As club football prepares to take a well-earned rest in Europe, it’s that time of year to consider which players deserve some extra recognition for their performances. Portuguese footballers can be found the length and breadth of the continent and as usual their presence at the highest level is extraordinary.
Reflecting on what has perhaps not been a vintage campaign of goalscoring by Luso players (this is probably the first time in over 15 years Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t make the XI) we put together a Team of the Season containing our finest Portuguese representatives overseas in 2022-23.
A 3-4-2-1 formation was decided appropriate to accommodate those most deserving…
GK: Anthony Lopes (Lyon)
A legend with his hometown club Olympique Lyonnais, France-born Anthony Lopes has been unfortunate at international level to make just 14 appearances for the Seleção. Having been cut from the World Cup 2022 squad after appearing on the preliminary list, Lopes switched focus to helping his beloved Lyon; a dedication typified by him taking the field in the Coupe de France in February despite having a broken finger!
Renowned French publication L’Equipe named Lopes in their Team of the Season in Ligue 1, as Lyon went into the World Cup break in awful form but recovered sufficiently to claim 7th place. With 455 games, Lopes is the 5th all-time appearance holder for Lyon, where he is now less than 100 away from Serge Chiesa in top spot. At the age of 32, time is on his side to write his name into Lyon history in the most definitive fashion.
CB: Rúben Dias (Manchester City)
Rúben Dias’ record since joining Manchester City is the epitome of success. Not only has the central defender established himself as one of the best in the world in his position, but he has also continued to be a serial winner with his teammates. Dias has won the Premier League in all three seasons he has been in England, meaning at age 26 he already boasts an impressive four league titles in his career.
Named Manchester City and Premier League Player of the Year during his first season in 2020-21, Dias may not have reached quite the same heights this term. Indeed, City boss Pep Guardiola was slow in reintroducing the Portuguese after the World Cup. However, Dias re-emerged to become a key team member as City embarked on their imperious treble quest.
CB: José Fonte (Lille)
Lille manager Paulo Fonseca says veteran defender José Fonte has been crucial in helping him communicate his ideas at the French club. Fonte is a genuine stalwart at Lille, helping the club win the Ligue 1 title in 2021 before playing every single minute the following year. His leadership skills on and off the pitch led to the captaincy and his reputation for guiding young players make him one of the most respected men at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
This season Lille have bounced back under Fonseca, improving from 10th the previous year to 5th and European qualification. Fonte turns 40 in December, yet started 30 of Lille’s matches in Ligue 1, with Fonseca revealing he was proved wrong about negative preconceptions over his ability on the ball. Due to be a free agent in the summer, it remains to be seen whether Fonte, who narrowly edged out teammeate Tiago Djaló for his spot in our team, continues his remarkable story in France or elsewhere.
CB: Diogo Leite (Union Berlin)
Diogo Leite’s loan move to German side Union Berlin may have raised a few eyebrows last summer, but it has proved to be a very shrewd decision for all concerned. Previously touted as one of Portugal’s next great central defenders – not least by Pepe who declared him the best in the country – Leite’s stock fell a little in the build-up to his switch to the Bundesliga.
However, Die Eisernen clearly had a plan for their new recruit and Leite quickly became one of the leaders of the team. Union had an excellent campaign, qualifying for the Champions League with a 4th place finish and reaching the knockout stages of the Europa League. As such, the club wasted little time in agreeing a permanent deal for Leite, paying Porto €7.5m to secure his signature just days after the end of the campaign.
LM: Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
Mendes has been deployed more often in a left wing-back role this season at Paris Saint-Germain, occasionally starting even further forward. Justification enough for us to select him in a wide midfield spot for the purpose of this team. The left-back or left wing-back position was certainly the best-contested area for our side, with Raphaël Guerreiro and Mário Rui honourable mentions owing to their performances at Dortmund and Napoli respectively.
Mendes is a phenomenal talent, as we knew during his early steps at Sporting. He was named in the official Ligue 1 Team of the Season, putting the seal on a remarkable adaptation to one of the world’s most high-profile teams. His pace, dribbling and tackling light up many a match at the Parc des Princes and Portugal can feel confident about the prospect of having one of football’s best full-backs for years to come.
