Upon being invited to train with the Benfica first-team in the 2015/16 season as an exciting 16-year-old talent, few would've expected the meteoric rise that followed.
Sanches went on to feature 45 times for the first-team as they secured the domestic double and reached the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League, where they were knocked out by his future side Bayern Munich.
Lauded for his extreme composure, stamina and overall ability to dictate the tempo of the game, the teenager was fast-tracked into the senior national team, where he then broke a 12-year record set by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Sanches early impression saw him become the youngest player to be selected for an international competition for the European nation and after initially being selected as an opportunity to gain experience. the dread-locked midfielder went on to play an integral part in their maiden international title success.
His displays in France saw Manchester United up their intentions of acquiring the new wonderkid of Portuguese football but Bayern acted swiftly by securing the technically gifted midfielder in a reported €35m deal that could rise to €80m depending on future clauses.
Arriving at the Allianz Arena as the newly crowned European Golden Boy, a title previously won by Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Isco in the past - piled the expectation on the shoulders of the Portuguese starlet.
And it's safe to say, he failed to live up to the expectation, with no goals in 26 appearances for the Bavarian giants before enduring a miserable spell in Wales with now relegated Premier League side Swansea.
The loan move to the Swans under former Bayern coach Paul Clement was expected to rekindle the form he showed during his time in the Portuguese top-flight, with a side known for their fluid style of play.
But if anything, it exposed his frailties and lack of confidence even further with only nine league starts all season, registering no goals or assists.
This dramatic drop in fortunes has been highlighted by the lack of media coverage surrounding his exclusion, with Fernando Santos decision to omit the return Bayern player not even criticised by even the staunchest supporter of the player's talents.
Reports claim newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers and Benfica are keen on a temporary switch for 20-year-old who was expected to star in Russia next month based on his early career trajectory.
But during the global showpiece, new Bayern coach Niko Kovac will first assess the player in order to decide what's best for his career progression.
What needs to be taken into consideration is that Sanches has achieved what many footballers have failed to do over the course of an entire career, but the alarming fall from grace cannot be ignored.
With age still on the side of the mercurial talent, the World Cup disappointment should be used to fuel to return to the highest level.
Having dropped into obscurity as quickly as he rose to prominence, the potential remains for a relentless comeback to silence all the doubters.
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