Portuguese wonderkids born between 2007 and 2010 have everything it takes to make a splash in FM 2027. This list is only about the U19s: 20 youngsters aged 19 or under that we're tipping to become wonderkids in the next edition. We'll do another one for the U23s later. Some have already shaken up the transfer market and cost tens of millions, others became U17 European and world champions and there are 16-year-olds who are barely known outside the youth ranks.
Here's the essential for each player: the club, the position, what they've won and what they've been worth. There are links along the way too. Six of them played together in the 2024 U17 European Championship final, which Portugal lost to Italy, and five went on to win the European Championship and the World Cup at that age group in 2025. These aren't certainties. They're bets, but well-founded ones. The real-world data is as of October 2026.
Rodrigo Mora (Roma)
Roma paid FC Porto €25 million (plus €2 million in add-ons) for half of Rodrigo Mora's economic rights. They also hold an option on the rest and the final bill could reach €50 million. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has already been called up to the senior national team and was part of the squad that won the Nations League, but he hasn't played yet. While he waits for his debut he keeps shining for the U21s: five goals in ten games, one of them the bicycle kick in the 4-0 win over Gibraltar on September 30 that sealed qualification for the Euros. He was a finalist at the 2024 U17 European Championship and is on the 2026 Golden Boy shortlist.
Geovany Quenda (Chelsea)
Like Mora, Geovany Quenda has already been called up to the senior national team but hasn't played yet. Chelsea paid around €50 million for the 19-year-old right winger, born in Bissau. The deal was agreed in 2025 and completed in July 2026, with a contract until 2034. He left Sporting with 86 appearances, nine goals and 17 assists. For the U21s he has seven goals in 16 games. In 2024 he was a finalist at the U17 European Championship alongside Mora, João Simões, Eduardo Felicíssimo, Gabriel Silva and Diogo Ferreira. Portugal lost the final to Italy.
Mezian Mesloub (RC Lens)
Mezian Mesloub was born in France, is the son of former Algeria international Walid Mesloub and has Portuguese roots on his mother's side. The 16-year-old attacking midfielder made his Lens debut on May 8: he came on in the 79th minute and scored five seconds later in a 1-0 win over Nantes. On September 10 he made his Champions League debut in Prague with an assist: Thauvin equalised in the 91st minute and Lens went on to beat Slavia 3-2. He became the third-youngest player ever to be involved in a goal in the competition, behind only Cherki and Zaïre-Emery. Like Lamine Yamal, he is one of the few under-17s to provide an assist in the Champions League.
He has already played for Portugal's U16s and U17s and made his U21 debut in September, but Portugal are in for a tough fight against France and Algeria to hold on to the youngster already being called the new Yamal. His grandfather says he has chosen Portugal and the Portuguese FA admits other federations are interested. And Portugal already knows how it feels to lose a talent like this: it happened with Diego Moreira, who came through the youth teams from U16 to U21 and ended up playing for Belgium. Lens are said to have beaten Benfica to his first professional contract.
Daniel Banjaqui (Benfica)
Daniel Banjaqui already knows what winning feels like: he was a U17 European and world champion in 2025 and played both finals (3-0 against France in the Euros and 1-0 against Austria in the World Cup) alongside José Neto, Rafael Quintas, Bernardo Lima and Mateus Mide. Miguel Figueiredo was also in the World Cup squad but stayed on the bench. That December the 18-year-old right wing-back made his first-team debut for Benfica under José Mourinho, coming on in the closing minutes at Farense. He has five caps and two goals for the U21s, extended his contract until 2031 with an €80 million release clause and is still on the radar of Barcelona, Manchester United and Tottenham.
Mateus Mané (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Mateus Mané was born in Barreiro, grew up in Manchester and in 2024 was called up to Portugal's and England's U18s at the same time. He ended up playing seven times for England, but in 2026 he changed his mind and chose Portugal and has already made his debuts for the U21s and the U20s. The 19-year-old right winger scored his first senior goal for Wolves in January, in a 3-0 win over West Ham. The British press talks of prices between £30 million and £50 million, even after Wolves' drop to the Championship.
Flávio Gonçalves (Sporting)
Flávio Gonçalves is having a huge start to the season at Alvalade. After a year at Sporting B, the 19-year-old left winger broke into the first team scoring and already has three goals and an assist in the opening league games, one of them in the 2-0 win over Nacional. He was born in Mantes-la-Jolie, France, and joined Sporting from Rio Ave in 2019. He has already played for Portugal's U18s, U19s, U20s and U21s.
José Neto (Benfica B)
José Neto was a U17 European and world champion in 2025 and one of the faces of the World Cup: he played all eight of Portugal's games in Qatar, scored four goals and provided two assists. The 18-year-old left wing-back from Aljustrel extended his Benfica contract until 2031, played three times for the first team under Mourinho and made his U19 debut in March.
