João Félix facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Félix and the second or paternal family name is Sequeira.

Quick facts for kids
João Félix

Félix warming up for Atlético Madrid in 2019

Personal information

Date of birth

10 November 1999 (age 25)

Place of birth

Viseu, Portugal

Height

1.81 m

Playing position

Attacking midfielder, forward

Club information

Current club

Chelsea

Number

Youth career

2007–2008

Os Pestinhas

2008–2015

Porto

2014–2015

→ Padroense (loan)

2015–2018

Benfica

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2016–2018

Benfica B

(9)

2018–2019

Benfica

(15)

2019–2024

Atlético Madrid

(25)

2023

→ Chelsea (loan)

(4)

2023–2024

→ Barcelona (loan)

(7)

2024–

Chelsea

(1)

National team^‡

2017

Portugal U18

(2)

2018

Portugal U19

(0)

2017–2018

Portugal U21

(4)

2019–

Portugal

(9)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Portugal
UEFA Nations League
Winner	2019 Portugal

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:40, 20 January 2025 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:15, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

João Félix Sequeira (born November 10, 1999) is a Portuguese professional football player. He plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for the Premier League club Chelsea. He also plays for the Portugal national team.

Félix started playing football at Porto's youth academy. In 2015, he moved to their rivals, Benfica. He joined Benfica's reserve team a year later. In 2018, at age 17, he moved up to the first team. He helped Benfica win the league title in his first season with them.

In 2019, when he was 19, Félix signed with Atlético Madrid. This was a club-record transfer worth €126 million. It was one of the most expensive football transfers ever. With Atlético, he won the 2020–21 La Liga title. Later, he played on loan for Chelsea and Barcelona. He then rejoined Chelsea permanently in 2024.

Félix also played for Portugal's youth teams. He represented his country at under-18, under-19, and under-21 levels. He played his first game for the senior national team in 2019. He helped Portugal win the first UEFA Nations League competition. He has also played for Portugal in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and Euro 2024.

Club Career Highlights

Early Football Days

João Félix started playing football at a club called Os Pestinhas in 2007. A year later, at age eight, he joined FC Porto's youth teams. Living far from Porto, he had to travel a lot. At 12, he moved away from his family to live closer to Porto's training grounds.

Félix later said he thought about quitting football because he wasn't playing much. But his dad encouraged him to keep going. In 2014, he left Porto and joined Benfica in 2015, when he was 15. Before that, he spent a season on loan at Padroense.

Benfica Success

Playing for the Youth Team (2016–2018)

Félix played his first professional game at age 16 for Benfica's reserve team. This was on September 17, 2016. He was the youngest player to debut for Benfica B at that time. He played 13 matches and scored three goals in his first season. He even scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) in January 2018.

During this time, Félix also played in the 2016–17 UEFA Youth League. He helped Benfica reach the final, scoring six goals in the tournament.

Joining the First Team and Winning the League (2018–19)

Félix moved up to Benfica's main team for the 2018–19 season. He played his first game in August. A week later, he scored his first goal in the Primeira Liga. This made him the youngest player to score in the big Lisbon derby game.

When Bruno Lage became the new coach, Félix started playing more often. He played alongside Haris Seferovic in attack. On April 11, 2019, Félix scored a hat-trick in a UEFA Europa League match. He became the youngest player ever to score three goals in that competition. He finished his first season with 20 goals. This included a goal on the final day that helped Benfica win the league title.

Atlético Madrid Journey

On July 3, 2019, Félix signed a seven-year contract with Spanish club Atlético Madrid. The transfer fee was €126 million. This was the highest amount ever paid by Atlético Madrid for a player. It was also the second-highest fee ever paid for a teenager. He was given the number 7 shirt, which was previously worn by Antoine Griezmann.

First Season with Atlético (2019–20)

Félix played his first official game for Atlético on August 19, 2019. He helped his team win a penalty in that game. He scored his first La Liga goal on September 1. On October 1, he scored his first Champions League goal. This made him the youngest goalscorer for Atlético Madrid in that competition.

