Portugal’s football scene is buzzing with stars ahead of the 2025/26 season. Now, fans, bettors, scouts, are looking forward to seeing how the new wave of youthful talent will impact the international stage.
Truth be told, the presence of immense talent will always impact goal-scoring markets, odds on non-GamStop casinos, and overall team performances. So, in this write-up, we will look at the Portuguese rising stars that may interest bettors worldwide. Read on!
How we evaluate a player’s performance and stats
We evaluate a player based on traits. We choose a league, then look at players’ statistical strengths and weaknesses compared to positional peers in that league.
Ideally, traits are derived from a player’s matches from the past 365 days, then evaluated and placed in a percentile ranking. This performance is adjusted on a per 90 basis to compare data between players.
For example, if a player has a 90% percentile ranking on chances created, it means that, in that particular league, they’ve created more chances than 90% of players playing in a similar position as them. We also evaluate discipline in terms of yellow cards and red cards received.
Those are some of the factors savvy football bettors, FPL managers, and scouts check when determining a player’s attacking efficiency, playmaking output, defensive impact, and quality of chances.
Portuguese Players to Watch Out For in 2025/26
If you ask any true football fan, they will tell you Portugal is among Europe’s most reliable talent pipelines. The influx of talent has made the current Portuguese football landscape very competitive, as it has been over the years. This season we have a fresh wave of talent, and fans and bettors are eager to see how these upcoming stars will perform. They include:
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Pedro Neto: Forward
Neto is known for his direct and aggressive attacking. 2025 is his best year yet. He lifted the FIFA Club World Cup, won the UEFA Conference League, and helped Chelsea qualify for the Champions League campaign in that same year.
The 25-year-old has had 75% chances created, 24% aerial duels won, 43% shot attempts, and 11% defensive contributions. This season has made two first team appearances and has scored one goal in the 2025/26 season – but we expect more from him.
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João Félix: Attacking Midfielder
Félix joined Al-Nassr from Chelsea a few weeks ago. We expect to see him adapt to the current Al-Nassr setup under Jorge Jesus, considering that he is more of a creative player than a consistent goal scorer.
The attacker appeared in 15 matches in the 2024/25 Serie A season, scoring two goals. He didn’t make an assist that season, though. Comparing his player traits to other attacking midfielders, Félix’s performance stood at 98% shot attempts, 72% touch completion, 57% aerial duels won, and 35% chances created. In terms of discipline, Felix received only two yellow cards that season, he played a total of 364 minutes the entire season.
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Manu Silva: Central Midfielder
Silva currently plays for Benfica as a central midfielder. From the 18 matches he played in the 2024/25 campaign, the midfielder’s per 90 stats stood at 99% aerial duels win, 98% defensive contributions, and 90% chance completion.
He made nine first team appearances that season, and scored one goal and assisted twice. In terms of discipline, he received only three yellow cards.
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Geovany Queda: Midfielder
Queda is a right midfielder who currently plays for Sporting CP. This season, the 18-year-old has recorded a 65% pass completion, won 24% of aerial duels, and created 95% more chances than his peers. He currently has two assists and zero goals.
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Tomás Araújo: Defender
Tomás Araújo currently plays as a centre-back for Benfica. But he can also play as a right-back if need be. Looking at his per 90 stats against other fullbacks in that league, Araújo has created 11%, won 80% of aerial duels, and 82% touch completions.
In the 2025/26 season, he has already recorded a long ball accuracy of 80% and a pass accuracy of 93.1%. He has not received a yellow card or a red card this season.
Conclusion
The vast majority of football fans are very interested in what the Portuguese football landscape has to offer this season. Portugal is currently blossoming with young talent who have everything it takes to become global superstars. Let’s wait and see how amazing the season ahead of us will be.