Bernardo Lima (FC Porto B)
Bernardo Lima was a U17 European and world champion in 2025. He is from São João da Madeira and joined FC Porto from Sanjoanense in 2016. Today the 18-year-old central midfielder plays for the B team, turns out for the U19s in the Youth League and extended his contract until 2031. He has 28 caps for Portugal's U17s and has already reached the U19s.
Mateus Mide (FC Porto B)
Mateus Mide was a U17 European and world champion in 2025 and was voted best player of the World Cup, the first Portuguese to win the tournament's Golden Ball. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder scored four goals and set up two on the way to the title. He has nine goals in 29 games for the U17s. He has been at FC Porto since the age of four, made his B-team debut in January and extended his contract until 2031.
Tiago Rodrigues (Benfica)
Tiago Rodrigues is only 17 but is already skipping stages at Benfica. He has been through the U15s, U17s and U19s, has reached the U23s and in 2025/26 scored five goals in 29 games for the juniors. The right winger has three goals in 15 games for Portugal's U17s and made his U18 debut on September 29.
João Simões (Sporting)
João Simões was a finalist at the 2024 U17 European Championship and captained Portugal in the defeat to Italy. He was born in Portimão, came through at Portimonense and Sporting and has already started for Rui Borges in the Champions League, in the win over Lens. The 19-year-old midfielder has only just come back from five months out with a fractured foot and still splits his days between the Academy and university. He has 39 caps for the U17s and four for the U21s.
Diogo Ferreira (Benfica B)
Diogo Ferreira is the only goalkeeper on this list and was a finalist at the 2024 U17 European Championship, in goal for the defeat to Italy. Now 19, he is a starter for Benfica's B team, with 26 games in the Liga 2. He signed his first professional contract in 2023 and has since played eight times for the U19s and made his U21 debut.
Eduardo Felicíssimo (Sporting B)
Eduardo Felicíssimo is from Montijo, signed his first contract with Sporting in 2023 and extended it until 2030 in December. The 19-year-old centre-back was a finalist at the 2024 U17 European Championship and started the final lost to Italy. He has 23 caps and two goals for the U19s and made his U21 debut in June.
Miguel Figueiredo (Benfica B)
Miguel Figueiredo studied for his national exams on the road and, in between, made his first-team debut for Benfica. He made his debut on July 23 in St. Gallen (Europa League), starting straight away. He was 17, which puts him among the youngest ever to play for the club. The central midfielder is from Aveiro, signed his first professional contract at 16 and was U17 world champion in 2025, with a goal against Mexico in the round of 16. He was not in the squad that won the European Championship and was on the bench in the World Cup final.
Tiago Silva (FC Porto B)
Tiago Silva is a 19-year-old defensive midfielder who came through at FC Porto, where he played for the U17s and U19s. He is already picking up minutes with the B team, with 11 games in the Liga 2 in 2025/26. He has played for Portugal at U16, U18 (ten games) and U19 level. He is one of three defensive midfielders on this list, along with Rafael Quintas and Isaac Badu.
Rafael Quintas (Benfica B)
Rafael Quintas captained Portugal to the U17 European and World titles in 2025 and left the European Championship as the tournament's best player. His national-team teammates call him "the president". The 18-year-old defensive midfielder has been at Benfica since 2013, plays for the B team and has 28 caps for the U17s.
Gabriel Silva (Sporting B)
Gabriel Silva is the only striker on the list and was a finalist at the 2024 U17 European Championship. He plays for Sporting's B team and, at 19, already has a goalscorer's numbers in the youth teams: 12 goals in 21 games for the U17s, six in 19 for the U19s and two in three for the U20s, where he arrived in September.
Isaac Badu (Chelsea)
Isaac Badu was born in Amadora and has triple nationality: Portuguese, English and Ghanaian. The 16-year-old defensive midfielder has already played for Portugal's U17s and U18s. At Chelsea he made his U18 debut at just 15, in a side where the youngest players are getting more and more room.
Diego Farinha (Sporting)
Diego Farinha is 16 and already plays for Sporting's U19s, where he arrived from Benfica. He is left-footed, has three goals in 19 games for Portugal's U16s and made his U17 debut on September 30.
Gonçalo Fontes (FC Porto)
Gonçalo Fontes is the big star of FC Porto's youth ranks. The 16-year-old central midfielder signed a professional contract in July 2026 and the club presented him as national U17 and U19 champion. He is already a Portugal U17 international and has a brother, Guilherme, who is also a midfielder in the club's youth sides.
Did we miss a name you already have your eye on for FM 2027? Tell us in the comments.
