Just look at the names that have emerged from Benfica. Even narrowing it down to players from the last few years, there are some of football's biggest names. Enzo Fernandez, Darwin Nunez, and Goncalo Ramos left for colossal transfer fees. So, too, did Ruben Dias, who immediately showed he's one of the best defenders in the world. Go back just a little bit further, and you find Joao Felix and Ederson. Angel Di Maria is a former Os Encarnados star, too.
The thing is, though, you have to break through at Benfica before you emerge from Benfica. And that's no easy task. Some of the best prospects in the world arrive in Lisbon with big dreams of someday breaking through.
American defender Josh Wynder is one of those prospects, and he's inching closer to that first-team breakthrough. Since arriving in Portugal, Wynder has generally taken the patient road, working his way up through the club's youth system. The former Louisville City defender recently got a taste of the first-team in a cup game, though, and American fans will be watching on eagerly, hoping that that taste can soon turn into a chance for Wynder to show why he might just be one of the next big prospects to impress with one of the world's best talent developing clubs.
GOAL takes a look at Wynder as he nears a potential leap forward for club and country.
