Rodrigo Mora

The forward started playing in Custóias (Dragon Force), but has been wearing the blue and white since the summer of 2016. His training at Olival began to bear fruit in 2021/22, a season in which, with 29 goals scored in 34 matches, it helped the under15 almost win the national title. Tactical intelligence and lethal movement for the opposing defences allowed him to surpass any other footballer who had played in Portugal before: on January 15, 2023, at a time when he was flying in the Under17 - he scored 16 goals and 13 assists in 33 matches –, he was called to the B team and made his debut against Tondela, in matchday 16 of the second league, only 15 years, eight months and ten days old. He was the youngest ever to debut in professional championships. Given the talent shown on the pitch, FC Porto did not hesitate to present a professional contract to the tiny giant (168cm tall) in June last year. It was “a very big step” in his career, “a very important day”, but the objective was well established: “Now it is time to continue working to one day reach the main squad”. The record and impressive numbers earned him yet another trophy. On September 28, 2023, on the day of the club's 130th anniversary, he received the Golden Dragon for Young Athlete of the Year and made it clear to the audience that he would “do everything to honour the award”. Said and done. In 2023/24, there was no one to prevent Rodrigo Mora's productivity. With a place secured in the B team, he asserted himself among the big boys, became the youngest ever to score in the second league - he contributed to six goals in 28 games playing for the B team - and was the brightest star in the UEFA youth competitions in which he participated. Proof of this is that he was the most scoring player internationally, both for FC Porto and for Portugal. In the Youth League, still 16 years old, he led the under19 team on the pitch and was one of the most influential in FC Porto's journey to the semi-finals that featured a win against Barcelona in La Masia (4-0). In nine games, he scored seven goals - including a superb one against Mainz -, made two assists and became the top scorer. In the European Under17 Championship, he was once again the highlight, managed to avoid any and all marking and set himself as the top scorer (five goals) of the national team in the competition, with Portugal losing only in the final. Naturally, the UEFA technical observer panel placed him in the ideal team of the competition, in which he had, as he later said, a “very good” path. In his ninth season in blue and white, he was called to the pre-season of the main squad and, as soon as the second day, he spoke of “very intense and very good” moments lived with an “incredible group” and with “much more” cameras on him: “It's something I will get used to, for sure”. One of the greatest talents in the world will continue to grow at Olival. In less than a year, he stood out with goals, assists and an unusual technique, broke numerous records that have lasted at the club and nationally since the last century and renewed his contract until 2030.