Sporting CP Born in
Oeiras,
Lisbon, Podence joined
Sporting CP's youth system shortly before his 10th birthday, arriving from neighbouring
Belenenses. On 3 February 2013, whilst still a junior, he made his senior debut, appearing for the
former's reserves in a
Segunda Liga match against
Marítimo B after coming on as a late
substitute for
Bruma. Podence played his first official game for the first team on 29 December 2014, starting in a 2–0 away win over
Vitória de Guimarães in the
final stages of the
Taça da Liga. He was then loaned to
Moreirense in a
season-long move. He made his debut in the
Primeira Liga on 17 September 2016 in a 2–0 loss at
Estoril, scoring his first goal in the competition on 29 October in another away fixture, against
Tondela (a 2–1 victory). On 4 December 2016, his brace helped the hosts to a 3–1 win over
Nacional, and he also made three appearances for the club in the League Cup campaign, which ended with them
winning their first-ever trophy. In late January 2017, Podence was recalled by Sporting manager
Jorge Jesus. He terminated his contract on 1 June 2018, following a violent attack on the players by a number of their own supporters.
Olympiacos On 9 July 2018, Podence joined
Olympiacos on a five-year deal. His first competitive appearance took place on 9 August in a 4–0 home victory against
Luzern in the
third qualifying round of the
UEFA Europa League, and he scored his first goal later that month in a 1–1 draw at
Burnley in the same competition (4–2 aggregate win). He finished his
first season in the
Super League Greece with eight goals in all competitions, and the team finished in second place. On 2 September 2019, after a litigation with Sporting, both clubs reached a €7 million settlement. Sixteen days later, in his first match in the
group phase of the
UEFA Champions League, Podence helped Olympiacos come back from a 2–0 home deficit to a 2–2 draw against
Tottenham Hotspur, scoring in the 44th minute after an individual effort.
Wolverhampton Wanderers On 30 January 2020, Podence moved to
Wolverhampton Wanderers on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a £16.9 million transfer fee. He made his debut as a substitute, in a 0–0 draw with
Manchester United at
Old Trafford. His first start was on 27 February in the second leg of the
Europa League's round of 32 away to
Espanyol, providing two
assists in the 3–2 loss. Podence's first start in the English
Premier League was on 12 July 2020, in a 3–0 home defeat of
Everton in which he drew the foul that resulted in a
penalty (converted by
Raúl Jiménez) that put the side 1–0 up at the end of the first half;
Sky Sports named him "
Player of the match" for his performance. He scored his first league goal the following weekend, with a header to open the scoring against
Crystal Palace in an eventual 2–0 home win. Podence scored his first league goal of the
2020–21 campaign on 30 October 2020, also against Crystal Palace and at
Molineux Stadium, in a 2–0 victory. He was
BBC Sport's Player of the match in a league game at home to
Chelsea on 15 December, in which he scored his team's opening goal as they came from behind to win 2–1. On 9 January 2022, Podence scored a brace – one in each half – in Wolves's 3–0 home defeat of
Sheffield United in the
third round of the
FA Cup. His first in the domestic league in
that season arrived on 20 February, in the 2–1 home win over
Leicester City. On 26 December 2022, Podence opened an eventual 2–1 victory at Everton in
Julen Lopetegui's debut as new head coach; in this match, the player also celebrated his 75th league appearance for the club. On 5 April 2023, the
Football Association charged him for an alleged spitting offence against
Brennan Johnson during his side's 1–1 draw at
Nottingham Forest four days earlier in which he scored a late equaliser, and he faced a mandatory six-match suspension if found guilty; he denied the accusations, being cleared of any wrongdoing on 23 May. Podence fell out of favour ahead of the
2023–24 campaign, being omitted from the preseason squad and sent to train with the
under-21s. Manager
Gary O'Neil stated about the player that "at the moment the squad's ambition – and where we're trying to get to – and Daniel's aren't aligned." On 4 September 2023, Podence returned to Olympiacos on a
season-long loan. He totalled 15 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, contributing one in eight appearances in the team's
victorious run in the
UEFA Conference League.
Al Shabab On 3 September 2024, Podence joined Saudi Arabian club
Al Shabab. One year later, he returned to Olympiacos on loan. He scored on his third debut for the latter on 13 September 2025, in a 5–0 home win over
Panserraikos. ==International career==