Portugal have had some excellent players throughout their footballing history, but arguably the greatest of them all led them to their first international cup competition victory in 2016. Cristiano Ronaldo may sit atop of the Portuguese pyramid, but players like Luis Figo, Rui Costa, Eusébio, and Pepe aren’t far behind.
Even though Cristiano Ronaldo seems to defy age with his level of play at 35-years-old, there will come a time when the next crop of players will need to take over. For Portugal’s sake, they’ll be hoping that one of the players in this article will become a key part of that future.
Therefore, this article contains all of the best Portuguese wonderkids to sign on Career Mode. We begin with an in-depth look at the top five players before presenting a table with all of the best wonderkids.
Picking the best Portuguese wonderkids
The rating that is more important than any other when discussing wonderkids is potential. Therefore, all of the players below have been selected and sorted by their potential rating. To be classed as a Portuguese wonderkid, the players must have a minimum potential overall rating of 80 and be aged 21-years-old or younger.
João Félix (81 OVR – 93 POT)
Team: Atlético Madrid
Best Position: CF, ST
Age: 20-years-old
Overall/Potential: 81 OVR / 93 POT
Value: £60,500,000
Skill Moves: Five-Star
Best Attributes: 85 Dribbling, 85 Ball control, 85 Agility
After making a big move from Benfica to Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2019, João Felix has steadily been establishing himself among the great forwards for the future. He began his career in the Spanish capital battling several injuries but has gone from strength to strength and has started this season very strongly.
The future is very bright for Felix as he looks to fill the shoes of the great Portuguese forwards that have come before him. Playing alongside veterans like Diego Costa and Luis Suárez should give him added experience to learn from as well.
The first thing to note with Felix is that he has one of the highest potential ratings in FIFA 21 at 93 POT. He is a skilful flair player who doesn’t lack power. The Viseu-native only has 64 strength, but that’s more than compensated for by his 85 agility, 80 balance, 83 shot power, and 81 long shots.
Felix can play either as a centre forward or a striker, with his attacking statistics making him a great option at either position. He has 83 finishing, 84 positioning, 81 vision, and 82 composure, which means that the Portuguese wonderkid is both lethal in front of goal and has an eye for an assist.
Francisco Trincão (80 OVR – 91 POT)
Team: FC Barcelona
Best Position: RW, LW, CAM
Age: 20-years-old
Overall/Potential: 78 OVR / 91 POT
Value: £30,500,000
Skill Moves: Four-Star
Best Attributes: 85 Dribbling, 84 Curve, 84 Composure
Francisco Trincão broke into SC Braga’s first team in the 2019/20 season, playing 27 games in Liga NOS. Over this period, he scored eight goals and created eight assists. What’s impressive about these numbers is that he didn’t start until the 14th match of the campaign.
The breakthrough season earned Trincão a move to Barcelona in the summer of 2020. In what looks to be a knock-on effect from the move to Spain, the 20-year-old also made his international debut for Portugal in September this year.
A very skilful player on FIFA 21, the Portuguese wonderkid complements his technical ability with assured mental awareness. He boasts 85 dribbling, 84 curve, 83 ball control, and 84 composure.
Trincão is also quick on his feet, with 81 acceleration, 83 agility, 79 reactions, and 78 sprint speed laying the foundations of a future star. Overall, however, it’s his 91 potential rating which sets the Barça prospect apart from other young wingers.
Luís Maximiano (78 OVR – 85 POT)
Team: Sporting CP
Best Position: GK
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 78 OVR / 85 POT
Value: £22,000,000
Weak Foot: Two-Star
Best Attributes: 79 Goalkeeper Diving, 79 Goalkeeper Reflexes, 76 Reactions
Luís Maximiano worked his way through Sporting CP’s youth academy before making his professional debut last season, going on to play 23 games in Liga NOS. However, as Sporting have since brought in Antonio Adán, Maximiano may struggle for minutes this season.
The shot-stopper is yet to make his professional debut for the Portuguese national team, but he has played for Portugal’s age-restricted teams, from under-16s to under-21s.
Maximiano’s ratings on FIFA 21 are a great starting point for a goalkeeper with an 85 potential rating. His athleticism and instincts in net standout as his key attributes, carrying a 79 goalkeeper diving, 79 goalkeeper reflexes, and 76 goalkeeper positioning.
The other ratings worth noting are Maximiano’s 76 reactions and 76 goalkeeper handling, but it should also be noted that this wonderkid goalkeeper also carries the Cautious With Crosses trait.
Joelson Fernandes (69 OVR – 87 POT)
Team: Sporting CP
Best Position: RW, LW
Age: 17
Overall/Potential: 69 OVR / 87 POT
Value: £3,100,000
Skill Moves: Four-Star
Best Attributes: 91 Acceleration, 90 Sprint Speed, 88 Agility
This Sporting CP youth academy graduate made his debut for the senior side last season aged 17-years-old. However, through four games played, he was unable to score or assist.
Joelson Fernandes predominantly plays on the left wing, but can also play on the right if needed. So far in his young career, with the senior team and the under-23s, he’s primarily impacted the scoresheet when starting on the left flank.
