Messi & Neymar fallout 

©TM/IMAGO

Paris Saint-Germain’s fearsome collection of attackers have dominated the headlines on their Champions League run but Vitinha has arguably been their star performer. The diminutive midfielder has been outstanding on the French champions’ journey to the semi-finals and he was magnificent in the first leg win over Arsenal, earning the man-of-the-match award.

Few midfielders in the world possess Vitinha’s technical capacity, intelligence and ability to dictate proceedings. The 25-year-old also firmly proved a point in North London after previously enduring a difficult twelve months in England when Wolves declined an option to sign him permanently. Vitinha returned to England as one of the best midfielders in the world this season and he will be integral to PSG’s prospects of an elusive Champions League title.

Vitinha’s rise to prominence

The midfielder spent time at Benfica as a youngster before joining rivals Porto, aged 11. Vitinha progressed through their academy and made his professional debut in December 2019 but only made eight Liga NOS appearances before joining Wolves in September 2020. The Midlands club had numerous Portuguese players in their squad due to their connection with super agent Jorge Mendes and Vitinha was signed as a potential star of the future at 20 years old.

But it was unrealistic to expect Vitinha to acclimatise to the demands of the English Premier League with just a handful of professional appearances to his name. He struggled for regular minutes, making just four league starts and Wolves decided not to activate the €20 million buy-clause in his contract. Wolves, however, will be regretting that decision as Vitinha won the Young Player of the Year in Portugal on his return to Porto as they won the double to earn his big move to PSG.

Vitinha’s excellence at PSG

PSG recognised Vitinha’s enormous potential and activated his €41.5m release clause in 2022 but he endured a difficult first season in the French capital. There were reports of fall-outs with Lionel Messi and Neymar as Christophe Galtier struggled to find the right balance to his team. The PSG hierarchy and new manager Luis Enrique, however, displayed huge faith in Vitinha as they abandoned their ‘Galactico’ policy and it paid dividends.

Enrique was the catalyst behind the change of approach at the French giants to eliminate egos and implement a more holistic approach. And Vitinha repaid his manager’s faith with an outstanding individual campaign that earned him a place in the Ligue 1 and Champions League team of the season, as PSG won a domestic treble. The 25-year-old’s performance levels have improved further this season and only William Pacho and Achraf Hakimi have played more minutes.

Football is increasingly dominated by attacking statistics and Vitinha’s numbers are never going to stand out with nine goal contributions this season. But the Portugal international is the beating heart of this PSG team, conducting play from his pivot role and controlling the tempo of games. Speaking in February, Enrique waxed lyrical about his ability, stating: “Vitinha is unique, there’s no doubt about it. He occupies a vital position for us: that of pivot. He’s a player who has the ability to hold on to the ball and not lose it. Physically, he brings a lot to the table. He can pass, he can score, he’s physically strong, with an impressive mentality. For me, it’s a real pleasure to have a player like Vitinha.”

Vitinha: The view from Portugal and France

Vitinha is revered by his peers in Ligue 1 and is one of the five nominations for players’ player of the year. Ronan Caroff, Transfmarkt’s French football expert, explains: “PSG has really stabilized its midfield this season, only switching Manuel Ugarte for João Neves. He’s continued his form from last season and been really efficient in what Luis Enrique requires of this type of “pivot” midfielder. Vitinha is very adaptable to different scenarios, pushing the game forward or slowing it down. He really is a quiet leader, without massive attacking stats but that’s really on brand with this new era of PSG, which has moved on the massive stars and more towards a really solid collective. He’s definitely a well appreciated player.”

 Vitinha is now an integral part of Portugal’s national team and their fourth most valuable player, as they aim to win the 2026 World Cup. “Vitinha is highly rated here in Portugal,” said Gonçalo Tristão Santos , Transfermarkt’s Portugal football expert. “He was really young when he left Porto for Wolves, and that move was criticised heavily in Portugal as he hadn’t proved himself. He’s currently one of Enrique’s favourites – the coach praises him regularly – and one of the best midfielders in the world. Here in Portugal, people have no doubt that he’s one of the most important players in the national team as of today.