André Gomes Magalhães de Almeida was born in Lisbon and formed at Os Belenenses, where he made his top-flight debut in January 2009. After a season on loan at União de Leiria he joined Benfica in 2011, initially via the B team.

Almeida spent twelve years at the club and made well over 200 appearances, most of them at right back but also at left back and in defensive midfield, a versatility that defined his career. He won three Primeira Liga titles, five Taças da Liga and two Taças de Portugal, and earned eight caps for Portugal, appearing at the 2014 World Cup. He was named club captain in June 2021 following Jardel's departure.

A serious knee injury sustained in January 2020 cost him close to two years and he never fully regained his previous standing. By 2022/23 the armband had passed to Nicolás Otamendi and he was a peripheral figure under Roger Schmidt. Club and player agreed to terminate his contract at the end of January 2023, six months before its expiry, and he left as a free agent.