.jpg) Conceição playing forAjax in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Fernandes da Conceição[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2002-12-14)14 December 2002 (age 23)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Coimbra, Portugal | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right winger | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Juventus | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Belenenses | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2017 | Sporting CP | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Padroense | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Porto | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Porto B | 20 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Porto | 39 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Jong Ajax | 7 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Ajax | 19 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | →Porto (loan) | 27 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Porto | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | →Juventus (loan) | 26 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Juventus | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Portugal U16 | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Portugal U17 | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Portugal U18 | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Portugal U21 | 23 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Portugal | 13 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:13, 14 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17:03, 16 November 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Francisco "Chico"Fernandes da Conceição (Portuguese pronunciation:[fɾɐ̃ˈsiʃkukõsɐjˈsɐ̃w̃]; born 14 December 2002) is a Portuguese professionalfootballer who plays as aright winger forSerie A clubJuventus and thePortugal national team.
Coming through Porto's youth system, Conceição was promoted to the first-team in 2021, winning adomestic double of the Primeira Liga andTaça de Portugal in 2022. In July 2022, he moved toEredivise sideAjax, before returning to Porto in September 2023, on an initial one-year loan deal which was made permanent at the end of the season. He joined Juventus in August 2024 on an initial one-year loan deal which was made permanent at the end of the season.
Conceição is a formerPortugal youth international, representing his country at various youth levels, being part ofunder-21 teams that finished as runners-up in the2021 European Under-21 Championship. He made his senior international debut in 2024, representing Portugal at theUEFA Euro 2024, and went on to win theUEFA Nations League in2025.
Conceição was born inCoimbra. He started playing football atBelenenses, due to his brothers Moisés andRodrigo also playing there, before moving toSporting's academy in 2011 at the age of eight, spending six seasons at the club.[2] With his fatherSérgio becoming the manager ofPorto, he joined their academy and was subsequently loaned to theirfeeder clubPadroense,[2][3] before fully joining Porto's youth setup in 2018.[2]
In August 2020, Conceição signed his first professional contract with the club until 2023,[4][5] and made his professional debut for (Porto B) in a 1–0 loss againstVarzim during the2020–21 Liga Portugal 2 season.[6] On 15 January 2021, his father called Conceição for Porto's league match againstBenfica to replaceOtávio, which ended 1–1. He made his debut in the Portuguese top tier in a 2–2 draw againstBoavista in theDerby da Invicta, on 13 February 2021;[2][7] with 13 minutes left and Porto trailing 2–1, within five minutes he won a penalty, which was bySérgio Oliveira, before scoring a goal that was ruled out byVAR. Four days later, he became the second youngest Porto player to feature in aUEFA Champions League match, coming on in the last minutes of a 2–1 win againstJuventus in the round of 16 of the2020–21 season.[8] At the end of the month, he was fully promoted to the first-team.[9]
In2021–22, Conceição played 33 total games as Porto won aleague andcupdouble; only four were starts, including one in the league.[10] He contributed three goals, beginning with a penalty to conclude a 5–1 home win overFeirense in the fourth round of theTaça de Portugal;[11] his first league goal on 8 January won the game 3–2 atEstoril two minutes after coming on forFábio Cardoso, causing his dad to celebrate wildly.[12][13][14]
On 21 July 2022, Conceição signed withEredivisie clubAjax, on a five-year contract, with Ajax triggering Conceição's release clause.[15] Nine days later, he was an unused substitute as they lost the2022 Johan Cruyff Shield 5–3 toPSV Eindhoven.[16] He made his debut forthe reserves on 8 August, equalising in a 1–1Eerste Divisie draw at home toTelstar;[17] his first-team debut came on 3 September in a 4–0 home win overCambuur, replacing double goalscorerSteven Bergwijn after 61 minutes.[18]
Shortly after, Ajax managerAlfred Schreuder revealed that he intended to have Conceição behindAntony in the pecking order, in order for him to get used to his new team, but despite Antony's departure Conceição status within the team didn't change and he remained a substitute, afterMohammed Kudus was preferred as the club's starting right winger. Conceição also struggled because he could not speak Dutch or English, leading him to play on the second team to adjust to the Dutch game.[19]
On 1 November, two minutes after replacing Bergwijn, he scored his first goal to conclude a 3–1 win atRangers in theUEFA Champions League group stage.[20] He played in the2023 KNVB Cup final against PSV, coming on in the 75th minute forSteven Berghuis as the game ended 1–1 and Ajax lost on penalties.[21]
"I thought it was the best thing for me, knowing that things hadn't gone so well at Ajax. I think there are always positive points to take away from an experience. It was a difficult time. I went out with the aim of showing what I'm worth, I couldn't do it, I thought about what was missing, it's always our fault. I tried to hold on to that, see what was missing and returned to FC Porto. It was the right decision [for me]."
