Joao Felix buried his career

Perhaps in the modern football world, there is hardly any name that causes as much regret as Joao Felix.

Joao Felix received a lot of expectations, but ultimately disappointed.

Once hailed as Portugal’s “new Ronaldo”, Felix, now 25, has left Europe to play for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, a move that appears to confirm that the £113m star has given up on his dream of reaching the pinnacle of world football.

From 'pure art' at Benfica to the contract of the century

In 2018, Joao Felix debuted for Benfica's first team and immediately took Europe by storm. In just 43 games in the 2018/19 season, he scored 20 goals, including 15 in the league, helping Benfica win the championship and receive the Young Player of the Year award. Notably, his hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals made Felix the youngest player in history to score a hat-trick in the competition.

That explosion made Felix the third most expensive signing in the world, with a fee of £113 million when Atletico Madrid bought him to replace Antoine Griezmann. But from that moment, Felix's career began to decline.

At Atletico, Felix scored a total of 35 goals and 16 assists in 131 games - not bad, but not worth the record fee. He won La Liga with Atletico in the 2020/21 season, but only started 14 games and scored 7 goals, of which only 3 were after Christmas. The incompatibility with Diego Simeone's philosophy of disciplined defense and high-intensity pressing made Felix forever "the unruly student".

Many coaches have praised Felix’s technique and fluidity on the ball, but have also complained that he lacks aggression when he doesn’t have the ball. A modern attacker needs to not only score goals, but also be part of the pressing – something Felix has never been willing to compromise on.

Felix could not last long in any club he played for.

Ignoring the warnings, Felix found his way out of Atletico. But from Chelsea, Barcelona to AC Milan, the pattern continued: a few shining moments, then fading away.

Since leaving Atletico, Felix has had a series of short-lived adventures that have failed to make a lasting impression. In 2023, he was loaned to Chelsea and scored four goals in 20 games, but started with a ridiculous red card on his debut against Fulham.

In the 2023/24 season, Felix joined Barcelona and scored 10 goals, including a double against Atletico - his parent club - but still could not convince Barca to buy him outright. More surprisingly, Chelsea spent 45 million pounds to own Felix in the summer of 2024. Here, he scored 7 goals, achieving a performance of 1 goal/135 minutes - the best number since leaving Benfica - but most of them came in cup matches against weak opponents such as Panathinaikos or Morecambe.

By 2025, Felix was on loan at AC Milan, scoring 3 goals in 21 games, averaging 339 minutes between goals, and his most memorable moment was the moment Kyle Walker "taught him a lesson" in the tunnel. "No one here is Lionel Messi," the former Manchester City star scolded Felix.

Statistics show that in the six years since leaving Benfica, Felix has never exceeded 10 goals/season in major tournaments. A player who was expected to be the “future of Portuguese football” has been buried in inconsistent performances and lack of desire.

What is the problem?

According to Guillem Balague, “Felix drives coaches crazy. They see potential, but he doesn’t listen. He lacks patience, doesn’t work hard defensively and isn’t consistent enough.”

Felix now packed his bags and went to Saudi Arabia to "earn a living".

Felix’s career may be a testament to a generation of players who were pampered too early. While at Benfica, the press once praised him, calling him “the new Ronaldo”. But six years later, people only see a player who lost his way, leaving Europe at the age of 25 – an age when he should have reached his peak.

Felix’s decision to move to Al-Nassr instead of returning to Benfica as previously hinted is a clear sign that he has given up on competing at the top of Europe. Felix will undoubtedly play alongside Ronaldo, receive a huge salary and still be praised in Saudi Arabia. But in the eyes of many, this is a sad end for a player who won the 2019 Golden Boy award and was valued as a superstar.

In 45 games for Portugal, Felix scored 9 goals and won 2 Nations Leagues, but that was not enough to erase the feeling of regret. Journalist Alves frankly said: "The 6 months of explosion at Benfica will always be the peak of Felix's career. And it is hard to accept that he went to Saudi Arabia at the age of 25."

Joao Felix was once the dream of Portuguese football, but now he is just a warning: Talent is not enough. Modern football requires ambition, sacrifice and perseverance - things Felix has forgotten.

Source: https://znews.vn/joao-felix-tu-chon-vui-su-nghiep-post1570059.html