Porto midfielder eyes U17 World Cup and future with the Dragons | OneFootball

Some consider him vain, but it is on the field that Bernardo Lima truly stands out. “They say I’m always getting ready and that I take a long time,” explains the FC Porto midfielder, one of the key players for the U-17 National Team in their victory at the 2025 European Championship and who now, on the eve of the World Cup, expresses a clear objective: to win the tournament.

“Our responsibility is to give our all and we have to approach every match as if it were a final. But I would really love to win this World Cup,” began the Portuguese international, who, in an interview with Portal dos Dragões, introduced himself to those less familiar: “I am a very hardworking, intense player, who likes to have the ball at his feet and to score goals.”

Focused on giving his all for the national team, the 17-year-old acknowledges the difficulties Portugal will face at the World Cup, debuting on Monday against New Caledonia. “Our group is possibly one of the toughest, but we like these challenges. We don’t know them as well, but we’ll approach the game the same way as against Morocco and Japan. We know it will be tough, but we have to be at our best.”

The National Team trained for the first time yesterday at the Al Thumama training center in Doha (Qatar), and is looking to surpass Portugal’s best finish – 3rd place achieved in 1989, when Bino Maçães was a player. “That’s our goal and we’re going to give our best. The group is confident and motivated for what’s ahead,” concluded the midfielder, who revealed the three role models of his career: “Since I was little, my idol has been Cristiano Ronaldo. For everything he teaches us, for his discipline and the way he works and never gives up. At FC Porto, I liked Nico [González] and João Pinto, for their grit and mystique.”

Dream at FC Porto

Bernardo Lima is seen as a talent to watch and made the list of the 60 most promising players born in 2008 compiled by ‘The Guardian’. This season, the midfielder has alternated between the U-19s and FC Porto’s B team, in a demanding environment.

“The 2nd Division is a very good, demanding competition. I play against teams with older and stronger players than me, but I have to adapt,” admitted the youngster, who dreams of fulfilling his childhood dream of wearing the main team’s shirt: “It’s the club of my heart.”

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