Joao Felix

Portuguese “Menino de Ouro” (“Golden Boy”) Joao Felix is one of his country’s premier strikers. Currently starring for Spanish La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, he first made his name with Benfica, helping them to win the Portuguese Primeira Liga in his first season with the senior squad. He won the league’s Young Player of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the prestigious Ballon d’Or Award. Unsurprisingly, he attracted international interest, and Atletico Madrid broke their transfer record to get him, paying Benfica €128 million — making Felix the fourth-most-expensive footballer in the world.

Felix was born in November 1999 in the Portuguese city of Biseu. He joined FC Porto as a schoolboy, aged eight. His dedication to making it as a footballer was such that he moved away from home aged 12 to be nearer the academy. At times, he nearly quit but was endlessly encouraged by his father. When he was 14, Porto let him go, but he was signed up first by second-division side Padroena and then by major side Benfica.

Benfica’s reserve team, Benfica B, are a professional team in their own right, competing in the Portuguese second division. Felix became the youngest player ever to play for them when he made his debut, aged 16, in September 2016. He spent two seasons with the “B” team before making his senior debut in August 2018. He made an immediate impact, scoring 15 goals in 26 league appearances and becoming the youngest-ever player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League. He made his senior international debut for Portugal in June 2019. Expect him to play a key role at Euro 2021.