Duarte Cunha

What stands out in Duarte Cunha's file is a single evening in Doha: named best player of the World Under-17 final in November 2025, the game Portugal won 1-0 against Austria. Six months earlier, in Albania, he had scored in another final, the European Under-17 decider against France, won 3-0, and made the team of the tournament. Two age-group finals, two contributions that mattered — that is the case for him before club football even enters the conversation.

Cunha joined Porto's academy at nine, arriving from CD Cerveira in his home town of Vila Nova de Cerveira, where he had scored 54 goals in 46 matches across two seasons. The move set the pattern for what followed: relentless scoring at every age level. Fourteen goals and fourteen assists in the under-15s, 31 combined goal contributions the following year, then 16 goals and 21 assists in the under-17s.

He signed a professional contract with Porto in May 2026, tying him to the club until 2031, and made his senior debut for Porto B in the Segunda Liga in February that year, wearing the number 57 shirt. By August he had played 12 matches and scored twice. He also trained with the first team during pre-season.

Club football gave him one more late moment before the summer: in May 2026 he scored the winner in the 95th minute as Porto's under-19 side beat Famalicão 3-2 to take the national under-19 title.