Absent from Benfica, Pavlidis has an unexpected moment in Greece | OneFootball

Vangelis Pavlidis has already returned to Greece, where he will enjoy a few days of rest before reporting for duty with the national team. The Benfica striker, who is part of the squad called up for the friendlies against Sweden and Italy, ended up being involved in an unexpected moment at Athens airport.

The Eagles’ number 14 crossed paths with the Greek ‘socca’ national team, a six-a-side football variant, which was preparing to travel to Tirana, where it will compete in the European Championship of the sport. The Greek international spent time with the players and took several photos, in an interaction that quickly caught attention on social media.

Pavlidis is only expected to officially join up with the Greece national team on May 28. The Greek side, despite not taking part in the 2026 World Cup, has two important friendlies scheduled against Sweden and Italy, set for June 4 and 7 respectively, as part of its preparation for upcoming international commitments.

It should be noted that the Benfica striker continues to generate strong interest in the transfer market. According to reports in the Turkish press, the Eagles’ hierarchy would be willing to negotiate Vangelis Pavlidis for a fee of around €35 million, an amount that would allow the club to recoup the investment made by the Lisbon side in 2024.

The same source adds that the Greek international has been linked with Fenerbahçe, a team looking to strengthen its attack in a bid to challenge Galatasaray’s recent dominance in Turkish football. If the move goes through, Benfica will look to secure a significant financial return, one that could open the door to further moves in the summer market.

In the 2025/26 season for Benfica, Vangelis Pavlidis — valued at €32 million — made 53 official appearances: 33 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 14 in the Champions League, three in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup and one in the Super Cup. In the 4,244 minutes he spent on the pitch, the Greek scored 30 goals and provided five assists.

Check out the moment shared between Vangelis Pavlidis and the Greek ‘socca’ national team:

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.