João Félix (Part 1)

João Félix Sequeira, born on November 10, 1999, is a Portuguese professional footballer known for playing as a forward for La Liga club Barcelona, on loan from Atlético Madrid, as well as for the Portugal national team. He is versatile and can also operate as a winger or attacking midfielder.
Félix began his youth career at Porto's academy before transferring to Benfica in 2015. After a year playing for Benfica's reserve team, he was promoted to the first team in 2018, making his debut at just 17 years old. His impact was immediate, helping Benfica secure the league title in his debut season. Félix's outstanding performances earned him accolades such as Primeira Liga's Best Young Player of the Year and the prestigious Golden Boy award.


In 2019, Félix made a high-profile move to Atlético Madrid for a club-record transfer fee of €126 million (£113 million), making him the fourth-most expensive football transfer at the time. In his second season with Atlético Madrid, he played a crucial role in the team's triumph in the 2020–21 La Liga season, ending the club's seven-year league title drought.
Félix has represented Portugal at various youth levels, including under-18, under-19, and under-21. He made his senior debut during the semi-finals of the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, helping Portugal secure victory in the inaugural edition of the competition held on home soil.


João Félix Sequeira's journey in football began in 2007 when he started playing at Os Pestinhas. A year later, at the age of eight, he joined the youth setup of FC Porto. However, his time at Porto presented challenges, including demanding schedules that required daily commutes between Viseu and Porto.
At the age of 12, Félix made a significant decision to move out of his parents' house to live closer to Porto's youth training facilities. Despite facing obstacles such as limited playing time, he persisted in pursuing his football career. In a later interview, Félix disclosed that he contemplated quitting the sport due to these challenges, but his father encouraged him to persevere.In 2014, Félix's journey with Porto came to an end when he was released by the club. While there were reports citing his slight frame as a reason for his departure, Félix denied these claims and asserted that he left of his own accord. Subsequently, in 2015, at the age of 15, Félix made a move to Benfica, one of Porto's Lisbon rivals, following a season-long loan spell at Padroense.


João Félix made his professional debut at the age of 16 for Benfica's reserve team, competing in LigaPro, on 17 September 2016. He entered the match as an 83rd-minute substitute for Aurélio Buta in a goalless draw against Freamunde. At the time, Félix became the youngest player to debut for Benfica B, although this record has since been surpassed by Cher Ndour in May 2021.
Throughout the season, Félix showcased his talent, appearing in 13 matches and scoring three goals. His first goal came as a consolation in a 2–1 loss to his hometown team, Académico de Viseu, on 15 February 2017. Notably, he also netted a hat-trick on 30 January 2018, contributing to a commanding 5–0 home victory over Famalicão.


Additionally, Félix played a significant role in Benfica's campaign in the 2016–17 UEFA Youth League. He played a pivotal role in helping Benfica reach the final of the competition, where they ultimately lost to Red Bull Salzburg with a score of 2–1. Félix's contribution to the tournament included scoring six goals, further demonstrating his potential and impact on the field.
In the 2018–19 season, João Félix was promoted to Benfica's first team, marking his debut in a 2–0 Primeira Liga victory against Boavista on 18 August. Just a week later, he made headlines by scoring his first Primeira Liga goal in the Lisbon derby, becoming the youngest player to do so in the historic fixture, which ended in a 1–1 draw.


Félix continued to impress throughout the season. He scored a crucial goal against Vitória de Guimarães in the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals on 16 January 2019. After Bruno Lage took over as Benfica's coach, Félix's role in the team expanded, with him forming a partnership with Haris Seferovic in the attack.
One of Félix's standout performances came in a 4–2 away victory over Sporting CP in the league on 3 February, where he was praised for his contribution. This performance attracted interest from several top European clubs. A month later, Félix scored the equalizer in a 2–1 away comeback win against Porto in O Clássico, helping Benfica overtake their rivals at the top of the Primeira Liga table.


On 11 April 2019, Félix made history by scoring a hat-trick in a 4–2 UEFA Europa League win over Eintracht Frankfurt. At just 19 years and 152 days old, he became the youngest player ever to score a hat-trick in the competition, breaking the previous record held by Marko Pjaca.
Félix concluded his debut season with an impressive tally of 20 goals for Benfica, including a crucial goal on the final day of the league campaign in a 4–1 victory over Santa Clara, securing the league title. His 15 league goals placed him joint-fourth for the season. Additionally, Félix ranked second among teenagers across Europe's top seven leagues for both goals and assists, trailing only Kai Havertz and Jadon Sancho, respectively.


On 3 July 2019, João Félix made a significant move in his career by signing a seven-year contract with Spanish club Atlético Madrid. The transfer fee amounted to €126 million (£113 million), making it the fourth highest sum ever paid in football history. This transfer fee was not only Benfica's biggest transfer but also Atlético Madrid's most expensive signing to date. It was also the second highest fee ever paid for a teenager, only surpassed by Kylian Mbappé's transfer.
Atlético Madrid initially paid €30 million, with the remaining €96 million to be paid via instalments, thereby surpassing Félix's €120 million buyout clause. Additionally, Benfica paid €12 million in mediation services as part of the deal.


Upon his arrival at Atlético Madrid, Félix was assigned the iconic number 7 shirt, previously worn by Antoine Griezmann, who had departed to Barcelona. This signaled the club's high expectations for Félix and marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career at one of Europe's top clubs.
On 27 September 2020, João Félix played a pivotal role in Atlético Madrid's La Liga opening fixture against Granada. He scored a goal, provided an assist, and won a penalty for his team after being fouled inside the box. Despite Saúl Ñíguez failing to convert the penalty, Atlético secured a convincing 6–1 victory.


Continuing his impressive form, Félix scored a brace in Atlético's 3–2 win over Red Bull Salzburg in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage on 27 October. This performance showcased his prowess in front of goal and his importance to the team's success in European competition.
In November 2020, Félix's stellar displays earned him the La Liga Player of the Month award after scoring back-to-back braces against Osasuna and Cádiz. His contributions were crucial in helping Atlético maintain their position at the top of the league table.

References

1.  "Acta del Partido celebrado el 01 de marzo de 2020, en Barcelona" [Minutes of the Match held on 1 March 2020, in Barcelona] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
2. ^ "João Félix". ESPN. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
3. ^ "João Félix". Barcelona. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
4. a b Pinto Miguel, Inês (13 September 2019). "Félix ou Félis? Calma, o João explica" [Félix or Félis? Relax, João explains it]. Jornal Económico (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
5. ^ GOAL [@goal] (6 March 2023). "You've been saying Joao Felix's name wrong 😅 https://t.co/0xqsohl0y9"" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 March 2023 – via Twitter.
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7. a b Fernandes, Nuno (5 November 2018). "João Félix, o miúdo franzino que o FC Porto não aproveitou" [João Félix, the skinny kid that Porto did not take advantage of]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
8. a b Pereira, Sérgio (27 September 2018). "João Félix, a história do miúdo que cresceu muito depressa". Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
9. ^ Tavares, Nuno (4 March 2019). "João Félix: "Acho que penso um bocado mais à frente"". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
10. ^ Law, Matt (22 February 2021). "Interview: Joao Felix on his admiration for Mason Mount, being Portugal's Golden Boy and joining the Mbappe v Haaland rivalry". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
11. ^ Azevedo, Pedro Miguel (26 April 2017). "João Félix, o magricela que escapou ao FC Porto e brilha no Benfica" [João Félix, the scrawny kid who slipped from FC Porto and shines for Benfica]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2018.