Incredible numbers

At 26 years old, Joao Félix found in Saudi Arabia the stage to become a protagonist again. After an uneven stint at Barcelona, Chelsea, and Milan, where he never quite settled in, the Portuguese player shines in the Al-Nassr jersey alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. His numbers speak for themselves: 22 goals and 15 assists in 40 matches, the best record of his career in a single season.

Work and cohesion

The change of course has a name: Jorge Jesus. The experienced Portuguese coach returned him to the attacking midfielder position, and the result was immediate. "Joao Felix is recording historic figures, unprecedented in his career. This performance is the result of extraordinary individual work, combined with great collective cohesion within the team," explained the coach. The player himself backs it up: "It's been a long time since a coach put me in my place, and he has returned me to the attacking midfielder position, where I started and where I feel most comfortable."

His prime and what the future holds

The comparison with his breakout at Benfica (2018/19) is inevitable. That season he scored 20 goals and provided 11 assists, figures that led Atlético de Madrid to shell out 148 million dollars for his transfer. Today, in Riyadh, he surpasses that record and reestablishes himself in the elite.

The Portuguese national team is also closely monitoring his progress. With the World Cup less than two months away in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Robert Martínez pointed him out as a key piece: "He has arrived at a club where all the attention is on him and he has to be the 'playmaker'. He is a player who assists the forwards, who sets a high pace for his team, and I think he is having a great time."

The Portuguese forward regained confidence and prominence just as Portugal dreams of lifting the World Cup.

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