Joao Felix finally finds his place in the sun

There is definitely a place in the sun for every person. One just has to be lucky enough to find it. The same goes for football players.

Even though his last name means "lucky, happy, fortunate, or successful" in Latin, Joao Felix has struggled for years to find a place where he truly belongs.

After shining at his boyhood club, Benfica, the Portuguese moved to Atletico Madrid in a record transfer, and all his troubles seem to have started then.

'It's easier to score in Spain than in Saudi Arabia'

He failed to meet expectations in the Spanish capital, fell short on loans at Chelsea and Barcelona, while his performances during his second stint with the Blues and a loan at AC Milan were the epitomes of awfulness.

At one point, nobody wanted the forward, and everyone was just trying to get rid of him. In the end, his "older brother", Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr gave Felix a shelter, and he resurrected his career.

So far, the 26-year-old's best career season was his last spell with Benfica (2018/2019), when he recorded 20 goals and 11 assists. Since then, he's never scored more than ten goals in a season.

At the moment, after only ten rounds in the Saudi Pro League, Felix is its top scorer with 12 goals, while his total tally in all competitions is remarkable - 18 goals and six assists in 20 matches!

He is enjoying his time in Riyadh and the cooperation with Ronaldo, with whom he formed a ruthless tandem.

Seven years after leaving his Lisbon home and following seven years of hardship, Joao Felix is back to his old self. Now, it's up to him to maintain that level and never allow another slump in his career.