On his debut, Luís Guilherme set to play key role in Bodø/Glimt v Sporting | OneFootball

It was in July 2024 that Luís Guilherme - now at Sporting - left Palmeiras to head to West Ham, in a transfer valued at around 23 million euros. At the time, the Brazilian winger, only 20 years old, was seen as one of the greatest promises in South American football, having shone in a generation that also included talents like Endrick and Estêvão.

However, the experience in England did not go as expected, and in January 2026, the young player ended up changing course by signing with Sporting. The Lions paid around 14 million euros for the player's transfer, with the deal potentially reaching an additional 3 million depending on objectives.

Luís Guilherme was officially presented on January 4th as the first winter signing for the team managed by Rui Borges. The second would be the winger Faye, signed from Granada. Two days after the presentation, the Brazilian was already on the bench in the League Cup semi-final match against Vitória SC, entering in the 90th minute in the 2-1 defeat.

Despite the quick integration into the squad, the winger was unable to participate in the Champions League matches against PSG and Athletic Bilbao. UEFA rules state that winter signings can only be used in the knockout stages of the competition.

As Sporting finished the league phase in 7th place and secured direct access to the round of 16, the Brazilian's first European moment only came now. Thus, the match against Bodø/Glimt in Norway marks not only his European debut for Sporting but also his first participation in UEFA competitions - more than a year and a half after arriving in European football.

And everything indicates that this debut will happen as a starter. Luís Guilherme is expected to line up on the left of the attack, occupying the spot that belonged to Pedro Gonçalves in the draw against Braga. Even so, the Brazilian had already been gaining ground in the team: he was a starter in the matches against Moreirense, Estoril, and Porto, as well as having started against Famalicão - in that case from the right.

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