Portugal’s most exciting young talent Rodrigo Mora can’t get a game and on his way out at Porto – how come? | OneFootball

Nobody doubts Rodrigo Mora’s talent but Porto’s attacking midfielder does not fit into coach Francesco Farioli’s plans. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Rodrigo Mora made an explosive start to his senior career when he burst onto the scene two seasons ago. In the midst of a disastrous season for FC Porto, the then 17-year-old was the one silver lining for the Dragons.

The attacking midfielder was simply sensational in his debut campaign, literally carrying the team on his teenage shoulders. Mora ended 2024/25 with 11 goals and 4 assists in 35 matches despite rarely playing the full 90 minutes.

The quality of his play and the huge impact he made despite his young age and diminutive stature marked him out as a special talent, with Mora compiling several candidates for goal of the season.

Portugal call-up

He was duly called up by Roberto Martínez for the Seleção squad for the final four of the 2025 Nations League, in Munich. Although he did not feature as Portugal won the tournament, Mora integrated well into the squad and celebrated exuberantly at the Allianz Arena, very much looking part of the national team setup.

It makes what happened next all the more surprising.

Francesco Farioli was appointed Porto’s new coach at the start of last season. The Italian made a triumphant entrance into Portuguese football, guiding Porto to their first league championship in four seasons.

But in the same way Mora’s brilliance was a shining light in a forgettable season for Porto, the player’s negligible role under the Italian was the only cloud in an otherwise happy campaign for the Dragons.

Square peg in a round hole

Farioli’s football is unapologetically based on athleticism and hard running. The miserly nature of their defence was the chief reason for their success last year, with robust and endless-stamina midfielders such as Victor Froholdt, Pablo Rosário, Alan Varela and Seko Fofana playing lead roles.

Further up the pitch, Farioli preferred hard-working wide players such as Pepê and Borja Sainz, or speedy, direct wingers like William Gomes and Oskar Pietuszewski, to any system that contemplated the more cerebral Mora.

Notwithstanding, Mora accumulated 49 games for Porto, scoring 9 goals. Not too shabby for an 18-year-old on the face of it. But he had clearly dropped down the pecking order. The joy had visibly been sapped out of his game. Mora completed 90 minutes only twice all season, one of which was the meaningless final game of the season. To his credit, Mora remained the consummate professional, never complaining at his diminishing opportunities, either directly or through third parties. Until now.

Cash cow

Portugal’s biggest clubs rely heavily on player sales as a revenue stream. Porto’s title-winning season was funded by a record transfer spend in the summer of 2025. Twelve month on and at least one big-money sale is required to balance the books. Porto’s most lucrative assets are Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, Danish midfielder Victor Froholdt and Rodrigo Mora. Given that the first two were absolutely crucial to the championship triumph and are key components of the team, it makes most sense to sell a player who the side has proved it can prosper without.

The Portuguese press reported last week that negotiations were taking place with a view to Mora’s transfer to Italy. Roma and AC Milan are said to be interested in his signature, but Porto’s asking price of €50 million is proving a stumbling block.

Mora’s lawyer adds fuel to the fire

“Rodrigo is sad,” said the player’s lawyer Luís Miguel Henrique on Portuguese TV last week. “He wants to fight for his place, but he wants to play. He realises he has now dropped to third option. The South Korean player [Hwang Inbeom] has arrived to be second option. Rodrigo just wants to play.”

“Porto want to do a deal that’s almost impossible to pull off. Only Jorge Mendes could sell a bench player for €50 million, because that doesn’t exist.”

The discourse was not well received at the club, but the fact Mora was an unused substitute while new signing Inbeom came on as a 66th-minute in Porto’s 2-0 win at Rio Ave last night lends more weight to Henrique’s words.

“Building an unhelpful narrative”

And judging by his post-match comments, Farioli does not feel any pressure to change Mora’s current bit-part role in his team.

“Sometimes people like to build a narrative and create noise. Whoever said Mora is first, second or third choice doesn’t know what he’s talking about because he’s never spoken to me.

“This honestly doesn’t help anyone. When you put people under the spotlight who you should be helping it’s not the right thing to do.

“I make the decisions. I’m paid to make them and to manage the squad. The group as a whole is always the priority. Nothing is bigger than FC Porto.”

All indications point towards Rodrigo Mora no longer being a Porto player by the time the summer transfer window closes.