JOÃO FÉLIX: FOCUS AND FUN FACTS

It took João Félix less than 15 minutes into his debut to light up San Siro and to get the Rossoneri faithful singing his name. The Portuguese star is a player that is well known amongst football lovers for his flair and talent and AC Milan are delighted to have signed him, amongst others, who will no doubt strengthen the team. Throughout his career, João has played for many great clubs - Benfica, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea – but his experiences did not always live up to his high expectations. He was born on 10 November 1999 in Viseu, a town in central Portugal, to a Brazilian father and a Portuguese mother. Football was always key to his family, and his younger brother is currently part of Benfica's youth academy, where João made his professional debut at 16. After spending his youth career at Porto and Padroense, João made history on 17 September 2016 by becoming Benfica's youngest ever debutant. He continued climbing the ranks and became a first team player throughout the 2018/19 season, where he was key to the club's success. João racked up 15 goals in 26 appearances in Benfica's 37th title winning season, and also scored a brilliant hat trick against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals.  

The year ended on a high note as João made his senior international debut, just the start of his successful international career up to this point. He has played in a World Cup and at two EUROs, he won the Nations League, and he has a total of 9 goals from 45 appearances. João's great reputation sparked Atlético Madrid's interest, who then went on to sign him for 120 million euros. He spent 3 seasons with the Colchoneros until January 2023. They were important years for him as he went on to win the League in 2020/21, and he bagged his first Champions League goal. Two of his best performances were against Manchester United, where he led his team into the Champions League quarter-finals in 2022. In January 2023, he went on loan to Chelsea, where he did not get much play time, finishing with four goals (all in the Premier League) in 20 appearances. His next move to Barcelona went better, where he became one of Xavi's main men, retaining strong goal-scoring form (10 goals in 44 appearances). Last summer, João permanently signed for Chelsea. Despite such little play time, he has been scoring well, particularly in the Conference League. And now, in 2025, he has opened a new chapter with the Rossoneri. 

He is a highly technical attacking forward who can play all across the front line. But having reviewed his CV, let's now discover more about João Félix with some fun facts.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY
We have already mentioned João's brother Hugo, who is considered one of Benfica's brightest young talents. Before João left the club, he was even able to celebrate a goal with his brother, who was a ball boy that day. Sports runs through our number 79’s blood, whose parents, who are both PE teachers, sparked his interest in sport from a young age.

HIS RECORDS AS A YOUNG PLAYER
João Félix is Benfica's youngest ever debutant (in the second team in September 2016), but this is not his only early record. In August 2018, he was the youngest ever player to score in the Lisbon derby (Benfica v Sporting), while in April 2019 he became the youngest ever player to score a hat trick in the Europa League. Six months later, in October of the same year, he made history at Atlético Madrid, becoming their youngest ever Champions League goalscorer. At the time, his transfer to Atlético was the most expensive of all time (now fourth) but João remains Portugal's most expensive player ever. 

KAKÁ AND RUI COSTA, HIS ROSSONERI IDOLS
João Félix is somewhat similar, even appearance wise, to his main idol Kaká, who he has admired from a young age. "I liked watching Kaká play for his all round game", he said in an interview with The Athletic in 2022. He mentioned how he always followed the Rossoneri legend, alongside players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar, emphasizing his admiration for their dribbling and explosive ability. João also looked up to ex Rossonero and former Benfica manager Manuel Rui Costa, and he was always inspired by his technique and style.

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