Three Stunning Moves Later, Benfica 16-Year-Old Scored One Of The Most Spectacular Goals Of The Year

You could tell it by the way his teammates just kind of stood around and watched — Hugo Nunes was about to score and no one was going to stop him. During a match at the Al Kass U17 International Cup earlier this week in Qatar, there was no way the Benfica youngster was going to be denied against Guangzhou Evergrande.

Hugo Nunes, a striker for the Benfica youth team, pulled off three spectacular moves in succession to score one of the most thrilling goals of the year at any level. That he’s 16 just makes it all the more enjoyable to watch. 

The play begins when Hugo Nunes collects the ball from a poor clearance that doesn’t even get out of the box. His first move is a clever back-heel cutback to maneuver closer to the middle of the park. He then uses a Zidane turn to completely fool the two defenders closing in on him. With one defender left, who attempts a desperate lunge, Hugo Nunes makes one more move: a deft cut inside before blasting the ball into the back of the net.

The teenager showed the composure of a veteran to dance around the box before firing home. It was the first of two goals for the striker in a 4-0 win over Guangzhou, helping Benfica easily win Group A. 

Two goals earns MVP honors against Guanzhou. Photo: @InformGlorious | Twitter

The team will play AC Milan in the quarterfinals of the competition on Friday. Other group winners included Real Madrid, PSG and Espérance De Tunis. The only English side in the tournament, Tottenham, finished without a point in group play but managed to take ninth place with a 2-0 win over Guangzhou.