On 1 September 2023, FC Porto announced that Conceição would be returning to the club on a season-longloan from Ajax. He was handed the number 10 shirt, the same number he wore at the end of his previous spell with theDragons.[23] The deal reportedly included a €10 million option-to-buy, which would become mandatory if he played at least 45 minutes in 25 matches.[24] His return was criticized by the club's fans, including Mayor of PortoRui Moreira, who was one of the person against his return.[25]
Despite the criticism, Conceição began proving his doubters wrong, impressing in Porto's 1–0 league loss home againstEstoril on November 3, earning a spot in the starting eleven.[26][25] On 11 November, in a 2–1 league victory away atVitória de Guimarães, he assisted the first goal and scored the second.[27] He also scored in the next league match awayFamalicão in a 3–0.[25] A month later, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for Porto, in a 5–3 home victory overShakhtar Donetsk, in the final match of thegroup stage.[28] In January 2024, Ajax, who was monitoring form, tried to get him back from his loan, however, Porto refused to negotiate with Ajax.[29][30]
On 3 March, Conceição impressed in Porto's 5–0 league victory over Benfica inO Clássico, creating the play for Porto's second goal, which was scored byGaleno.[25] During the month, he continued to impress with his form establishing himself as one of the best dribblers in the world byInternational Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), being considered second best behindJérémy Doku.[31] On 17 April, in the second leg of the semifinals of the2023–24 Taça de Portugal, he scored and assisted in a 3–1 victory away at Vitória de Guimarães, to help Porto reach thefinal of the competition.[25] On 23 April, FC Porto announced that they had re-signed Conceição on a permanent basis in a deal worth €10 million, on a five-year contract. He also retained 20% of a future transfer for himself.[32] Despite an underwhelming season from Porto, in which the club finished in third place in thePrimeira Liga, Conceição had his breakthrough, finishing the season with 16 goal involvements (eight goals and eight assists), with Porto winning the Taça de Portugal after a 2–1 defeat of Sporting in thefinal on 26 May.[33]
He missed the start ofthe new season, due to injury issues, though it came amid reports that Conceição refused to play for his new managerVítor Bruno, following an altercation between him and his father and previous manager Sérgio. Despite his new manager denying that there were issues between them, Conceição began seeking a move away from the club, withJuventus reaching a verbal agreement with him over personal terms.[34][35]
On 27 August 2024, Conceição joinedSerie A club Juventus on a season-long loan for €7 million, plus €3 million in add-ons, if Juventus qualifies to the2025–26 UEFA Champions League. Both clubs also drafted agentlemen's agreement, where Juventus would have the priority to trigger his €30 million release clause in June 2025.[36] He was given the number 7 shirt, left vacant since the exit ofFederico Chiesa the same month and previously worn bynational team teammateCristiano Ronaldo.[37]
He made his debut for the club on 1 September, as a substitute in a 0–0 league draw againstRoma.[38] After missing the next matches due to an hamstring injury he suffered in training, Conceição made his return from injury on 28 September, scoring his first goal for the club in a 3–0 league win againstGenoa.[39][40] On 2 October, he came on as a 12th-minute substitute, with his team being down to ten players, he assisted the equalizer and scored a last-minute winner in Juventus's 3–2 comeback victory at away toRB Leipzig in theChampions League league phase.[41] On 18 June 2025, he scored a brace againstAl-Ain FC in Juventus' opening match of theFIFA Club World Cup.[42]
On 22 July 2025, Juventus announced permanent signing of Conceição from Porto on a five-year deal worth €30.4 million, plus €1.6 million in potential bonuses.[43]
Conceição representedPortugal atunder-16,under-17 andunder-18 levels, for a total of 15caps and three goals. In March 2021, he took part in the2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, earning his firstcap for theunder-21 side, in a 1–0 victory inCroatia on 25 March. On 31 March, he became the youngest player (aged 18 years and 90 days) to score for Portugal in theUEFA European Under-21 Championship, after closing the 3–0 victory againstSwitzerland in their final match in the group phase.[44][45] He would help Portugal finish as runners-up, after losing in the final 1–0 toGermany.[46] In June 2023, Conceição took part in the2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[47] Portugal were eliminated from the tournament, on 2 July, after a 1–0 loss toEngland in the quarter-finals.[48]
