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Portugal national football team

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Portugal
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Selecção das Quinas[1]
AssociationFederação Portuguesa de Futebol
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachCarlos Queiroz
CaptainCristiano Ronaldo
Most capsLuís Figo (127)
Top scorerPauleta (47)
FIFA codePOR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current5
Highest4 (March 2001)
Lowest43 (August 1998)
First international
Spain Spain 3–1 Portugal Portugal
(Madrid, Spain; 18 December 1921)
Biggest win
Portugal Portugal 8–0 Liechtenstein 
(Lisbon, Portugal; 18 November 1994)
Portugal Portugal 8–0 Liechtenstein 
(Coimbra, Portugal; 9 June 1999)
Portugal Portugal 8–0 Kuwait 
(Leiria, Portugal; 19 November 2003)
Biggest defeat
Portugal Portugal 0–10 England England
(Lisbon, Portugal; 25 May 1947)
World Cup
Appearances5 (first in 1966)
Best resultThird Place, 1966
European Championship
Appearances5 (first in 1984)
Best resultRunners-Up, 2004

The Portuguese national football team is governed by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), finishing 4th at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The first appearance in the 1966 FIFA World Cup saw them reach the semifinal, losing 2–1 at Wembley to the eventual world champions England. Portugal finished in third place and Eusébio was considered the best player of the tournament. The next two times Portugal qualified for the World Cup were 1986 and 2002, with Portugal going out in the first round both times. In the 1986 tournament, players went on strike over prize-money and refused to train between their first and second games.

In 2003, the Portuguese Football Federation decided to hire Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian who had led the Brazil national football team to win the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Scolari led Portugal to the final of UEFA Euro 2004, where they lost to the Greek national team, and to their second World Cup semi-final in the 2006 World Cup. Scolari left after the Euro 2008 championships to manage Chelsea. Carlos Queiroz was appointed the new manager of Portugal in 2008.

History

Early years

The Portuguese Football Federation was formed in 1914 with the name União Portuguesa de Futebol (by 1926, they changed to its current name) and the aim of creating national tournaments (since it only existed regional championships) and promoting games in which a Portuguese representative team would play against other teams from various parts of the globe, but unfortunately, due to the World War I, the dream was not made possible for the next seven years.

Portugal’s first game was on the 18th December 1921 against Spain, the game ended in a defeat for the national team (3–1). The following year, the inaugural edition of the Campeonato de Portugal (a knock-out tournament, precursor of the ’’Taça de Portugal’’) was contested, the winner was defined as the “Portuguese Champion”.

1928 Olympic Tournament

After years of playing friendly games, Portugal was invited to enter the 1928 Summer Olympics Football Tournament, which was, at that time, contested by the best national "A" teams in the world and, therefore, considered to be the best international footballing tournament until the FIFA World Cup started, two years later, in 1930.

The Portuguese team was drawn in the preliminary round against Chile for a place in the first round. After falling 2–0 behind, Portugal scored four goals, winning the game 4–2 in what was their first win away from home soil. After their fantastic win against Chile, they faced off Yugoslavia and won 2–1 thanks to a late goal in the 90th minute.

Egypt was the team that followed in the quarter finals. Here the Portuguese adventure ended after a 2–1 defeat. In the following games, the Egyptians lost against Argentina (6–0) in the semi-final and Italy (11–3) for the bronze medal match, which bittered the players. Nevertheless, it was a bright start in international tournaments for the team.

Early World Cup attempts

Portugal was not invited to the 1930 FIFA World Cup, which only featured a final stage and no qualification round. The team took part in the 1934 FIFA World Cup qualification, but failed to eliminate their Spanish opponents, aggregating two defeats in the two-legged round, first (9–0) in Madrid, Spain and 2–1 in Lisbon, Portugal in the second game for a total of 11–1.

In the 1938 qualification, the Selecção played one game against Switzerland in a neutral ground, held in Milan, Italy, losing 2–1 against the Swiss, ending with the qualification prospects.