In October, he got an ankle injury and was out for a month. In November 2019, Félix won the Golden Boy award. This award is for the best player in Europe under 21.

Over the next few months, Félix found it hard to get used to coach Diego Simeone's playing style. He struggled to find his best position and to press opponents as much as the coach wanted. In January 2020, he played in the Supercopa de España semi-finals. He later got another injury that kept him out for a month. On March 11, 2020, he helped Atlético win against Liverpool in the Champions League.

Winning La Liga and Dealing with Injuries (2020–21)

On September 27, 2020, Félix scored and assisted in Atlético's first La Liga game. He scored two goals in a Champions League win against Red Bull Salzburg. After scoring more goals in La Liga, he was named the league's Player of the Month for November 2020. He also scored against European champions Bayern Munich.

In February 2021, he got COVID-19 and missed some games. Despite injuries and less playing time, Félix helped Atlético win their first La Liga title in seven years. He made 31 league appearances, scoring 7 goals and providing 6 assists.

Atlético's Player of the Season (2021–22)

Félix missed the first three games of the 2021–22 season due to an ankle injury. He returned in September. On September 18, he was sent off (given a red card) for arguing with the referee. He then received a two-match ban.

He started to play better and scored his first goal of the season on October 31. For his good performances in October, he was named Atlético Madrid Player of the Month by the fans. After another injury in November, he had some disagreements with coach Diego Simeone. Despite this, he impressed in some games.

On February 19, 2022, Félix played his 100th game for the club. He scored and assisted in that match. He also scored in a Champions League game against Manchester United. In March, he was named the league's Player of the Month again. In April, he got another hamstring injury, which ended his season early. At the end of the season, Félix was named Atlético Madrid's Player of the Season by the fans. He finished with 10 goals and 6 assists.

Wanting to Leave Atlético and Loan to Chelsea (2022–23)

Félix started the 2022–23 season by giving three assists in one game. This was the first time he did that in his career. However, his relationship with coach Diego Simeone became difficult. He often lost his starting spot in the team. This made him want to leave the club.

In December, Atlético's CEO confirmed that Félix wanted to leave. On January 11, 2023, Félix joined Chelsea on loan for the rest of the season. He signed a new contract with Atlético until 2027 before the loan. He played his first game for Chelsea the next day. But he was sent off with a red card for a tackle and got a three-match ban. After returning, he scored his first goal for Chelsea on February 11. He scored four goals in 20 games for Chelsea. However, Chelsea's new coach decided not to sign him permanently, so he went back to Atlético.

Loan to Barcelona (2023–24)

When Félix returned to Atlético in July, he had a difficult time. He trained with the reserve team and was not appreciated by the club's directors or fans. He even said in an interview that he wanted to join Barcelona, which upset Atlético's supporters. He also lost his number 7 shirt back to Antoine Griezmann.

On September 1, Félix joined Barcelona on loan for the 2023–24 season. Barcelona agreed to pay his full wages. He made his debut two days later. On September 16, he scored in his first start for Barcelona. He said he was "very happy to be starting games again." On September 19, he scored two goals and assisted another in his Champions League debut for Barcelona.

On December 3, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against his parent club, Atlético Madrid. In the return game on March 17, Félix scored again against Atlético Madrid. He became the first player since Lionel Messi to score in both league games against Atlético in the same season.

Return to Chelsea (2024–)

On August 21, 2024, João Félix returned to Chelsea permanently. He signed a seven-year contract. He scored in his second debut for Chelsea on August 25, in a 6–2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

International Career

Youth Teams

João Félix started playing for Portugal's national youth teams in 2017. On June 14, 2017, he debuted for the under-18 team and scored two goals. On October 10, 2017, he played his first game for the under-21 team.

In 2018, he also played for the under-19 team. He scored his first goal for the under-21 team in a big 7–0 win. He helped the under-21 team reach the play-offs for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Overall, he played 14 youth games and scored 6 goals for Portugal.

