With an estimated income of C$270 billion per annum, football is the sport with the highest number of fans, and its impact has cut across different spheres.
Portugal is a force to be reckoned with among countries with the best football players. They have dedicated resources to the golden sport so much that they have produced some of the most legendary players in history. They are currently rated the eighth-best national team in the world as ranked by FIFA, with three Ballon d’Or winners coming from the country.
An overview of the Portugal national football team
Portugal’s debut appearance in the FIFA World Cup was in 1966. They had a successful campaign before the host country, England, who later went on to win the tournament, eliminated them in the semi-finals. However, Portugal went on to win the third-place play-off against USSR.
Since then, Portugal has attracted every crop of soccer stakeholders. From football clubs to analysts to government, agents, brands, suppliers, unions, lobby groups, and football lovers, Portugal has produced enough results to catch everyone’s attention.
Portugal is in no way short of football talents. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luís Figo, Eusébio, Rui Costa, and Mário Coluna attained worldwide fame for being exceptional players across generations.
The next big soccer star from Portugal
Portugal is renowned for producing talented footballers, and the country continues to produce a new generation of promising young players. Since the start of Portugal’s golden era, the nation has continued to dominate the global football stage in terms of new talents.
Furthermore, young Portuguese footballers are now making their way to Europe’s top leagues. They’ve earned massive transfer fees for their parent clubs and invariably go on to shine on the biggest stage. Here are some Portuguese players with top potential to watch out for in 2023.
António Silva
Born in October 2003, it is unsurprising that the 19-year-old defender makes this list. Dubbed the best Portuguese wonder kid of FIFA 2023, António Silva is currently putting in impressive performances and was an essential cog in Benfica’s 2022/23 title winning team.
Silva has caught the eyes of the industry giants, and his transfer value is currently between C$46 million and C$73 million. This is not sudden, as he has won the following trophies:
- 1st in Best Future Players playing in Liga Portugal Bwin;
- 1st in Best Future Portuguese Players;
- 3rd in Best Future ball playing defenders.
Fábio Carvalho
Fábio Carvalho is currently owned by Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the English Premier League. However, he has been sent on loan to RB Leipzig to gain more first-team experience. The exciting forward was born in October 2002 and is renowned for his technical ability and potent attacking threat
Gonçalo Ramos
Ramos currently plays as an on-loan striker for the Ligue 1 giant ─ Paris Saint-Germain. A product of Benfica’s youth system, Ramos was loaned to PSG for the 2023/24 summer after impressing for the Portuguese giants, with the move set to be made permanent in next summer’s transfer window. At just 22 years old, he already has some impressive records:
- A hat-trick in the Champions League qualifying opening game against Midtjylland
- A hat-trick on his first World Cup start against Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup
Francisco Conceição
If there is one player with football running through his veins, it is Francisco Conceição. This talent is the son of former Portugal star Sérgio Conceição. He has very fast feet and phenomenal dribbling ability that can be likened to the great Lionel Messi. After a season out on loan at Ajax, Francisco returned to Porto where he is again being coached by his father and Porto manager Sérgio.
André Gomes
Benfica seems to be equipped with the best Portuguese talents, as they’ve been mentioned in this list twice above. André is an eighteen-year-old goalkeeper, born in October 2004. He is left-footed and 182 centimetres tall.
Gomes is predicted to be the next Emiliano Martínez, although his current transfer value is modest at between C$400K and C$650K but is expected to increase.
Other emerging Portuguese players to watch out for
While websites like firstsportz.com are vast in sharing up-to-date sports news, scouts want to catch the next big Portuguese star by themselves.
Other than the players discussed above, there are several players of Portuguese origin to watch out for, as highlighted in the table below:
|
Player |
Age |
Position |
|
Fábio Silva |
19 |
Striker |
|
Roger Fernandes |
16 |
Midfielder |
|
Diego Moreira |
17 |
Midfielder/Winger |
|
Gonçalo Esteves |
19 |
Right-back |
Conclusion
It is no longer a postulate that Portugal stars have the talent, training, and potential to excel on the big stage.
Having seen how the country produced great players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luís Figo, and Riu Costa, among others, the football world has its eyes open, hoping to snatch the next big talent coming out of Portugal. This article has discussed some Portuguese talents that might take the world by storm soon. Keep tabs on their careers for the next big names in the coming years.
