JUN 5, 2019
Makes his senior
international debut,
against Switzerland
in the Nations
League semi-finals.
JUL 3, 2019
Signs a seven-year
contract with Atletico
Madrid.AUG 19, 2019
Makes his
competitive debut
for Atletico in a 1-0
win against Getafe.SEP 1, 2019
Scores his first La
Liga goal in a 3-2
victory over Eibar.Felix to Atletico was sealed in
July – even though the price
tag certainly was.
A strong start in pre-
season, including goals
against Juventus and Real
Madrid in the International
Champions Cup, suggested that Felix
was on course to continue his bump-free
ascension to the very top of the game.
Coming hot on the heels of his debut
for Portugal in the UEFA Nations League,
a degree of Felix-mania was evident
in the Portuguese media. He was
frequently referred to as the heir
apparent to Cristiano Ronaldo, Atletico
Madrid shirts bearing his name became
a common sight on the streets and in
stadiums, and Viseu municipal council
even held a ceremony paying homage
to him and making him an official
ambassador of the city.
But a mediocre beginning to the
season proper brought expectations
down to more realistic levels. He scored
three goals in his first 11 appearances for
Atleti, in which he was substituted eight
times, with niggling injury problemsfor both of them. Moved from an
attacking midfield role to second striker,
Felix struck up a telepathic understanding
with forwards Haris Seferovic and Rafa
Silva to turn Benfica into a devastating
attacking machine.
Felix scored in crucial wins away at
Sporting and Porto as the Eagles made
a spectacular recovery, winning 18 and
drawing one of 19 matches to rein in a
seven-point deficit to Porto and lift the
championship. He ended the season
with 20 goals in 43 matches, as well as
11 assists. He also became the youngest
player to score a hat-trick in the Europa
League, putting three past Eintracht
Frankfurt in the first leg of the quarter-
finals in Lisbon. All in his debut season,
and at 19 years of age.
His phenomenal impact catapulted
him to the status of the hottest teenage
property in world football and rumours
inevitably began swirling, linking the
tritely named “new Ronaldo” with big-
money transfers to most of Europe’s elite
clubs. So it was
no surprise when
the deal taking
Joao Felix
Tough...challenged by
Hugo Mallo of Celta Vigo“Felix is a kid who has the potential to get
there. He’s a 19-year-old kid who is humble
and understands he can’t play every minute”
Atletico Madrid coach Diego SimeonePatience...he will have to bide his time in Madrid