Because of the international conflict due to the World War II, there was no FIFA World Cup held until the 1950 competition and subsequently, the national team made very few games against other teams. A 10–0 away friendly defeat against England, two years after the War, was the proof of how the irregularity of the games had taken its effects on the squad, this result still stands as their biggest ever defeat.

1950s and early 1960s

On the restart of the tournament, the Portuguese team was to play a two-legged round against Spain, just like in the 1934 qualification. After a 5–1 defeat in Madrid, they managed to draw in the second game 2–2 and so the qualification ended with a 7–3 aggregate score.

For the qualification of the 1954 World Cup, the team would play Austria. The Austrians won the first game with a humiliating 9–1 result. The best the national team could do was held the Central European team to a goalless draw in Lisbon and the round ended with a 9–1 defeat.

In the 1958 qualification, Portugal finished last in the group stage that also featured Northern Ireland and Italy, only the first-placed team would qualify. They started with a draw (1–1) against the Irish team, but lost in Belfast by 3–0. After that, they won 3–0 against Italy and lost 3–0 in Milan. Finishing with three points, the were two away from group winners Northern Ireland.

The year 1960 was the year that UEFA created the European Football Championship, a football tournament similar to the FIFA World Cup, but for European nations. The first edition was a knock-out tournament, the last four teams participating in final stage that only featured one leg while the older stages had two legs. For the first round, the Selecção das Quinas won 2–0 against East Germany and 3–2 in Porto for the second leg, finishing with a 5–2 two-legged win. The quarter-final opponent was Yugoslavia. Despite winning the first game 2–1, they lost the second leg 5–1 in Belgrade, and lost 6–3 on aggregate.

England and Luxembourg were the 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification adversaries of the national team. Portugal ended second in the group with three points, behind England (with seven points). They started well with a home win (6–0) against Luxembourg and a home draw (1–1) against the British nation, but lost the following games, first (4–2) against Luxembourg and second (2–0) against England. Like in the previous World Cup qualification, only the first in the group would qualify.

The 1964 European Championship shared the same format as the 1964 edition. Portugal played against Bulgaria in the first round. The Portuguese lost 3–1 in Sofia and won 3–1 in Lisbon. With the round tied 4–4, a replay was needed in a neutral ground. In Rome, Portugal lost 1–0 with a late goal from the Bulgarians.

In 1964, the Nations' Cup was held in Brazil. The event celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Brazilian Football Confederation. Three international teams were invited: Argentina, Portugal, and England, for the competition which was played in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo during late May and early June with an all round-robin format. Portugal ended with one point (five behind winners Argentina) and joint third place with England after two defeats (4–1 with Brazil and 2–0 with Argentina) and a 1–1 tie against the British team.

1966 World Cup and 1970s

In the 1966 World Cup qualification, Portugal was drawn into the same group as Czechoslovakia, Romania and Turkey. They topped the group with only one draw and one defeat during all the six games and finally qualified for a FIFA World Cup, that year the final stage would be held in England. Notable results were both 1–0 away wins against Czechoslovakia and Turkey and a 5–1 home win against the Turks.

The team started out with three wins in the group stage where they were in Group C when they beat Hungary 3–1, Bulgaria 3–0, and two-time defending champions Brazil 3–1. Secondly, they beat surprise quarter-finalist North Korea 5–3, with Eusébio getting four markers to overturn a 3–0 deficit. Later, they reached the semi-finals where they were beaten by hosts England 2–1; in this game, Portugal would have played in Liverpool, but as England were the hosts, FIFA decided that the game should have been in London, which led the Portuguese team travel unexpectedly from Liverpool to London. Portugal then defeated the Soviet Union 2–1 in the third place match for their best World Cup finish to date. Eusébio was the top scorer of the World Cup with nine goals.

For the Euro 1968 qualifying, the Selecção played against Bulgaria, Norway, and Sweden. They finished second after Bulgaria, with six points, four behind the first. Portugal only managed to get two wins and two ties; both wins came from 2–1 results against Norway.

