Francisco Conceição

Francisco Fernandes da Conceição (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɾɐ̃ˈsiʃku kõsɐjˈsɐ̃w̃]; born 14 December 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primeira Liga club Porto and the Portugal national football team.

Coming through Porto's youth system, Conceição was promoted to the first-team in 2021, winning a domestic double of the Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal in 2022. In July 2022, he moved to Eredivise side Ajax, before returning to Porto in September 2023, on an initial one-year loan deal; it was made permanent at the end of the season.

Conceição is a former Portugal youth international, representing his country at various youth levels, being part of under-21 teams that finished as runners-up in the 2021 European Under-21 Championship. He made his senior international debut in 2024.

Club career

Early career

Conceição was born in Coimbra. He started playing football at Belenenses, due to his brothers Moisés and Rodrigo also playing there, before moving to Sporting's academy in 2011 at the age of eight, spending six seasons at the club. With his father Sérgio becoming the manager of Porto, he joined their academy and was subsequently loaned to their feeder club Padroense, before fully joining Porto's youth setup in 2018.

Porto

In August 2020, Conceição signed his first professional contract with the club until 2023, and made his professional debut in a 1–0 loss against Varzim during the 2020–21 Liga Portugal 2 season. On 15 January 2021, his father called Conceição for Porto's league match against Benfica to replace Otávio, which ended 1–1. He made his debut in the Portuguese top tier in a 2–2 draw against Boavista in the Derby da Invicta, on 13 February 2021; four days later, he became the second youngest Porto player to feature in a UEFA Champions League match, coming on in the last minutes of a 2–1 win against Juventus in the round of 16 of the 2020–21 season. At the end of the month, he was fully promoted to the first-team.

In 2021–22, Conceição played 33 total games as Porto won a league and cup double; only four were starts, including one in the league. He contributed three goals, beginning with a penalty to conclude a 5–1 home win over Feirense in the fourth round of the Taça de Portugal; his first league goal on 8 January won the game 3–2 at Estoril two minutes after coming on for Fábio Cardoso, causing his dad to celebrate wildly.

Ajax

On 21 July 2022, Conceição signed with Eredivisie club Ajax, on a five-year contract, with Ajax triggering Conceição's release clause. Nine days later, he was an unused substitute as they lost the 2022 Johan Cruyff Shield 5–3 to PSV Eindhoven. He made his debut for the reserves on 8 August, equalising in a 1–1 Eerste Divisie draw at home to Telstar; his first-team debut came on 3 September in a 4–0 home win over Cambuur, replacing double goalscorer Steven Bergwijn after 61 minutes.

Shortly after, Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder revealed that he intended to have Conceição behind Antony 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 changed and he remained a substitute, after Mohammed 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.

On 1 November, two minutes after replacing Bergwijn, he scored his first goal to conclude a 3–1 win at Rangers in the UEFA Champions League group stage. He played in the 2023 KNVB Cup final against PSV, coming on in the 75th minute for Steven Berghuis as the game ended 1–1 and Ajax lost on penalties.

Return to Porto

On 1 September 2023, FC Porto announced that Conceição would be returning to the club on a season-long loan from Ajax. He was handed the number 10 shirt, the same number he wore at the end of his previous spell with the Dragons. The deal reportedly included a €10 million option-to-buy, which would become mandatory if he played at least 45 minutes in 25 matches. His return was criticized by the club's fans, including Mayor of Porto Rui Moreira, who was one of the person against his return.

Despite the criticism, Conceição began proving his doubters wrong, impressing in Porto's 1–0 league loss home against Estoril on November 3, earning a spot in the starting eleven. On 11 November, in a 2–1 league victory away at Vitória de Guimarães, he assisted the first goal and scored the second. He also scored in the next league match away Famalicão in a 3–0. A month later, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for Porto, in a 5–3 home victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, in the final match of the group stage. In January 2024, Ajax, who was monitoring form, tried to get him back from his loan, however, Porto refused to negotiate with Ajax and later bought him permanently.

On 3 March, Conceição impressed in Porto's 5–0 league victory over Benfica in O Clássico, creating the play for Porto's second goal, which was scored by Galeno. During the month, he continued to impress with his form establishing himself as one of the best dribblers in the world by International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), being considered 2nd best behind Jérémy Doku. On 17 April, in the 2nd leg of the semifinals of the 2023–24 Taça de Portugal, he scored and assisted in a 3–1 victory away at Vitória de Guimarães, to help Porto reach the final of the competition. 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.

Despite an underwelming season from Porto, following a third place finish in the Primeira Liga, Conceição had his breakthrough, finishing the season with 16 goal involvements (8 goals and eight assists), with Porto winning the Taça de Portugal after a 2–1 defeat of Sporting in the final on 26 May.

International career

Conceição represented Portugal at under-16, under-17 and under-18 levels, for a total of 15 caps and three goals. In March 2021, he took part in the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, earning his first cap for the under-21 side, in a 1–0 victory in Croatia on 25 Match. He would help Portugal finish as runners-up, after losing in the final 1–0 to Germany. In June 2023, Conceição took part in the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Portugal were eliminated from the tournament, on 2 July, after a 1–0 loss to England in the quarter-finals.

On 15 March 2024, Conceição was called to the senior squad by manager Roberto Martínez for friendlies with Sweden and Slovenia. He debuted on 26 March in a friendly match against the latter that ended in a 2–0 loss.

On 21 May 2024, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. 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 the Czech Republic in the opening match. His father Sérgio had scored a hat-trick against Germany almost exactly 24 years earlier on 20 June 2000 during UEFA Euro 2000; as such they became the second father and son pair to have scored a goal in a European Championship, after the Italians Enrico and Federico Chiesa who had scored respectively in Euros 1996 and 2020.

Style of play

Conceição's early promise and his small stature (1.70 m), led to comparisons to Lionel Messi in the Portuguese press, with him sometimes being nicknamed "Messi do Olival" (Olival's Messi) by fans and in media outlets.

Personal life

Born in Coimbra, Conceição is the fourth son of former Portugal international footballer and former FC Porto manager Sérgio Conceição; his older brothers Sérgio and Rodrigo are also professional footballers.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 26 May 2024

International

As of match played 18 June 2024

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Conceição goal.

Honours

Porto

• Primeira Liga: 2021–22
• Taça de Portugal: 2021–22, 2023–24

Individual

• SJPF Young Player of the Month: March 2024

References

External links

• Profile at the FC Porto website
• Francisco Conceição national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
• Francisco Conceição – UEFA competition record (archive)