| Belfort Duarte | |
| Fullname: | João Evangelista Belfort Duarte |
| Position: | Central defender |
| Birth Date: | 27 November 1883 |
| Birth Place: | São Luís, Brazil |
| Death Place: | Campo Belo, Brazil |
| Years1: | 1902–1905 |
| Clubs1: | Mackenzie College |
| Years2: | 1906–1915 |
| Clubs2: | America-RJ |
| Manageryears1: | 1916 |
| Managerclubs1: | America-RJ |
João Evangelista Belfort Duarte, commonly known as Belfort Duarte (27 November 1883[1] – 27 November 1918[1]), was a Brazilian football central defender. The Belfort Duarte Award is named after him.
Born in São Luís, Maranhão state,[1] he started his career in 1902, with Mackenzie College, where he translated the football rules to Portuguese.[1] He was also one of the club's founders.[2] Belfort Duarte worked for Light & Power company in 1906.[1] He joined America-RJ in 1906,[3] changing the club's colors from black to red in 1908.[2] With America, he won the Campeonato Carioca in 1913.[2] Belfort Duarte played his last game in 1915, against Flamengo.[2]
After his retirement, he started a coaching career, managing America in 1916, winning the state championship in that year.[2]
Belfort Duarte was murdered on his birthday, 27 November 1918, in a favela located in Campo Belo, Minas Gerais state, when he was trying to hide from the Spanish flu.[1]
The Belfort Duarte Award was instituted in 1946, by the Brazilian National Sports Council, after Belfort Duarte.[3] The award is given to the football player who completes ten years without being booked with a red card.[1] This award was named after Belfort Duarte because in a game he mentioned to the referee that he committed a foul in his club's penalty area.[1]