Florentino Luís is a 25-year-old defensive midfielder, currently playing for SL Benfica.
He has been one of the most consistent performers in Liga Portugal over the last three seasons.
Born in Angola, he moved to the Lisbon region of Portugal with his family at a very young age, where his football journey began.
His first steps in organised sport came through futsal, competing at regional level for GR Tercena, where he quickly stood out for his intelligence and composure on the ball.
After two years, he shifted his focus to football and joined Real Sport Clube, where he stayed only one season before joining Benfica at the age of 10.
From that point onward, he completed his entire development at the Seixal Academy, where he was regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation.
His rise through the ranks was steady and impressive.
He became a regular figure in all of Portugal’s youth national teams and played a key role in winning the U17 and U19 European Championships.
In the 2018/2019 season, after two strong years with Benfica B, Luís was promoted to the first team by Bruno Lage, who had just taken over as head coach from Rui Vitória.
Still just 19 years old, he made 11 appearances in the league during the second half of the campaign, contributing significantly to Benfica’s title win.
The following season, he featured in 18 matches, but after Lage left the club, his influence and playing time started to decline.
Looking for consistent minutes, Luís moved on loan to AS Monaco for the 2020/2021 season.
There, he found opportunities limited behind Aurélien Tchouaméni (now at Real Madrid), playing just 11 matches in all competitions.
The next season, he was loaned again, this time to Getafe in La Liga, where he made 24 appearances and played over 1,100 minutes, though still without securing a guaranteed starting role.
Everything changed with the arrival of Roger Schmidt in the summer of 2022.
The German coach quickly recognised Luís qualities and trusted him with a central role in midfield.
In the 2022/2023 season, he played 54 matches out of a possible 55, becoming a cornerstone in Benfica’s structure.
That level of consistency continued into the next two seasons, with 45 appearances in 2023/2024 and 43 more in 2024/2025.
During this period, Luís evolved into one of the most tactically intelligent and reliable defensive midfielders in the Portuguese league and a consistent performer in the UEFA Champions League.
His ability to win the ball cleanly, anticipate play, and control space has caught the eye of top clubs across Europe.
Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Fulham, and most recently, Napoli, have all been linked with a possible transfer.
Despite his growing interest and proven performance level, a transfer abroad has never materialised.
Why hasn’t Luís made the move to a top-five European league yet, despite being on the radar of so many elite teams?
And now, with his prime years approaching, is he finally ready to step onto the biggest stages in world football and prove himself as one of the best in his role?
To provide a complete answer, this scout report will explore his career trajectory, tactical attributes, and potential fit in the top leagues.
Key Characteristics, Usual Role & Tactical Function
Florentino Luís is, and always has been, a defensive midfielder by nature.
From a young age, his game was built around intelligence, anticipation, and control, both with and without the ball.
Out of possession, he stands out for his exceptional positioning, ability to read the game several seconds ahead, and outstanding capacity to recover possession cleanly and efficiently.
He excels in covering space, screening the back line, and closing passing lanes with minimal need for physical contact, relying instead on his timing, footwork, and awareness.
On the ball, Luís shows composure under pressure, clean technique in passing, and a preference for simplicity.
During his development years, Luís was primarily used as the deepest midfielder in a three-man midfield, often deployed as the lone pivot, which allowed him to focus more on his defensive tasks and control the game from deeper zones.
However, he was also comfortable operating in a double pivot system or even slightly higher as a central midfielder, showing that he can adapt to all three central roles depending on tactical needs.
This tactical flexibility was tested extensively during his time with Benfica B between 2016 and 2019.
During that period, the team regularly alternated between a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 shape, with Luís thriving in both, albeit particularly in the deepest role where his positional discipline and ball-winning qualities stood out.
His breakthrough with the senior team came in the 2018/2019 season, when Bruno Lage introduced him into the Benfica first team in a 4-4-2 formation, slotting him into the double pivot.
This tactical setup carried into the following season, allowing him to continue developing his understanding of that role.
During his loan spells, he was again trusted as a defensive midfielder.
He featured in a double pivot at AS Monaco, although opportunities were limited behind Tchouaméni.
Later at Getafe, he operated in all three midfield roles within a 3-5-2 shape, adapting his game to La Liga’s tactical and technical demands.
It was under Roger Schmidt, though, that Luís truly established himself.
Playing in a 4-2-3-1 structure, consistently paired with a more attack-minded midfield partner, he was given the ideal platform to shine.
He protected the backline, dominated central spaces, and dictated the tempo during the build-up phase.
Florentino Luís as Number 61 in Roger Schmidt's 1-4-3-2-1
Figure 1 Example of Roger Schmidt’s Benfica structure with Luís as number 61.
This system, centred around intense pressing and structured possession, brought out the best of his skill set, and he maintained this level over three consecutive seasons.
But wasn’t Luís always this player?
And did
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