Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Sunday, January 25, 2026, 4:18 p.m. / Updated Sunday, January 25, 2026, 4:22 p.m.
Nani (39 years old), former player at Real Madrid or Manchester United, signed with a new team. The Lusitan signed with Aktobe, a team from the first league in Kazakhstan.
He has signed a contract that runs until the end of 2026. The deal includes an expanded role in the club's development project.
Nani was presented in Aktobe
Nani, European champion with Portugal in 2016, returns to football. Having last played in 2024 for Estrela Amadora, the player will return to the football field. The destination where he will arrive is Kazakhstan, more precisely to the Aktobe team.
He has already signed the contract with the new team, the announcement being made on social networks.
“I am very happy to have joined the Aktobe team and look forward to contributing to the development of the club and football in Kazakhstan. I would like to thank the owner of the club Mr. Nurlan Artykbaev, the president Arman Ospanov and the governor Askhat Shakharov for their hospitality and support.
I was very impressed with the club's vision for the future and I will work hard to take us to new heights, at home and abroad,” said the Portuguese at the signing of the contract.
Nani was presented in Aktobe / Photo: Instagram Aktobe
Aktobe is a five-time champion of the Kazakhstan championship. This will be club number 12 in his career.
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Since his last match with Estrela in 2024, Nani has completed the UEFA A Elite Youth license course, one of the highest coaching qualifications in Europe.
Nani joined Manchester United from Sporting for around £21 million in June 2007 and has played 230 times for the club, scoring 41 goals. He won the Champions League, four Premier League titles and two League Cups during his eight seasons at Old Trafford.
It remains to be seen if Nani will be a colleague of Andrei Vlad. The Romanian goalkeeper would no longer be part of the team's plans, just one year after his arrival in Kazakhstan.
