Green and white shared this Saturday, through social media, a farewell video for Francisco Trincão. Extreme Portuguese is leaving the lions to head to Al Ahli, Saudi Arabia.
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AGo on, it’s official. Sporting confirmed, early this Saturday afternoon, Francisco Trincão’s departure to the Saudis of Al Ahli, putting a stop to a four-year connection between the international one by Portugal and the club of Alvalade. The information was announced by a note sent to the Securities Market Commission (SCM).
In that statement, Sporting confirms that it will receive fifty million dollars (about EUR 43.7 million) for the total operation. USD 45 million (about EUR 39.3 million) is part of a fixed tranche, with the remaining USD 5 million (about EUR 4.4 million) being paid “according to the verification of certain objectives related to the sports performance of Player and Al Ahli.”
With regard to other details of the business, Sporting further informs that “the amount relating to the solidarity mechanism due to third-party clubs will be exclusively supported by Al Ahli.” On the other hand, “intermediation charges for the aforementioned transfer amount to 10% (ten percent) of the amounts received by Al Ahli Sporting SAD.”
The route of Francisco Trincão
Francisco Trincão, 26 years old, was announced as reinforcement of Sporting on 13 July 2022, by loan from Barcelona, having, in the four seasons of green and white won two national championships, a Cup of Portugal and a Cup of the League.
The European under-19 champion in 2018 and winner of the League of Nations 2024/25 was one of the champions of Portugal for the 2026 World Championship, in which the team of quinas, then under the command of Roberto Martínez, Spanish who was replaced for Jorge Jesus, ‘fell’ in the eighths of the final, against Spain (1-0).
The now 19 times international by Portugal, with three goals scored, wore the ‘lions’ sweater on 208 occasions, signing 47 goals.
Sporting invested EUR 21 million in the hiring of Francisco Trincão, initially EUR 10 million in the loan contract and half of the sports rights, which were bought in full by green and white people in 2025 by the remaining EUR 11 million.
Trincão passed in training by Vianense, FC Porto and Palmeiras FC (from Braga) until reaching Sporting Braga, in which he began his senior career and from which he jumped to Barcelona at only 20 years old, in 2020/21, for 31 million euros, and represented Wolverhampton, by loans from the Catalans, in 2021/22.
[News updated at 4:18 p.m.]A beautiful story from Lion to the chest
Thank you for everything, Francisco Trincão pic.twitter.com/SzVai2uwfS
— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) July 18, 2026