Frozen out by Mourinho, player revived at Benfica under Marco Silva | OneFootball

Dodi Lukebakio could be earning a new opportunity at Benfica. The Belgian winger, whose future seemed to lie away from the Luz while José Mourinho remained in charge, is now using the international fixtures to convince Marco Silva that he deserves to be part of the Eagles’ squad next season.

In Belgium’s 5-0 win over Tunisia, Lukebakio once again stood out by scoring a stunning goal, finishing acrobatically inside the box. The performance comes at an important moment, with the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, and is being closely watched by Benfica’s hierarchy and by the coach preparing to take charge of the team.

Signed from Sevilla last summer for around €20 million, the Belgian international has never fully managed to justify the investment. Between physical problems and a lack of competitive consistency, his first season wearing the Eagles’ shirt fell short of expectations. Throughout 2025/26, he made just 1,347 minutes of appearances, divided between starts, cameos off the bench, and several periods out of the main plans.

Under José Mourinho, the outlook pointed to an almost inevitable departure. The coach wanted to strengthen the right side of the attack and saw the signing of another winger as a priority, placing Lukebakio on the list of players available for transfer. The intention was also to recover part of Benfica’s investment.

However, Marco Silva’s arrival could change that picture. The Portuguese coach believes the Belgian’s characteristics fit the style of play he wants to implement and, at this point, the club’s priority is mainly the signing of a left winger. The departure of Sidny Lopes Cabral and the lack of direct alternatives to Andreas Schjelderup reinforce that need.

Watch Lukebakio’s goal against Tunisia:

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