Benfica striker sparks row: torn between Portugal, Brazil, Italy | OneFootball

Arthur Moraes made a name for himself between the posts while playing for Benfica and Roma, among other clubs, but now it is his son who is starting to catch the eye in football. Luca Moraes, just 14 years old, plays as a forward and is already attracting the attention of three national teams: Italy, Brazil, and Portugal.

At Benfica for eight years, the youngster was born in Lisbon and already holds a Portuguese passport, making him eligible to represent the national team. Before that, however, Luca had already had the opportunity to wear the shirts of Italy’s and Brazil’s youth national teams. His goalscoring potential is clear. Last season, the forward scored 43 goals in 33 matches across Benfica’s under-15 and under-16 levels, numbers that helped put him on the radar of the three federations.

Speaking to GloboEsporte, Arthur Moraes explained the process and revealed that Italy and Brazil had already been closely following his son’s development: "In Italy, they had been watching him for a while. In January, he got the call-up to the Italian national team, when he played an official match against Slovenia. In two games, he had the chance to score one goal. The Brazil national team had been monitoring him," he said.

The former Eagles goalkeeper also revealed that "all the national teams" had contacted Benfica to gather information about the player and that Luca received his first Brazil call-up in February. Now, Portugal has also emerged as a possibility. "He can also play for Portugal. He already has the passport," Arthur explained.

The father also described the youngster’s profile: 1.87 meters tall, physically strong, intelligent, with good passing ability and, above all, a very strong presence in the box. Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, and Neymar are some of Luca’s role models, and according to Arthur, he stands out for being "a natural finisher."

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