 30 September, David Luiz scored his first PSG goal, opening a 3–2 home win over Barcelona in the Champions League group stage.

Jiménez was sent to a London hospital and received surgery for his fractured skull, whilst David Luiz was only bandaged on the head due to a cut on his forehead.

He was last seen bleeding through his bandage before the half time whistle, which led to a spark of protests from both footballers and fans, demanding a 'free substitution' for those who are concussed on the pitch.

[81] On 11 September 2021, David Luiz signed a 15-month contract with Flamengo, making his return to Brazil after spending nearly 15 years playing club football in Europe.

[82] He was part of the Flamengo squad that competed in the 2021 Copa Libertadores Final on 27 November, playing the full 120 minutes as his team lost 2–1 to Palmeiras after extra time.

[85] In the sixth round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, against Esporte Clube Bahia, David Luiz hit a header to goalkeeper Marcos Felipe.

[89] Courtesy of his solid season at Benfica, Luiz received his first call-up to Brazilian senior squad for a friendly match against the United States on 10 August 2010 after Mano Menezes replaced Dunga as national team coach.

Alongside teammate Thiago Silva, David Luiz started all matches and helped Brazil win their fourth Confederations Cup title.

[97] In the absence of Thiago Silva due to suspension, David Luiz captained the Seleção in their infamous 7–1 defeat to Germany at the semi-final stage of the tournament.

He partnered Miranda in central defence for the team's first two group matches, before being dropped for Thiago Silva, as Brazil were knocked out by Paraguay in the quarter-finals.

[100] On 13 November 2015, David Luiz received his first career red card in a 1–1 2018 World Cup qualifying draw with rivals Argentina in Buenos Aires.

[101] In 2016, David Luiz and Thiago Silva were among several experienced players who were not chosen for the squad that travelled to the Copa América Centenario in the United States.

A powerful striker of the ball from distance, Luiz has also been known to take and score from long-range free kicks, which led Tim Vickery to liken him to compatriot Lúcio in 2011.

Although in the past he has been criticised in the media for his inconsistent defensive performances, and for being reckless in his challenges and conceding an excessive number of fouls (some of which have caused injuries to his opponents), as well as for being prone to errors or lapses in concentration, during the 2016–17 season, he showed notable improvements upon his return to Chelsea, when the club's new manager Antonio Conte decided to deploy him as a ball-playing centre back in a three-man back-line in the team's 3–4–3 formation.

[112] Earlier in his career, David Luiz was likened physically to the Brazilian basketball player Anderson Varejão by fans in his own country, due to their similar hairstyle.