Official! 1.91m goalkeeper signs new Benfica deal | OneFootball

Benfica officially announced the contract renewal with Leonardo Lopes on Tuesday, May 19. The 18-year-old goalkeeper’s new deal reinforces the Club of Light’s continued commitment - which sees another gem called up to the national team - to developing the emerging talent from its academy.

Happy with the news, the young goalkeeper described signing a new deal with “a club of this magnitude” as an "indescribable feeling." "It is a dream of mine, of my family, of my parents, of everyone who supports me. I hope I can continue for many more years serving this great club," he said in statements to BTV.

"Here inside Benfica Campus, on the social side, the staff, everyone who supports me, have helped me tremendously. It is a huge responsibility to come here to live and leave the comfort of your family, obviously. The entire Benfica structure has helped me a lot and has contributed to my development," he revealed.

Even so, when challenged to choose the best memory of his journey at the Club so far, Leonardo Lopes highlighted another moment: "My first time going with the first team. And on top of that, in the Champions League, at Chelsea’s iconic stadium. It was incredible. It was a great experience for me, one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

With his eyes on the future, the young goalkeeper hopes to "be able to play in a Champions League with the first team" and "try to become a great idol of this club," while also leaving a promise to Benfica’s fans: "I will give everything for this club, and I hope to win many titles alongside the Benfiquistas."

A second-year Under-19 junior, Leonardo Lopes won the National Championships at Iniciados level (2022/23), Juvenis B level (2023/24), and Juvenis A level (2024/25) wearing the Sacred Shirt, and has also earned 12 caps for Portugal’s youth national teams (three for the Under-15s, four for the Under-16s, four for the Under-17s, and one for the Under-18s).

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