The 10 most expensive Portuguese players of all time

24 Apr 2023 08:11 BST |
Updated: 15 Oct 2026 21:40 BST |
4 min read

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Portugal have produced some of the biggest stars in football history, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who many consider to be the greatest player of all time.

As a result, many Portuguese footballers have moved club teams for huge fees in the transfer market.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Portuguese players of all time.

10. Bruno Fernandes – €65m (Sporting to Man Utd, 2020)

Bruno Fernandes spent two-and-a-half years at Sporting CP, and he established himself as one of Europe’s best attacking midfielders during his time in Lisbon.

Fernandes notched more than 110 goal contributions in just 137 games for Sporting, and this convinced Man Utd to spend €65m to bring him to Old Trafford in January 2020.

It was an inspired piece of business. The Portuguese star was appointed club captain in July 2023 and, in 2026, Fernandes was named Premier League Player of the Year after setting a new assist record in the English top flight.

9. Goncalo Ramos – €65m (Benfica to PSG, 2024)

Interest in Goncalo Ramos’ services skyrocketed following his form at the 2022 World Cup, in which he displaced Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal’s starting forward, and Paris Saint-Germain agreed to sign him on loan in 2023.

He netted 14 goals in all competitions during the 2023-24 campaign and the deal was made permanent for €65m. Ramos departed Benfica with 41 goals in 106 first-team matches.

However, he struggled to replicate this form in Paris.

8. Joao Cancelo – €65m (Juventus to Man City, 2019)

A Benfica academy graduate, Joao Cancelo spent time at Valencia, Inter Milan and Juventus before joining Manchester City for €65m in 2019.

He reinvented himself as an inverted full-back under Pep Guardiola and played a key role as the Etihad side continued to stamp their authority on English football.

However, the defender fell out with Guardiola after the 2022 World Cup, and following loan spells at Bayern Munich and Barcelona, Cancelo joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal on a permanent deal in August 2024. He returned to Barcelona in 2026.

7. Joao Neves – €65.9m (Benfica to PSG, 2024)

Benfica academy product Joao Neves burst onto the scene in 2023 and quickly established himself as one of the biggest midfield prospects in European football.

Man Utd were one of his earliest admirers, but he was ultimately considered too expensive and ended up moving to PSG for €65.9m in 2024 instead. It proved to be a match made in heaven.

Neves formed a ridiculous midfield partnership with compatriot Vitinha in Paris, and the pair were crucial as PSG won back-to-back Champions Leagues in 2025 and 2026.

6. Ruben Dias – €71.6m (Benfica to Man City, 2020)

Ruben Dias became Man City’s second-most expensive signing in history when he joined the club in 2020, with Pep Guardiola identifying him as the right-footed centre-back he was after.

Nicolas Otamendi moved in the opposite direction, with Dias finally completing a switch to Man City following several years of interest. He departed Benfica with 137 first-team appearances to his name.

He helped Man City win their first-ever Champions League trophy in 2022 and was eventually named club captain.

5. Goncalo Ramos – €74m (PSG to AC Milan, 2026)

Goncalo Ramos features twice on this list as PSG actually managed to turn a profit on the striker despite the fact that he struggled to nail down a starting spot in France.

AC Milan shattered their club record to sign Ramos after completely cleaning house and appointing compatriot Ruben Amorim as coach. The Rossoneri had sacked their entire sporting management after missing out on Champions League football on the final day of 2025-26.

With barely any senior figures remaining at the club, owner Gerry Cardinale gave Amorim a huge say on transfers and backed him in the market, culminating in this eye-catching deal for PSG’s backup forward.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo – €94m (Man Utd to Real Madrid, 2009)

Cristiano Ronaldo set a new transfer record when Real Madrid paid €94m to sign him from Man Utd in 2009.

He had won the Ballon d’Or in 2008, and Los Blancos finally finalised the deal one year later, with Ronaldo leaving Man Utd having won nine trophies during his first spell at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese football legend went on to achieve even bigger things at Real Madrid, tallying 450 goals in 438 appearances, while winning the Champions League on four occasions.

3. Mateus Fernandes – €99m (West Ham to Tottenham, 2026)

A talented young midfielder, Mateus Fernandes’ Premier League career started inauspiciously. He was instantly relegated after joining Southampton from Sporting CP and then suffered the same fate at West Ham the following season.

Nevertheless, he had done enough to convince Man Utd and Tottenham to do battle for his signature. Although he was reportedly keen to link up with his idol Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford, he ended up in North London.

West Ham bit Tottenham’s hand off when they offered €99m for the still relatively inexperienced midfielder. Man Utd were not prepared to go that high and refrained from entering a bidding war.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – €117m (Real Madrid to Juventus, 2018)

Ronaldo is also the second-most expensive Portuguese player of all time, thanks to his move to Juventus from Real Madrid after the 2018 World Cup.

He opted to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after nine years with Los Blancos, and Juventus were willing to pay close to €120m for his services in their bid to win the Champions League.

However, Ronaldo was unable to end the Old Lady’s European drought, and he left the club to rejoin Man Utd in 2021 before leaving for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in 2022.

1. Joao Felix – €127.2m (Benfica to Atletico Madrid, 2019)

Joao Felix became the most expensive Portuguese football player in history when he joined Atletico Madrid for €127.2m.

He had burst onto the scene at Benfica, notably becoming the youngest player to score a Europa League hat-trick in April 2019, and he joined Atleti for a club record fee just three months later.

However, Felix never suited Diego Simeone’s style of play, and after two loan spells away from Atletico Madrid, he joined Chelsea on a permanent deal in 2024, only to move to AC Milan on loan six months later and then be sold to Al-Nassr.

The 10 most expensive Portuguese soccer players of all time

Carlo Garganese is a highly-respected football writer, broadcaster and editor with more than 15 years of experience working at the highest level for major global brands. Garganese spent 12 years at Goal.com, where he played a significant role in building and developing the website into one of the largest football media organisations in the world.

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