Ricardo Pereira, usually referred to simply as Ricardo (Full name Ricardo Alexandre Martins Soares Pereira; born February 11, 1976 in Montijo), is a Portuguese football player.
As a goalkeeper, Ricardo was the hero of Boavista FC's European campaign in 2003, making a string of saves as his team reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup.
He now plays at Sporting Lisbon at club level and is the first-choice goalkeeper for Portugal, after displacing Vítor Baía, and made his international debut in 2001 against the Republic of Ireland.
In the quarterfinals of Euro 2004 against England, Ricardo was one of Portugal's heroes in their win on penalties. With the penalty shootout tied 5-5, he first saved the shot of Darius Vassell after taking his gloves off, and then put a penalty past England keeper David James to send Portugal to the semifinals. Nevertheless, Ricardo did not manage to help his team avoid the loss from Greece in the final match of Euro 2004.
