Renato Sanches

Renato Sanches, born on August 18, 1997, is a talented Portuguese professional footballer currently playing as a midfielder for Greek Super League club Panathinaikos, on loan from Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain. His football journey began at Benfica, where he made his professional debut for the reserves in October 2014 and quickly progressed to the first team in October 2015. During his sole season with Benfica, he played a pivotal role in securing the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga double, earning accolades such as the Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player and the prestigious Golden Boy award.

In July 2016, Sanches caught the attention of German giants Bayern Munich, who signed him for an initial fee of thirty-five million euros, marking the highest transfer fee for a Portuguese player from the Primeira Liga at that time. However, his first season at Bayern was challenging, leading to a loan spell at Premier League side Swansea City in August 2017. After returning to Bayern in 2018, he was eventually transferred to French club Lille in August 2019 for a reported fee of twenty-five million euros, making him Lille's most expensive signing ever.

At Lille, Sanches found his form and contributed significantly to the team's success, helping them clinch the Ligue 1 title in the 2020–21 season, ending a decade-long title drought. In 2022, he made a move to Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain for ten million euros. Following a season with PSG, he was loaned to Italian club Roma and later returned to Benfica on loan in 2024.

On the international stage, Sanches has represented Portugal at various youth levels, earning forty caps and scoring eight goals. He made his full international debut in March 2016 and was selected for UEFA Euro 2016 at just eighteen years old, becoming the youngest Portuguese player to participate in an international tournament. His remarkable performance during the tournament included scoring a goal and being named the Young Player of the Tournament as Portugal secured their first UEFA Euro title.