Daniel Banjaqui

Daniel Banjaqui spent barely two seasons in Benfica B's shirt before the first team came calling. He had joined the club's academy at nine, arriving from Real Formacao in 2018, and by the 2025/26 campaign was a regular for the reserves in Liga Portugal 2, making around twenty appearances without troubling the scoresheet. That groundwork paid off in December 2025, when he was sent on as a substitute in a Taça de Portugal tie against Farense for his senior debut. The step up did not stop there: in January 2026 he was named in the starting line-up for a Primeira Liga match against Estrela da Amadora and set up a goal on his first appearance in the competition.

The rise has coincided with Benfica moving to secure his long-term future, tying him to a contract running to 2031 with an €80m release clause attached.

Banjaqui's form has followed him into Portugal's youth ranks, where he has progressed through the U15 to U21 age groups. He was part of the side that won the U17 World Cup in Qatar and the U17 European Championship in Albania, both in 2025, contributing a goal in 16 appearances at that level. His performances at the European finals earned him a place in UEFA's team of the tournament. Since stepping up to the U21s in 2026 he has added two caps and a goal.