the Dragons who beat off competition
from Lisbon, though, and Felix spent
eight years getting his early football
education in the north before Porto
decided he was too lightweight to make
it in the professional game. But allowing
the youngster to move south and join
arch-rivals Benfica would prove to be
a monumental mistake.
His progress in Benfica’s youth ranks
soon made it clear a very special talent
was being honed. In September 2016,
two months shy of his 17th birthday, he
became the youngest player to debut for
Benfica B, who play in Portugal’s second
tier. And when he scored his first goal –
against his home-town club Academico
de Viseu – he became the youngest-ever
goalscorer in Portugal’s Segunda Liga.
Blessed with wonderful technique and
vision, Felix can prise open defences with
his piercing and creative use of the ball
when dropping deep. His clever touch
and ability to pick a pass has drawn
comparisons with another Benfica and
Portugal great, Rui Costa, although Felix
himself says he models his game on
Brazilian midfielder Kaka, a player to
whom he bears a striking resemblance.
But over and above his potential to
wreak havoc in midfield, it is his prolific
goalscoring that stands out. Instinctively
finding space between defenders,
shooting powerfully and accurately with
both feet, and showing strength in the air
despite his slight frame, his goal threat
has proven too varied and too clever
for opposition defences
to nullify. In a seamless
progression through
Benfica’s under-17, under-19
and B teams, he scored 50
goals in 100 games.
The transition from youth
football to senior football is
rarely smooth but Felix’s
adaptation to life at the top
table was the exception that
proved the rule. His leaguedebut at the Estadio da Luz came in
front of 60,000 fans against city rivals
Sporting in the first big match of the
2018-19 season. He was introduced as
a late substitute, with the hosts trailing,
and duly rescued a point with a thumping
header on the run. The Benfica faithful
had a new darling.
However, it was only when Rui Vitoria
was sacked and new coach Bruno Lage
took over at the turn of the year that
Felix truly exploded onto the scene.
Having himself been promoted from
the B team, Lage knew Felix inside out
and knew exactly how to get the most
from him. “When I got the job the first
thing I thought was I’m going to get
this kid playing,” said Lage in the wake
of the tremendously successful seasonAPR 11, 2019
Becomes the
youngest player to
score a hat-trick in
the Europa League,
in a 4-2 win over
Eintracht Frankfurt,
aged 19 years and
152 days.MAY 18, 2019
Scores in a 4-1 win
over Santa Clara on
the final day of the
season as Benfica
claim the league
title.Joao Felix
Next generation...this season’s under-15 side at Benfica’s famed Seixal academyWise words...with Benfica boss Bruno Lage