Senior National Team

On March 15, 2019, João Félix was called up to the senior national team for the first time. He made his international debut on June 5 against Switzerland. Four days later, Portugal won the UEFA Nations League final against the Netherlands.

He scored his first goal for the senior team on September 5, 2020, in a 4–1 win against Croatia. Félix was part of Portugal's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. In October 2022, he was chosen for Portugal's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. On November 25, he scored his first World Cup goal against Ghana. He also provided two assists in a 6–1 win against Switzerland in the Round of 16. Portugal was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Morocco.

On September 11, 2023, Félix scored in Portugal's record 9–0 win against Luxembourg in the Euro 2024 qualifiers. In the Euro 2024 tournament, he missed a penalty in the shoot-out against France, which led to Portugal's elimination.

Player Profile

How He Plays

João Félix is known as a very skilled and technical player. He can play in many attacking positions. He has played as a main striker, a second striker, or even a winger. His main position is an attacking midfielder.

At Benfica, he usually played as a second striker. His job was to connect the midfield with the attack and create chances for the main striker. He also liked to run into the penalty box and score goals himself. At Atlético Madrid, he sometimes played a similar role. But he was also often used as a winger on either side of the field.

Félix is a smart player with a good eye for goal. His best skills include his creativity, how well he finishes shots, his touch on the ball, and his dribbling. He also has great vision and can make very accurate passes.

Personal Life

João Félix was born in Viseu, Portugal. His parents, Carlos and Carla, are both teachers. He has a younger brother named Hugo, who also plays football for Benfica's youth teams. When he was growing up, Félix looked up to famous footballers like Kaká and Rui Costa. He wanted to play like Rui Costa.

In April 2020, Félix donated equipment to a hospital in his hometown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Benfica B	2016–17	LigaPro	13	3	—		—		—		—		13	3
	2017–18	LigaPro	17	4	—		—		—		—		17	4
	Total		30	7	—		—		—		—		30	7
Benfica	2018–19	Primeira Liga	26	15	6	1	2	1	9	3	—		43	20
Atlético Madrid	2019–20	La Liga	27	6	1	0	—		6	3	2	0	36	9
	2020–21	La Liga	31	7	1	0	—		8	3	—		40	10
	2021–22	La Liga	24	8	2	1	—		8	1	1	0	35	10
	2022–23	La Liga	14	4	1	1	—		5	0	—		20	5
	Total		96	25	5	2	—		27	7	3	0	131	34
Chelsea (loan)	2022–23	Premier League	16	4	—		—		4	0	—		20	4
Barcelona (loan)	2023–24	La Liga	30	7	3	0	—		9	3	2	0	44	10
Chelsea	2024–25	Premier League	12	1	1	2	2	0	5	4	0	0	20	7
Career total			210	59	15	5	4	1	54	17	5	0	288	82

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Portugal	2019	5	0
	2020	8	3
	2021	7	0
	2022	8	1
	2023	8	3
	2024	9	2
Total		45	9

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Félix goal.

List of international goals scored by João Félix
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	5 September 2020	Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal	6	Croatia	3–0	4–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
2	11 November 2020	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	11	Andorra	7–0	7–0	Friendly
3	17 November 2020	Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia	13	Croatia	2–1	3–2	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
4	24 November 2022	Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar	25	Ghana	2–1	3–2	2022 FIFA World Cup
5	26 March 2023	Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg	30	Luxembourg	2–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
6	11 September 2023	Estádio Algarve, Algarve, Portugal	32	Luxembourg	9–0	9–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
7	16 October 2023	Bilino Polje Stadium, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina	34	Bosnia and Herzegovina	5–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
8	11 June 2024	Estádio Municipal de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal	39	Republic of Ireland	1–0	3–0	Friendly
9	18 November 2024	Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia	45	Croatia	1–0	1–1	2024–25 UEFA Nations League A