Tiaguinho is futsal team's second signing: “FC Porto was always my dream” | OneFootball

Tiaguinho is the second signing for FC Porto’s newly created futsal team, which will compete in the National Third Division Championship in 2026/27. The 28-year-old Portuguese international winger arrives driven by his emotional bond with the club, his ambition to win, and his desire to put his experience at the service of a project that is only just beginning. The new Porto player did not hide the significance of the moment and assured: “it was and is my dream.”

Officially announced this Sunday, Tiaguinho joins FC Porto’s first-ever futsal squad aware that he is living through a particularly symbolic moment. For someone who sees the Dragons as the club of his heart, the message is clear: happiness, gratitude, and commitment to the proposed goals.

In his first reaction to the announcement, the player placed emotion above any other idea. The opportunity to serve FC Porto comes to him as both a privilege and a responsibility.

“First of all, it is a feeling of great happiness, but above all gratitude for being able to be part of my beloved Club’s team and to serve FC Porto,” he said. “I want to help the team achieve its goals.”

In Tiaguinho’s words, there is an immediate commitment to the collective. His excitement about the moment does not take away his focus on what he can add to the team.

The bond with FC Porto was not born with the invitation. The winger admitted that wearing the blue and white shirt had been a goal that had been with him since the start of his futsal journey.

“Ever since I started playing, it has been a huge goal of mine to wear the FC Porto shirt, because it has always been my Club,” he explained. “Being able to be part of this story from the beginning, it is impossible not to feel happy and proud of all my work up to this point.”

Joining the project therefore carries a weight that goes beyond a new sporting chapter. Tiaguinho sees it as the fulfilment of a long-held wish and the reward for the path he has travelled.

Asked about FC Porto’s arrival in the sport, the Portuguese international highlighted the importance he places on the club’s presence in futsal. The stature of the badge and its connection to the North are central to his view.

“FC Porto was greatly missed in futsal, because of the size of the Club, because it is from the North, where people are more combative and passionate,” he said. “FC Porto’s presence in the sport was needed. Now it is coming in, and it is coming in to win.”

There is no excessive caution in Tiaguinho’s words when he speaks about the ambition of the new project. The expectation is that FC Porto’s arrival will be matched by an immediate competitive demand.

The call from the Dragons left no room for hesitation. After a life connected to futsal, the invitation reached a player who knew exactly what he wanted.

“I’ve been playing futsal since I was eight years old. When FC Porto called me, I didn’t think twice; it was and is my dream.”

He says the decision was as natural as the bond he had always felt with the club. The dream of wearing the FC Porto shirt has finally become a reality.

In the new dressing room, Tiaguinho will also reunite with Fernando Cardinal, someone he knows from a national team training camp. The meeting brings with it memories and recognition.

“A curious fact is that we have already shared a room at a national team training camp, and he is undoubtedly a great reference in our futsal. I’m very happy.”

The reference to Fernando Cardinal reveals the value Tiaguinho places on experience within the group. It is another sign of satisfaction in a project that brings together different paths and ambitions under the same shirt.

As for what he can offer, the winger began with commitment and then opened the book on the experience he has built up. His aim is to put his tactical and technical quality at the service of his teammates and FC Porto.

“The fans can expect commitment from me; that is the first point. Then, tactically and technically, I want to give a lot to the team,” he stressed. “I have already been in several finals and several final stages of competitions, and I have also played in the Champions League. It is always good to have that experience, and I will undoubtedly do everything to help my teammates and FC Porto.”

Tiaguinho therefore arrives with a simple and direct promise: work, experience, and dedication. For a project taking its first steps, the new signing wants his experience to speak on the court.

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