Having won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, Vitinha (25 years old) barely had time to savor the victory before being thrown back into the deep end of international football with Portugal in the Nations League. In an interview with O Jogo, the Parisian midfielder recounts this extraordinary sequence of events, a symbol of his new status.
Vitinha: “I hadn’t even celebrated the Champions League title yet before I was already in the Nations League.”
“I hadn’t even celebrated the Champions League title yet before I was already in the Nations League. Ironically, both titles were won in the same stadium, in Munich.
We won the Champions League, celebrated in Paris, and then I went back to Germany. Everything was still very recent; we were still processing what had happened at club level when we already had to play again for the national team, and for such an important trophy.”
Vitinha’s status has clearly taken on a new dimension. Third in the Ballon d’Or, winner of the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain and then the Nations League with Portugal, the 25-year-old midfielder is no longer just a brilliant cog in the machine: he has become a key player. In Paris, his work rate, his ability to dictate the tempo, and his resilience under pressure have made him one of the team’s brains, the one through whom matches breathe.
With the national team, the same logic applies: Vitinha is no longer learning; he takes on responsibilities at the heart of the game, in high-pressure matches. This dual leadership role, both at club and international level, explains his consistent performance at the top. It’s no longer about flashes of technical brilliance or fleeting promise, but about a constant, clear, and respected influence. Vitinha has gone from being a talented player to a European benchmark in his position.
