He won a championship with Benfica at the age of 19, was sold to Atlético Madrid last summer for an astounding €120 million fee and has now added a new accolade to his list of accomplishments – the Golden Boy, awarded annually to the best under-21 footballer in Europe.
João Félix has become just the second Portuguese footballer to receive the award after Renato Sanches had the honour of winning it in 2016.
The 20-year-old footballer had a breakout year with Benfica last season, scoring 20 goals in 43 games and helping the Eagles win the national title after trailing FC Porto by seven points at one point of the season.
This year he is trying to establish himself as a star in the more demanding La Liga league in Spain, where he was already scored twice.
The Golden Boy award was created in 2003 by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport and now includes journalists from many other major sports publications who vote for who they consider to have been the best under-21 footballer in Europe.
“Thank you to Tuttosport for the award, I am very proud. It is the second time that an Atlético Madrid player wins it and I am happy. I also want to thank Benfica, especially coach Bruno Lage for everything he did for me and my family, which is always near me,” Félix said in a video message played at the award ceremony.
