Former Benfica player accused of document forgery and falsifying age

Cases where footballers turn out to be older than their official documents claim are surprisingly common. At the heart of such a scandal is Portuguese side Benfica.

Details: According to an investigation by Publico, former Eagles defender Carlos Ponck was five years older than what his official paperwork stated. Registered with the Portuguese Football Federation as Carlos dos Santos Rodrigues, under the alias Ponck, he was listed as being born on January 13, 1995. However, journalists gained access to the player's real documents, revealing he was actually born on October 21, 1990, as Carlos Israel Latina da Silva.

Interestingly, in 2017, then-Benfica president Luís Filipe Vieira learned about the data forgery by the African player but took no action. Only a year later did the Eagles sell the Cape Verdean footballer to Aves for €1.2 million. In May 2025, Ponck was detained by Cape Verde police and charged with document forgery.

Background: Ponck played for Farense, Benfica, Chaves, Aves, and also for Moreirense.