 On 4 August 2014, Cardozo left Benfica and thanked the club by stating, "You will always be in my heart".Cardozo played for Benfica since 2007 and, together with Maxi Pereira and Luisão, was one of the team captains.He is Benfica's ninth all-time goalscorer, second in European competitions, and the highest-scoring foreigner at the club, with 172 goals.