Mourinho's golden boy named in Benfica squad for Nacional | OneFootball

Gonçalo Moreira was called up, for the second time, by José Mourinho. He is, perhaps, the main new name for the game against Nacional this Sunday at 6:00 p.m., considering that the returns of Leandro Barreiro and Aursnes, both recovered from their respective injuries, were already expected.

That night when the Special One confessed his admiration for the young Benfica player is now a distant memory. And since then, the talented attacking midfielder, who first started kicking a ball at Pedrouços, has had to overcome a few obstacles before getting another opportunity.

During the last international break, he made his debut for the under-21s against Azerbaijan in Baku and Scotland in Estoril, in qualifiers for Euro 2027, scored in both matches and was praised by coach Luís Freire. "It was the first time Gonçalo was with us. We had very good references about him from the under-20s, we also watch his games for Benfica B, in the Youth League, and we know he trains with the first team," the coach shared.

Recognition also came from the Liga Portugal 2 coaches, who recently voted him the best young player in the competition for the month of March, in which he made four appearances for the B team, scored two goals and provided one assist. The reality is that the reward for Gonçalo Moreira's quality and performances is now truly arriving. The attacking midfielder had been waiting a long time for another opportunity. And more than anyone, he wants to show that he is up to the challenge.

In the current sporting season, Gonçalo Moreira - valued at 1.2 million euros - has already featured in 33 matches across Benfica's B team, juniors and under-23 sides.

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