Samu aims to beat his 27 goals from 2024/25, eyes the 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

The playing style of Samu—stronger in exploiting depth and less technically refined—may divide opinions among the blue and white supporters, but after a year and a half at FC Porto, there is one undeniable reality: the goals. On Sunday, against Tondela, the Dragons’ number 9 scored his 11th goal of the season, standing out well above his teammates in terms of finishing—William Gomes, the second top scorer, has six goals.

Samu’s goal-scoring instinct is unique within the squad led by Francesco Farioli and plays a decisive role in the team’s success. This importance has grown with the serious injury to Luuk de Jong, which deprived the Italian coach of a key attacking option.

Without the Dutch international, the responsibility for scoring will fall mainly on the Spanish striker, although Deniz Gul has already proven to be a valid alternative this season. Samu, 21 years old, is never caught off guard: he lives with ambition and does not hide his frustration when things don’t go as expected—competitive traits that please the fans, Farioli, and the club’s management, and that drive him to set clear goals for the rest of the season.

The striker aims to surpass the 27 goals he scored last season, a demanding but plausible target, given the time remaining and his intention to raise his level in the second half of the championship. If he does not match the 2024/25 tally, there will be no alarm, but Samu wants to send a clear message to Luis de la Fuente, Spain’s national team coach: securing a spot at the 2026 World Cup is, alongside the league title, one of his main objectives. The player has been regularly called up to La Roja, but he intends to leave no doubts when the decisive moment arrives.

Facing competition such as Oyarzabal, Borja Iglesias, and Morata, among others, Samu knows he cannot slow down while wearing the blue and white shirt. He has scored in two of the last four matches—against Nice and Tondela—and unless a new striker arrives in the winter transfer window, he should have enough minutes to increase his tally. It is not certain, however, that he will start against Malmö; Deniz Gul has fully recovered, came on for 12 minutes against Tondela, and is an option to take the lead role in Farioli’s attacking trio. FC Porto’s priority is the league, and between the clash with the Swedes and the end of the year, the Dragons still face four more challenges—so it is vital to have their main striker in top form.

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