Francisco Mendes signs pro deal, stays at FC Porto for 2026/27 | OneFootball

Francisco Mendes has signed a professional contract with FC Porto and will continue to be the team’s goalkeeper in 2026/27. The 17-year-old keeper took his first steps in football at SC Linda-a-Velha, later represented Benfica and Belenenses, and arrived in Porto at the age of 13.

“More mature and consistent,” the young Portuguese international believes the Club has helped him “grow as a person” and feels “great pride and an indescribable emotion” at achieving “the individual goal” of extending his ties with “a club very different from the others.”

After winning the national under-17 championship and signing his new contract, the goalkeeper, who names Diogo Costa and Emiliano Martínez as role models, looks back on the most memorable moments of “a long but very good season,” speaks about the under-19s’ “positive start” to pre-season, and reveals his ambitions for the near future: “We want to repeat last year’s achievements and, individually, I’d like to train with the B team.”

The new professional contract “It’s a huge source of pride and an indescribable feeling. I feel that the Club believes in me and trusts me. There are no words to describe this.”

Two goals achieved “I’m very happy. The under-17 championship was a group achievement, but it was always a goal of mine. The contract was a more individual goal, and I worked every day to try to reach it and didn’t stop until I did.”

The decisive match “In the final minutes they still hit the crossbar and we shook a bit, but the ball didn’t go in and that’s what matters. The happiest moment was when the referee blew the whistle and the celebrations began. From that moment on, it was the best feeling.”

Looking back on 2025/26 “It was a long season, but it was worth it. It was a very good season and, above all, one of great happiness and pride. The coaches made us internalize FC Porto’s principles. We always tried to keep a clean sheet and, with a lot of hard work, we managed to become Champions.”

The trophy presentation ceremony “It was a very good moment. We wanted to lift the trophy at home straight away, but that wasn’t possible. In any case, it was still very special and a very good feeling.”

The champions’ medal “It’s in my bedroom in Lisbon, hanging right by the entrance. That way, whenever someone goes in, they can see it.”

The start of 2026/27 “It’s been a positive start. We’re still trying to adapt, because this is our first year at under-19 level. Many of us are still under-18, but I have good expectations for this year.”

José João “It’s good to be coached by him, because we already know him and we know his style of play and what the coach wants from each position. That ends up being an advantage for us.”

Adapting to the under-19s “Of course there’s more responsibility. We’re almost making the jump to the professional level, and that has to weigh on us when we step onto the pitch, but we always keep the same focus.”

The national team experience “The moment when we sing the anthem is one of the happiest a player can have. There are no words to describe that feeling. At the time, I wasn’t expecting to be called up, but I was very happy. I admit I was also a bit nervous, because it was something new, but above all I was very happy.”

How his passion for goalkeeping began “My passion for football was something I was born with, but my passion for goalkeeping came later. I was four or five years old and one of my cousins gave me a pair of gloves for my birthday. I’m not really sure why, but I started going in goal and I really liked it. In the first training session, I immediately asked the coach to let me go in goal and, since then, I’ve always been a goalkeeper.”

What he likes about the position “I like being the last man, having a decisive role and feeling that people can count on me.”

Penalties “It’s a big responsibility. The player taking the kick feels even more responsibility than the goalkeeper, because people believe every penalty will be a goal, but if we save it, it’s a great feeling. I try to watch the foot of the player who’s going to shoot, those more technical things, but I don’t have any ritual.”

Being away from family “The first few months were complicated, but adaptation is a process and, with each year that passes, I feel more comfortable. I already feel at home.”

The role of his parents “My parents helped me a lot, because there were very difficult moments when I felt down, but they came here, lifted me up and reminded me of my goal. That’s a great help. All the effort was worth it.”

Wearing blue and white “FC Porto is a very different team. I feel a great responsibility playing in these colors and that’s incredible. It’s a club very different from the others. You can truly feel the passion everyone has for this Club.”

Personal development “On the pitch, I’m a more mature and consistent player, and off the pitch I feel that FC Porto is also helping me grow as a person. As soon as I arrived here, they made a point of passing on Porto’s values to me.”

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