Named A Bola‘s Person of the Year for 2025, Vitinha, the 25-year-old midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal, explained to the newspaper his mindset and what allows PSG to be so strong. He shared the key, which he believes is common to football and other team sports.
Vitinha: “Make sure the team comes first.”
“I’m more the type to prioritize the team. I’m more the type to play for the team. I’m that kind of player, and this way of approaching things is the right one. But, in addition to being the right thing to do, it also benefits me.
Being a team player, a player who needs a group, a good environment, where we all work towards the same goal and row in the same direction, the fact that this has happened has brought me a lot.” Whether it’s me or someone else, in any team, this should always be the main objective, the path to follow, the solid foundation…
It’s about thinking about the collective first, ensuring that the collective takes precedence over the individual, even if we have great individual talents, whether at PSG, with the national team, or in the youth ranks. This applies to all teams, I would even say to all team sports.
Vitinha: “Only then do the Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or come into play.”
Because the team is more important, and only then do the Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or awards for Dembélé, Nuno [Mendes], who is the best left-back in the world, and so on, come into play. We could talk about countless players, because we all benefit from it.
This is a familiar refrain at PSG now. This is the idea that was implemented during the project’s revival in 2023, spearheaded by the arrival of coach Luis Enrique. This doesn’t mean the collective was always neglected before, even though individual players had become very dominant just prior.
But there was too much of a perception that the “stars” would make the difference, that they could change everything, and that other players had to “work” for them. As if some were somewhat separate from the team, as if certain efforts were required. This made certain absences seem dramatic and undermined the confidence of other players.
With the current philosophy, the game plan doesn’t depend on a few players, even if adjustments are made. PSG knows how it wants to play and doesn’t panic when absences occur. Every player is given confidence and knows they must work for the team. Coach Luis Enrique has already made some very strong decisions regarding those who deviated from this principle.
It might be difficult to implement this philosophy so effectively. It’s perhaps easier with a group so individually gifted. But it’s a great example to follow. The year 2025 proved PSG right, as they managed to make their players shine by focusing on the team, not the other way around.
