Renato Sanches
A teenage prodigy who powered Portugal to a European Championship and became the youngest winner of the Golden Boy award.
Born 1997 (age 29)·Portuguese footballer·Birthday: August 18·Generation Z
Biography
Renato Sanches erupted onto the global football scene not with a whisper, but a roar. Born in Lisbon to immigrants from São Tomé and Príncipe, his raw power and driving runs through midfield quickly marked him as different. At just 18, he was a linchpin for Benfica's title charge, a performance that earned a high-profile move to Bayern Munich. His true arrival came in the summer of 2016, where he was a fearless force for Portugal in their triumphant UEFA Euro campaign, his dynamism undeniable. The subsequent years became a story of navigating expectation, with spells at Swansea City, Lille, and Paris Saint-Germain testing his resilience. While his club journey has been a winding path, the memory of that explosive teenage talent who took a tournament by storm remains indelible.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Renato was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Renato Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Renato's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the UEFA European Championship with Portugal in 2016, starting in the knockout stages.
- Awarded the Golden Boy award in 2016 as the best under-21 player in Europe.
- Won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in the 2016-17 season.
- Helped Lille F.C. secure a surprising Ligue 1 title in the 2020-21 season.
Did You Know?
He was named after his father, hence his full name Renato Júnior Luz Sanches.
He played for the amateur club Águias da Musgueira before joining Benfica's famed youth academy.
His mother worked as a cleaner to support his early football dreams.
He speaks Portuguese, French, and some English.
“I want to be a champion with Bayern Munich and win the Champions League.”
