João Félix continues to reignite a story that many thought was unfolding far from the European stage.
After scoring against Wales last Thursday, the Portuguese striker struck again on Sunday night in Oslo against Norway (2-1), opening the scoring with a perfect angled shot in the 16th minute.
Two matches, two goals: the former Benfica player has immediately established himself as one of Jorge Jesus’s key players, the new Seleção coach. Starting and playing the full 90 minutes in Norway, Félix also displayed a greater defensive commitment than at some points in his career.
This evolution is not unrelated to his change of role. Used as a second striker, in a central position behind Gonçalo Ramos, the Viseu native has acknowledged that this repositioning better suits his qualities.
“Playing as a second striker suits me; it’s not like playing on the left wing or out wide,” he explained after the victory against Erling Haaland’s team.
This international resurgence finds part of its explanation at Al-Nassr, where João Félix has rediscovered the consistency he struggled to achieve in his previous European stints.
Arriving in Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2025 from Chelsea, he reunited with Jorge Jesus and Cristiano Ronaldo and, above all, found an environment where he could regularly play in a position similar to the one he had at Benfica.
As early as March 2026, he explained: “I know my worth, and I play in my natural position. It’s in this position that I distinguished myself at Benfica, and I have my confidence primarily when I play there.”
At that time, he already had 15 goals and 11 assists with Al-Nassr, averaging a goal contribution per game. His 2025-2026 season ultimately confirmed that impression of a return to the forefront of the game.
João Félix finished the season with 26 goals and 19 assists in 47 appearances, directly contributing to Al-Nassr’s title win. At 26, the Portuguese player, who previously played for Atlético Madrid and AC Milan, seems to have rediscovered his best form, even admitting to feeling “much more of a player” than he did at 20 or 21. “As a player, I feel better. I understand the game better, the different phases of a match,” the 2019 Golden Boy explained.
Joao Felix Reportedly Dreams of Returning to Barcelona
However, this success in Saudi Arabia doesn’t mean João Félix wants to settle there permanently. More fulfilled than ever, the teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo – who is going through a much more difficult period – has notably confided that he still keeps a return to Europe in mind.
“I’ll be 27 at the end of the season. I plan to return to Europe, although it might not be right away. I don’t know if it will be at the end of this season or the end of next, but I’m really looking forward to returning to Europe, playing in the Champions League again, and getting back to that level,” the player himself noted in an interview with Spanish outlet AS.
And the player, whose contract expires next June, has a long-term plan. As Sport revealed, João Félix dreams of returning to FC Barcelona.
In Catalonia, he left a respectable impression, without being particularly outstanding, with 10 goals and 7 assists in 44 matches during the 2023/2024 season while on loan from Atlético de Madrid.
His agent, Jorge Mendes, has already informed FC Barcelona of João Félix’s desire to return, which would represent an interesting market opportunity, much like João Cancelo, who had a loan spell at the Catalan club before returning a few seasons later after a stint in Saudi Arabia.
While he’s not a priority for Barcelona right now, he remains an option to watch for next season.
Fresh Joao Felix to Barcelona News Emerges on Thursday