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3 goals, a 30-yard rocket, and 3 chances created: A 19-year-old broke down in tears after he showed the world why Europe's top soccer clubs want to sign him

Apr 12, 2019, 15:45 IST

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AP Photo/Armando Franca

  • Joao Felix, 19, played so well he left the pitch in tears after Benfica's 4-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.
  • The Portuguese forward played a part in every single one of his team's goals, scoring three and setting up the other.
  • It was a performance that will have further alerted Europe's best soccer clubs, as Manchester United, Juventus FC, and Real Madrid are all reportedly interesting in signing the wunderkind.
  • It could cost them $135 million to get him, however.
  • You can watch a highlight of Felix's awesome form below.
  • Read more of Business Insider's coverage for the 2018-2019 soccer season here.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A 19-year-old forward produced a pitch perfect performance on Thursday to show the world precisely why Europe's best soccer clubs want to buy him, perhaps even justifying his $135 million price tag.

His name is Joao Felix, and he is one of the most exciting teenagers on the planet.

The Benfica athlete scored three goals (one of them a 30-yard rocket), created three goalscoring opportunities for his teammates, and returned an 84% passing accuracy in his team's 4-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

It was his finest performance of the entire season according to soccer statistics website Whoscored.com, but is not at all surprising as he has been responsible for scoring or creating one goal for every 92 minutes he has played in all competitions this year.

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To put that in perspective, the 34-year-old striker Cristiano Ronaldo has been responsible for scoring or creating one goal for every 85 minutes he has played for Juventus FC this season. Felix, clearly, is among elite company.

Read more: An 18-year-old soccer player's transfer value has risen over 800% in 3 months because he's playing like the 'new Neymar'

Felix is a phenomenon, and his headline-grabbing display in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final this week showed exactly why Europe's biggest teams covet his signature.

Just watch this long-range howitzer:

 

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But that's not all he accomplished against Frankfurt. He also held his nerve to score a penalty, set up Ruban Dias' goal in the 50th minute, and completed his own hat-trick four minutes later to earn the match ball for keeps as the man of the match.

Felix played so well he broke down in tears after the game, according to the Daily Mail.

Watch his highlights here:

Or here if you are in a different region:

 

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Indeed, his performance will even have alerted Europe's top clubs like Manchester United, Juventus, and Real Madrid - all of whom have been linked with the goalscorer in recent months, as Felix looks like a superstar not only for the future, but also a game-winning player for the present.

But if any interested club wants to complete a trade in the summer transfer market, it will prove costly. Sky Sports reports that the player recently signed a new deal at Benfica, and has a "release clause" in his contract. This means that the club can reject any offer below $135 million, but if that threshold is met or surpassed, it would be forced to sell its most promising asset.

Should he continue to improve from his current level, though, it is a price tag that could prove to be a bargain.

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