Renato Sanches
Who was Renato Sanches?
Portuguese midfielder who won the Golden Boy award in 2016 and was part of Portugal's Euro 2016 championship squad at age 18.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Renato Sanches (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Renato Júnior Luz Sanches was born on August 18, 1997, in Lisbon, Portugal. He's a professional footballer playing as a midfielder. He came up through the youth academy system and got into senior football early on. His quick rise in Portuguese football made him a standout young player in Europe during the mid-2010s.
Sanches started his professional journey at Benfica, debuting for the reserve team in October 2014 and joining the first team in October 2015. In his only season with the senior side, he helped them win both the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga. His performance earned him the Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player award and the Golden Boy award in 2016, the latter recognizing him as Europe's best young footballer.
His talent caught the eye of Bayern Munich, which signed him in July 2016 for €35 million, the highest fee at that time for a Portuguese player from Primeira Liga. However, his stint in Germany was challenging, and after a discouraging first season, he was loaned to Swansea City in August 2017. His time in Wales didn’t boost his form, as he mostly stayed on the bench. Returning to Bayern in 2018, he was eventually sold to Lille in August 2019 for €25 million, a record for the club. At Lille, Sanches found his rhythm again, playing a big part in their 2020–21 Ligue 1 title win, their first league championship in a decade.
In 2022, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €10 million, but injuries slowed him down, leading to a loan to Roma in Italy before he returned to Benfica on loan in 2024. Internationally, Sanches played for Portugal at the youth level, earning 40 caps and scoring 8 goals before making his senior debut in March 2016. At 18, he joined the UEFA Euro 2016 squad, becoming the youngest Portuguese player in a major tournament. Portugal clinched their first title, and Sanches scored once and was named Young Player of the Tournament. He remains the youngest player to have won a UEFA European Championship final.
Before Fame
Renato Sanches grew up in Lisbon, Portugal, and joined the youth program at Benfica, a major football club in the country. Like many young players from the city, he was part of a culture that heavily focuses on developing technical skills and tactical understanding from a young age. Benfica's academy is known for creating top-level talent and gave him the base to quickly advance.
By his mid-teens, Sanches was seen as one of the top young midfielders in Portuguese football. His mix of physical strength and technical ability made him stand out, and he moved up through the age groups at Benfica, eventually joining the reserve team. His impressive performances there led to a first-team opportunity at 18, leading to one of the most notable breakthrough seasons in recent Portuguese football history.
Key Achievements
- Won the Golden Boy award in 2016, recognizing him as the best young footballer in Europe
- Helped Portugal win UEFA Euro 2016, becoming the youngest player to win a European Championship final
- Named Young Player of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 2016
- Contributed to Lille's 2020–21 Ligue 1 title, ending the club's ten-year wait for the championship
- Won the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga double with Benfica in the 2015–16 season and was named the league's Breakthrough Player
Did You Know?
- 01.Sanches became the youngest player ever to win a UEFA European Championship final when Portugal defeated France in the Euro 2016 final, aged just 18 years and 328 days.
- 02.His transfer to Bayern Munich in 2016 for €35 million was the highest fee ever paid for a Portuguese player competing in the Primeira Liga at that time.
- 03.During his loan spell at Swansea City in 2017–18, a video of him mistakenly passing the ball to an advertising hoarding went viral and became one of the most widely shared football clips of that season.
- 04.Sanches won the Golden Boy award in 2016, a prize previously won by players such as Lionel Messi, Cesc Fàbregas, and Wayne Rooney, placing him in historically distinguished company.
- 05.His transfer to Lille in 2019 for a reported €25 million made him the most expensive signing in the French club's history at the time.
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Alejandro buceta | 2016 | — |
| Commander of the Order of Merit of Portugal | — | — |