What stands out from Fernandes’ ratings on FIFA 21 is his speed and ability to change direction, featuring incredible ratings of 91 acceleration, 90 sprint speed, 88 agility, 84 balance. The wonderkid born in Guinea-Bissau also has 75 dribbling and 74 ball control to go along with his 71 composure.
Fernandes may only be only 17-years-old, but he already has the base ratings to be of use in Career Mode, and boasts a potential rating that’ll make him a dominant winger in the future.
Nuno Mendes (72 OVR – 87 POT)
Team: Sporting CP
Best Position: LB, LWB, LM
Age: 18
Overall/Potential: 72 OVR / 87 POT
Value: £4,700,000
Weak Foot: Four-Star
Best Attributes: 86 Sprint Speed, 82 Acceleration, 82 Agility
Nuno Mendes is another graduate from Sporting CP’s youth set-up, which has guided the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo through the system.
After muscling into the senior team this summer, the young full-back looks to hold his place in the team’s Liga NOS starting XI. Mendes plays predominantly as a left midfielder now, but he has also featured at left back and centre back.
For a player with a 72 overall rating, what stands out from Mendes’ individual ratings are his 86 sprint speed, 82 acceleration, 82 agility.
His 85 potential means that the teenage wonderkid’s other ratings, such as his 78 shot power, 76 balance, 73 stamina, 71 crossing, and 71 composure, aren’t far from being factors in his gameplay, too.
All the best Portuguese wonderkids in FIFA 21
With the top players dissected, below is a table with all of the best Portuguese wonderkids to sign on Career Mode in FIFA 21.
| Name | Team | Age | Overall | Potential | Position |
| João Félix | Atlético Madrid | 20 | 81 | 93 | CF, ST |
| Francisco Trincão | FC Barcelona | 20 | 78 | 91 | RW, LW, CAM |
| Luís Maximiano | Sporting CP | 21 | 78 | 88 | GK |
| Joelson Fernandes | Sporting CP | 17 | 69 | 87 | RW, LW |
| Nuno Mendes | Sporting CP | 18 | 72 | 87 | LB, LWB, LM |
| Florentino | AS Monaco | 20 | 76 | 86 | CDM, CM |
| Eduardo Quaresma | Sporting CP | 18 | 72 | 86 | CB |
| Tomás Tavares | Deportivo Alavés | 19 | 73 | 85 | RB |
| Jota | Real Valladolid CF | 21 | 72 | 85 | LM, RM |
| Diogo Dalot | Milan | 21 | 76 | 85 | RB, LB |
| Fábio Silva | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 17 | 69 | 85 | ST |
| Romário Baró | FC Porto | 20 | 73 | 85 | RM, CAM |
| Nuno Tavares | SL Benfica | 20 | 72 | 85 | LB |
| Daniel Bragança | Sporting CP | 21 | 72 | 85 | CAM, CM |
| Gedson Fernandes | Tottenham Hotspur | 21 | 75 | 84 | CM, RM |
| Tomás Esteves | Reading | 18 | 66 | 84 | RB, RWB |
| Gonçalo Ramos | SL Benfica | 19 | 66 | 84 | CF |
| Rúben Vinagre | Olympiacos CFP | 21 | 74 | 84 | LWB, LB |
| Félix Correia | Juventus | 19 | 66 | 84 | RW, LW |
| Vítor Ferreira | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 20 | 66 | 83 | CM |
| Pedro Neto | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 20 | 72 | 83 | LW, CF, RW |
| Tiago Dantas | Bayern München II | 19 | 67 | 83 | CM, CAM |
| Tiago Tomás | Sporting CP | 18 | 66 | 83 | ST |
| Rafael Leão | Milan | 21 | 74 | 83 | ST |
| Pedro Mendes | UD Almería | 20 | 71 | 83 | ST |
| Rodrigo Fernandes | Sporting CP | 19 | 68 | 83 | CDM |
| Tiago Djaló | LOSC Lille | 20 | 68 | 83 | CB |
| Fábio Vieira | FC Porto | 20 | 66 | 83 | CAM, RM |
| David Carmo | SC Braga | 20 | 71 | 83 | CB |
| Nilton Varela | Os Belenenses | 19 | 70 | 82 | LWB |
| Diogo Leite | FC Porto | 21 | 71 | 82 | CB |
| Diogo Costa | FC Porto | 20 | 70 | 82 | GK |
| Tiago Morais | Boavista FC | 16 | 61 | 82 | ST |
| Rodrigo Gomes | SC Braga | 16 | 61 | 81 | ST, RW |
| Tiago Almeida | CD Tondela | 18 | 61 | 81 | RB, RM, ST |
| Domingos Quina | Watford | 20 | 68 | 81 | CAM, CM, CDM |
| Tomás Ribeiro | Os Belenenses | 21 | 69 | 81 | CB |
| Pedro Brazão | FC Lausanne-Sport | 17 | 62 | 81 | RW, CAM |
| Famana Quizera | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 18 | 62 | 80 | CAM |
If you want to develop a player with the potential to join the legendary ranks of Portuguese football, sign one of the best wonderkids shown on this page.
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