Joao Felix is already well on his way to greatness.
He won the Primeira Liga with Benfica, the Nations League with Portugal, and he is currently sparkling in Atletico Madrid’s La Liga title challenge.
Nothing has done him during his astonishingly outstanding performance, not even the look of a £ 100 million + transfer that made him by far the most expensive player in the history of Portuguese football … just 19 years.
But at a time when Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are scoring at biblical pace and threatening to become this generation’s Messi and Ronaldo, it’s fair to say he’s getting some sleep.
?? @ JoaoFelix70? @HHerreramex ??
????? ♂️ ???? ♀️
? ⚪ #AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/EThCvTWvgr
– Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) April 10, 2021
So let’s take a trip down the field of memory to a time when Felix was the city’s caller more than any of his contemporaries.
April 11, 2019 was the day Joao Felix announced himself to the world.
He had been on fire for Benfica before that time. Already in double figures for domestic goals, the 19-year-old enjoyed a phenomenal breakthrough season and was on the radar of some of the biggest clubs on the planet.
He did not really have to do a hat trick in the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt, which made him the youngest hat trick scorer in the history of the competition. But he did it anyway. Because he’s Joao Felix.
João Félix = the youngest player in history to do a #UEL trick! ??? @ joaofelix70 | @SLBenfica pic.twitter.com/SU100qRqhV
– UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) 15 April 2019
He took the Frankfurt defense to himself, opened the scoring from the penalty spot and reached the half-time battle again with the choice of the gang.
He slalomed through the helpless guest defense before unleashing a powerful long-range finish like arrows in the lower right corner.
And within nine minutes of restarting, history was created. Aged just 19 years 153 days, Felix became the youngest player to score three times in a Europa League match.
• Real Madrid • Man United • Bayern Munich • Liverpool • Barcelona
Everyone is reported to have an interest in Benfica’s rising star Joao Felix …
The 19-year-old got a hat trick and an assist against Frankfurt?
What a talent! pic.twitter.com/C1NH9VYzKO
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 12, 2019
With a cool right foot over the desperate Kevin Trapp, he became the youngest player to hit a treble in European competition since Sergio Aguero against Kayseri Erciyesspor in 2007.
With the drive he already had behind him, Felix did not exactly need another shooting range. But his historic treble still gave him.
He netted five more times on Benfica’s path to the league title, enough to convince Atletico he was worth stepping into. In this way, he got his hands on the Portuguese league title – a fitting sign-off for a player who threatens to become Benfica’s best export ever.
Felix signed with cutlery | Carlos Rodrigues / Getty Images
So far, Frankfurt’s hat-trick is the only one in his professional career. But how things go, you feel it will not be the last.
