Wednesday Wonderkids

Take a look at a deep dive into three promising young talents as part of our ongoing 'Wednesday Wonderkids' series.

Afonso Moreira

The “next Cristiano Ronaldo” tag is applied liberally in Portugal, particularly to wide forwards emerging from Sporting’s academy. Afonso Moreira isn’t that - nor should he be. Not only is such a label unattainably high, at 5'7", the 20-year-old plays a very different game.

Moreira is a right-footed left winger known for his agility, burst of pace and ability to take on defenders. Across 19 starts for Sporting’s youth team in the Portuguese third tier, he registered 7 goals and 3 assists, often operating as a direct wide threat. He’s confident when running at players and has the technical ability to beat a man in tight spaces - a trait that has led to reported interest from Lyon and other European clubs.

Sporting have included a €60 million release clause in his contract, which, while not a marker of immediate readiness, is a clear sign of how highly they rate his long-term ceiling. Of the three players profiled here, Moreira appears the closest to making a leap - whether that comes at Sporting or in a first-team environment elsewhere.

John Mellberg

An 18-year-old left-footed centre-back, John Mellberg carries a familiar name - he’s the son of former Sweden captain Olof Mellberg - but is beginning to build his own reputation in Austria.

Born in Birmingham while his father was at Aston Villa, Mellberg moved to Red Bull Salzburg in 2023 and has since been developing at Liefering, their feeder club in Austria’s second tier. During the 2024/25 season, he started 15 league matches and posted strong defensive numbers. Averaging 17.3 ball recoveries per 90 and completing 37.9 passes per 90 at 84% accuracy, he showed both an ability to read the game and comfort on the ball in buildup.

At 6'1", he is solid in the air and has impressed in one-on-one situations - key traits for a defender asked to play in high defensive lines. He’s also capable of filling in at left back, further underlining his positional versatility. While not yet a finished product, Mellberg looks well-suited to Salzburg’s development model - and should be on track for a first-team opportunity in the next 12–18 months.

Tiago Parente

A 19-year-old left back with a tidy skillset, Tiago Parente is gradually earning more minutes for Benfica B in Liga Portugal 2. After making his first senior appearance in May 2024 - coming off the bench in a 5-2 win over Porto B - he’s since featured 11 times in the second tier, starting three matches.

Parente’s profile is that of a modern full back: balanced, composed, and comfortable in both directions. His duel success rate across all appearances sits at 60%, and he’s averaged 1 tackle and interception per 90. With the ball, he’s equally steady - completing 14 of 17 passes on his debut and chipping in with 1 assist and 2 big chances created over the course of the season. In Portugal’s U23 league, he’s added 4 assists in 16 games, further suggesting upside in the final third.

Still some way off the Benfica first team, Parente nonetheless looks to be progressing in a clear direction - and his mix of defensive reliability and attacking potential could catch the attention of clubs looking to develop a well-rounded left back.

All three players are still developing and far from finished articles. But each offers something worth tracking - from Mellberg’s left-footed composure, to Parente’s steady progression, to Moreira’s raw attacking talent. If 2025/26 brings the right platform, we may be hearing a lot more about them this time next year.