CM: João Palhinha (Fulham)
Arguably one of the signings of the season across Europe, Fulham’s acquisition of João Palhinha from Sporting last summer felt a coup from the moment he arrived in London. Fulham boss Marco Silva gladly spent €23m of his transfer budget on the midfielder upon the Cottagers’ return to the Premier League, seeing the 27-year-old as ready-made for English football.
Palhinha adapted instantly and is widely viewed by observers in Britain as one of the best-performing defensive midfielders in the league, helping Fulham finish in an impressive 10th place. Palhinha’s tough-tackling and energetic qualities have been pivotal in releasing the creative players in Silva’s 4-2-3-1 system and he only missed three Premier League matches – all through suspension – to ensure a consistency in the Fulham midfield. Perhaps Portugal’s best oversees player this season.
CM: Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Is this Neves final season at Wolverhampton Wanderers? After six years in the West Midlands, during which Neves has established himself as one of the finest players in the club’s history, there had yet to be a campaign in which his contribution was more vital. Wolves flirted with relegation for much of the year and without Neves as the heartbeat of the side, it’s conceivable their fight could have been more perilous than an early-May escape under mid-season appointment Julien Lopetegui. As such, he was recognised with the Player of the Season prizes from both fans and teammates at the club’s end of season awards.
Neves continues to see his name linked with bigger clubs, including Barcelona. Now feels the right time for the Wolves skipper to leave and test himself at a Champions League club once again. If he does depart, much like countryman João Moutinho, he will do so with the best wishes of the Molineux faithful.
RM: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
There is no doubt Bruno Fernandes has become a different type of player under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. Previous coaches placed great emphasis on his creative and goalscoring qualities, but the Dutch boss has focused on utilising Fernandes' tireless running and off-the-ball movement to attempt to make him a more rounded talent.
The goal stats are down; Fernandes’ tally of 14 is exactly half his total from his first full season in England, which can be considered partly due to him being deployed in a wide role in bigger games. Ten Hag will likely name the Portuguese as his new captain this summer and speaks glowingly about the midfielders’ work on both sides of the transitional phase. He may divide opinion for some of his on-field antics, but Fernandes is highly valued at United and will continue to play a huge part in the club’s attempts to revive its fortunes.
CAM: Josué (Legia Warsaw)
Ten years on from being named the breakthrough Player of the Year in the Primeira Liga with Paços de Ferreira, talented midfielder Josué is a fine example of perseverance. Having gone on to join FC Porto and represent his country four times between 2013-14, Josué’s career perhaps struggled to maintain such high standards.
Since leaving his homeland to appear for various clubs in Turkey, Josué has had impressive spells in Israel and recently Poland, where he stars for powerhouses Legia Warsaw. This season has been the best of his career in terms of numbers: 15 goals and 9 assists in all competitions, which ended with glory in the Polish Cup.
CAM: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
A very typical Bernardo Silva season: starts with the Portuguese remaining at Manchester City despite links with other clubs; ends with Bernardo contributing more crucial moments as City celebrate further success. There was even a brief spell at left-back, displaying the ex-Benfica man’s versatility and the extent to which Pep Guardiola trusts his intelligence.
While not a vintage goalscoring season – Bernardo got 7 having netted 13 last term – he kept his most vital strikes for arguably the best performance of his career. Bernardo bagged an early brace to help City on their way to a 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid that will live long in the memory. A class act and possibly Portugal’s best player; Roberto Martinez must now help entice similar form for the Seleção.
CF: Rafael Leão (AC Milan)
Rafael Leao’s ascent into one of the game’s most exciting and coveted players has been a joy to watch. Since leaving Sporting in controversial circumstances in 2018, Leão has risen steadily from a highly-promising season with Lille in France, to impact player under the intense spotlight at Milan, to global superstar in the Rossoneri colours with many of Europe’s major clubs taking note.
Leão is an exhilarating and devastatingly effective prospect when on form, as Napoli found in the Champions League quarter-finals. Ending the season with a career-high 15 goals in Serie A, the next step - now that his future at San Siro has been settled by a contract extension – is for Leão to sustain his performance level to a slightly more consistent extent. Not to mention take international football by storm!
Portuguese Abroad Team of the Season 2022-23
By Sean Gillen
@SeanGillen9
