Who will be Portugal’s next superstar?

Despite his apparent intent to defy the laws of nature, Cristiano Ronaldo cannot continue his extraordinary career forever. Eusébio, Paulo Futre, Luís Figo and Ronaldo are four of the biggest stars the world game has ever produced. With the Madeiran magician’s career winding down, who will step into the breach to become Portugal’s next global superstar?

Fortunately, the Seleção is blessed with several candidates to step into the breach, take the mantle as Portugal’s best player, and carve out a niche for himself as one of the true greats of the game. PortuGOAL looks at three players who have a fighting chance of hitting such heights.

Portugal currently boasts plenty of rising stars that are worth paying attention to. In terms of sports betting, the best thing is that these rising stars will often offer higher odds and better payouts. By closely tracking their careers and abilities, you can likely make some decent bets that could end up winning you a fortune.

Those who are interested in betting on some of the rising stars should pay particular attention to the following three footballers who have already reached an elite level. They’ve shown a lot of promise in their career thus far, and may soon become among the biggest names in football history. Online betting services not only offer enticing odds and boundless opportunities, but also sportingbet free betting offer for new customers. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Gelson Martins

Like Ronaldo and Quaresma, Gelson Martins graduated from Sporting’s youth academy. Ever since his debut, people have marvelled over his lightning dribbling skills and ability to bamboozle defenders.

Martins put his talents to good use playing for Portugal’s youth teams, notably at the U20 FIFA World Cup 2015, where he scored twice in the tournament. Upon the appointment of Jorge Jesus at Sporting, the experienced coach immediately made Gelson – he goes by his first name only in Portugal – a regular first-team starter despite having just turned 20 years old. The youngster did incredibly well at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2016/2017 in a Champions League tie against Real Madrid, putting in a man-of-the-match performance, and he has now firmly established himself as a key player in Sporting’s team.

Raphael Guerreiro

Many football analysts and pundits say the future of the game will increasingly involve players who are comfortable playing in multiple positions. If that is true, then you’ll want to keep your focus on Raphael Guerreiro. He does an excellent job in defence – he is Portugal’s first-choice left-back – but is equally at home and effective in midfield or even as a winger.

Much like Gelson, Guerreiro is blessed with lightning fast reflexes, but it is his thought processes and rapid execution in a variety of situations, always making the right decision, that makes the French-born Dortmund player such a singular talent. Moreover, he has great energy throughout games, giving it his all until the last second. In fact, his nickname is ‘The Battery’. So impressive was he at Euro 2016 that many believe he was deserving of the Young Player of the Tournament Award, which was attributed to his compatriot, Renato Sanches. Many individual and team awards surely await.

Bernardo Silva

Widely touted as the biggest talent to emerge out of Portugal since Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester City’s attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva is an immensely exciting prospect now under the guidance of one of the game’s greatest ever coaches, Pep Guardiola.

Silva’s astonishing close control, creativity, football intelligence and surprisingly bristling competitiveness given his slight physique set him apart ever since he starred for Benfica’s B team. A transfer to Monaco followed, where Bernardo quickly established himself as a regular and one of the French side’s leading lights.

His career in Ligue 1 culminated as a key protagonist in a spectacularly successful campaign, beating PSG to the championship title and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League. A switch to the English giants for €50 million followed, and the Portuguese midfield maestro is contributing to one of the most exciting teams ever assembled.

Conclusion

Keep an eye out on the rising stars just as much as you keep an eye out on legendary players. You never know which rising star may step foot into the spotlight and become a legend one day.