On 15 March 2024, Conceição was called to thesenior squad by managerRoberto Martínez forfriendlies withSweden andSlovenia.[49] He debuted on 26 March in a friendly match against the latter that ended in a 2–0 loss.[50]
On 21 May, he was selected in the 26-man squad for theUEFA Euro 2024.[51] On 18 June, he came off the bench in the 90th minute, before scoring his first goal for Portugal two minutes later, which secured a 2–1 victory over theCzech Republic in the opening match.[52] His fatherSérgio had scored a hat-trick againstGermany almost exactly 24 years earlier on 20 June 2000 duringUEFA Euro 2000;[53][54] as such they became the second father and son pair to have scored a goal in aEuropean Championship, after the ItaliansEnrico andFederico Chiesa who had scored respectively in Euros1996 and2020.[55] After not featuring againstTurkey, he played the full 90 minutes of the finalGroup F fixture againstGeorgia which Portugal lost 2–0,[56] before making two further appearances off the bench against Slovenia (3–0 victory in apenalty shootout)[57] andFrance in the knockout stage (5–3 loss in another shootout).[58]
In May 2025, Conceição was selected for Portugal’s2025 UEFA Nations League Finalssquad.[59] On 4 June, in thesemi-finals, he came on from the bench and scored the first goal in the 2–1 win against Germany, marking Portugal's first-ever win against them in 24 years and securing qualification to theNations League final.[60] He and his team would go on to win the tournament5–3 in a penalty shootout over rivalsSpain.[61]
Conceição is a technical winger, with a tight turning radius, outstanding close control and an eye for playmaking in central zones. His game revolves around getting the ball into the penalty area from wide via carries and crosses. His compact build, standing at a low center of gravity coupled with quick, small strides allows him to make frequent and consistent contact with the ball while carrying it. This thereby enables him to execute constant sharp changes of directions. His agile feet also equip him with the ability to swiftly readjust himself to manipulate angles in the box, either to get shots off for himself or to set his teammates up.[62]
Conceição's body composition also gives him good control over his gears, as he utilizes this to square up defenders, to keep them on their toes, before hitting them off guard with a good sudden burst. He also utilizes these short explosive bursts brilliantly when cutting inside, using a variety of touches – long, short, to disrupt the rhythm of defenders.[62] His early promise, as well as his small stature (1.70 m),[63] led to comparisons toEden Hazard andLionel Messi in the Portuguese press,[64] with him sometimes being nicknamed "Messi do Olival" (Olival's Messi) by fans and in media outlets.[65]
Born in Coimbra, Conceição is the fourth son of formerPortugal international footballer and Al-Ittihad managerSérgio Conceição; his older brothersSérgio andRodrigo are also professional footballers.[66][67]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Porto B | 2020–21 | Liga Portugal 2 | 20 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 4 | ||||
| Porto | 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | — | 33 | 3 | ||
| Total | 39 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 3 | ||
| Jong Ajax | 2022–23 | Eerste Divisie | 7 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 5 | ||||
| Ajax | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 19 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 4[e] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| Porto (loan) | 2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8[c] | 1 | — | 43 | 8 | |
| Juventus (loan) | 2024–25 | Serie A | 26 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 9[c] | 1 | 3[f] | 2 | 40 | 7 | |
| Juventus | 2025–26 | Serie A | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 7[c] | 1 | — | 27 | 3 | ||
| Juventus total | 44 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | 16 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 67 | 10 | |||
| Career total | 156 | 21 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 215 | 31 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2024 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | |
| Total | 13 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 June 2024 | Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany | 3 |  Czech Republic | 2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
| 2 | 4 June 2025 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | 10 |  Germany | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals |
| 3 | 16 November 2025 | Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal | 13 |  Armenia | 9–1 | 9–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Porto
Portugal
Individual
