Born in Lisbon, Semedo came through the youth system at Sintrense, making his debut for the first team at age 17. On 12 January 2012 he and Manuel Liz signed a five-year deal with Benfica, which was made effective on 1 July; both then spent one season on loan at Fátima, in the third division. Semedo returned to Benfica in the 2013 off-season, being assigned to the B-side in the Segunda Liga and making his professional debut on 10 August in a 0–0 away draw against Trofense. After nearly 60 appearances for the reserves, he was touted as a future replacement for longtime incumbent Maxi Pereira. After Pereira's departure, Semedo extended his contract until 2021 and joined the first team on their pre-season tour in North America in July 2015. On 9 August 2015, he made his debut for the main squad in the 0–1 loss against Sporting CP for the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. A week later he scored his first goal for them, against Estoril in the Primeira Liga. After establishing himself in the starting eleven, Semedo suffered a setback in October 2015 when he sustained an injury while with the national team. The ailment to his right knee required surgery, with him being expected to miss two months. He returned to action in early January, but could not reproduce his previous form and lost his place to André Almeida; he finished the campaign in the reserve team. In 2016–17, Semedo regained his starting position and went on to be the third most used player in the historic fourth league title in a row. He scored once in the league in a 2–1 win on the road over Arouca, and once in the UEFA Champions League in a 3–3 group stage draw to Beşiktaş. In the final of the Taça de Portugal, on 28 May 2017, Semedo assisted Eduardo Salvio for the second goal, with Benfica lifting the trophy after beating Vitória de Guimarães by 2–1. For his performances throughout the season, he won the Breakthrough Player of the Year award from the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional.
Barcelona
On 13 July 2017, Barcelona announced an agreement with Benfica for Semedo's signing, pending medical tests. He signed a five-year deal the following day, with the Portuguese club receiving €30.5 million plus another potential €5 million for every 50 games he appeared in for his new team. He made his debut on 16 August in the second leg of the Supercopa de España against Real Madrid, lost 0–2 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Semedo made his Champions League debut for the club on 13 September 2017, and was praised for his performance during the 3–0 group stage win over Juventus. He scored his first competitive goal for the Catalans – and in La Liga – on 27 January 2019, in a 2–0 away victory against Girona. His second goal came against Alaves in a 5-0 win in final game of the season.
International career
Of Cape Verdean descent, Semedo was called up to play for the Portugal national team on 2 October 2015, for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Denmark and Serbia. He earned his first cap in the latter game, playing the entirety of a 2–1 win at the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade. Semedo was picked for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup squad, and played the last match of the group stage, a 4–0 win against New Zealand. He also appeared in the third-place playoff against Mexico, being sent off in the 106th minute as his team won the bronze medal. Semedo was named in a preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but he did not make the final cut.
Style of play
Semedo is mainly known for his speed, ball control, dribbling and passing.
