David Luiz has returned to European football by signing Pafos FC for the Cypriot side.
The Brazilian defender is known for his stays in Chelsea and Arsenal as well as for Paris Saint-Germain.
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Luiz left England in 2021 to sign Flamengo for the Brazilian side before he came to the Fortaleza eSporte Clube in early 2025.
However, the central defender only spent seven months in the club and left the mutual approval in early August.
Just two days later, Pafos announced the shock to sign the 38-year-old in a contract by 2027.
“This pioneering transfer marks the most historical moment in Cypriot football – the arrival of a global superstar, the name of which was repeated in the largest stages in the world,” says a club declaration.
Pafos added: “David Luiz Moreira Marinho is a real titanium of modern football.
“He has been at the peak of sport for over 15 years and has been admired around the globe for his commanding presence, technical brilliance and unmistakable charisma.
“During his famous career, he left a lasting legacy in every club he represented.”
Pafos compete in the Cypriot First Division, the country’s top flight.
At the end of the regular 2024/25 season, they reached the top and then won the championship round.
This secured the qualification for the second qualification round of the Champions League, where they defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv with two legs with 2-1.
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Next are FC Dynamo Kyiv, where another victory would send her to the play-off round before the league.
New Signing Luiz started his career in Vitoria in his home country before moving to Benfica in 2007, where he appeared 131.
He later signed for Chelsea in January 2011 and was part of the club’s first champion in the following season.
Luiz also won the Europa League and the FA Cup with the blues.
At PSG he won the Ligue 1, the Coupé de France, the Coupé de la Ligue and the Trophee of the Champions.
After two seasons in the French capital, Luiz returned to Chelsea and won his first title of the Premier League.
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Another honor in Europa League and the second FA Cup would follow when he achieved a total of 248 club appearances in two spells.
Luiz went for the London rival Arsenal in 2019, with which he won his third FA Cup.
However, he was shocked by the lack of ambition among the shooters who had so much success in Chelsea.
How Luiz reacted to join Arsenal
“A lot because I went there – it was my decision,” he said in 2023 to talk sports when he was asked what arsenal means for him.
“An association that had a lot of potential, but there was a lot of hunger to win titles.
“I remember my first meeting with the players and with everyone we talked about our goals for the season – nobody spoke of winning the Premier League.
“I said: ‘Stop! We are only at the beginning of the season, the first thing you have to have ambition, you have to think about the title!’
“And after that it was the top four. After a year, I started to understand a club that was not used to it for a long time, and they started not to believe much.
“And then Mikel Areteta and Areteta changed a lot of things in the club and he made everyone believe the process.
“The club has the right mentality again as they had under Arsene Wenger, they got it in a good way.
“And now I’m happy because I see a lot of young players that I tried to help at the beginning to believe that you have to win great things at the beginning of your career.
“I am happy for you because you are now thinking in this way – at the end of the day it was a great moment in my career.”
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Luiz left Arsenal in 2021 and returned to Brazil with flamengo.
He helped successfully deliver Copa Libertadores and Camponato Carioca together with two Copa do Brasil titles.
A short stay with Fortaleza began in January with Pafos, the eighth club of his career.
Outside of domestic football, Luiz earned 57 upper limits at the Brazilian national team and won the 2013 Confederations Cup.