Guinea-Bissau and Portugal forward Franculino has joined Trabzonspor from Danish club Midtjylland, completing a move to the Turkish Super Lig side on 2 September 2026.
The 22-year-old centre-forward arrives after an accomplished spell with Midtjylland, where he won the Danish league title and Danish Cup. He was also the Superliga’s leading goalscorer in the 2025-26 season, finishing the campaign with 17 goals.
Franculino’s move to Trabzonspor marks the latest step in a career that began in the Benfica academy. He joined Benfica’s under-23 side from the club’s under-19s in July 2022, before leaving for Midtjylland on a free transfer in July 2023.
His time in Denmark brought both team and individual success. Franculino helped Midtjylland win the Danish championship in the 2023-24 season, when he scored 11 goals, and added the Danish Cup to his honours in 2025-26. His goalscoring record also earned him the Superliga’s top-scorer award last season.
The forward was part of the Benfica youth side that won the UEFA Youth League in 2021-22. He also finished as the leading scorer in the Torneio Abertura Liga Revelacao U23 in 2022-23, scoring six goals.
Franculino has made a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign in European qualifying, recording two goals and two assists in four UEFA Conference League qualifying appearances. He has also scored once in four Superliga appearances and featured twice in Europa League qualifying.
Born in Bissau, Franculino stands 1.86m tall and prefers his left foot. His arrival gives Trabzonspor a forward with recent experience of domestic competition in Denmark and European qualifying matches.
The transfer was completed with Franculino leaving Midtjylland for Trabzonspor on 2 September 2026.