After their tremendous success in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, Portugal tried to qualify for the 1970 World Cup, which was to be held in Mexico. They finished fourth and last in their group, behind Greece, Romania and Switzerland. With only four points (from one win and two ties), Portugal were four behind group winner’s Romania.

To be able to participate in UEFA Euro 1972, Portugal had to win its group that comprised the teams of Belgium, Denmark and Scotland. Portugal finished second to Belgium with seven points (two less than the Belgians). The three wins the Portuguese had were against Denmark (1–0 away, 5–0 home) and Scotland in a 2–0 home win.

Also in the year 1972, Portugal participated in the Brazilian Independence Cup, a tournament that marked the 150th birthday since Brazil got its independence from Portugal. Winning both group stages (in the first stage, with wins against Ecuador (3–0), Iran (3–0), Chile (4–1) and Republic of Ireland (2–1) and in the second stage winning against Argentina (3–1), drawing Uruguay (1–1) and a 2–1 win over the Soviet Union) they qualified for the final with Brazil in the Maracanã Stadium. The Brazilian star Jairzinho scored in the 89th minute to give Brazil the win.

Along with Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Northern Ireland, Portugal faced tough competition on winning the spot that would ensure them a place in the 1978 FIFA World Cup held in Argentina. They finished second place bellow Bulgaria, with seven points (three away from the Bulgarians). The only country Portugal managed to defeat was Cyprus, winning 4–0 and 1–0 in Nicosia.

1980s and early 1990s

The national team was put alongside Austria, Belgium, Norway, and Scotland to fight for the first spot in the group, which would allow them to go to the final stage of UEFA Euro 1980. With nine points, Portugal took third place with nine points, three points behind first-placed Belgium. Out of their four wins, the most important were the away win against second-placed Austria (2–1) and a home win against Scotland (1–0).

For the 1982 qualification the Portuguese team had to face Israel, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Sweden for the top two group places. Portugal finished in fourth place with seven points, less four than the first, with wins over group winners Scotland (2–1), second-placed Northern Ireland (1–0) and last-placed Israel (3–0), all in home ground.

During the campaign for Euro 1984, Portugal had to play with Finland, Poland and, highly favourites, Soviet Union. Portugal won the group with a dramatic win over USSR in the last game by a score of 1–0 in home ground. With ten points and five wins, the Portuguese had beaten the Soviet Union by one point.

Portugal ended in group B, alongside Spain, West Germany and Romania. In the first two games, they tied 0–0 and 1–1 against West Germany and Spain, respectively. A 1–0 win over Romania gave them second place in the group, which was enough to go through to the knockout stage. Benfica's Tamagnini Nené scored the winner.

They played against the hosts, France, and eventual champions, in one of the most exciting matches in European Championship history. France scored first, but Portugal equalised almost an hour later. The game was tied after 90 minutes and went into extra time. Portugal made the score 2–1 in the first 15 minutes, with both teams having numerous quality scoring chances. In the second half of extra time, France scored in the 114th and 119th minutes to eliminate Portugal 3–2 and go through to the final.

For the 1986 tournament, the Selecção played against Czechoslovakia, Malta, Sweden, and West Germany for the two spots that would guarantee them a ticket to Mexico. Needing a win in the last game against West Germany in Stuttgart, manager José Torres famously said to the press, after being severally doubted that his team would qualify for Mexico 1986, "Let me dream!" Portugal went on to win the game 1–0 to become the first team to beat West Germany at their home ground in an official match.

Portugal was a fan-favourite to make a good campaign because of their UEFA Euro 1984 tournament. The team exited early in the group stages after a win and two losses. They started with a 1–0 win to England. Later, they were beaten by Poland and Morocco, 1–0 and 3–1, respectively. Their staying in Mexico was marked by a doping case, an injured player and, most significantly, by the Saltillo affair, where players refused to train in order to win more prizes from the Football Federation.

Wanting to keep present at the major international football tournaments, the Portuguese team attempted to top their qualifying group in a tight group with favourites Italy, Malta, Sweden and Switzerland. Still, they only managed to win two games in a total of eight disputed, ending in third with eight points, five behind first-placed Italy. Both games were won away from home, in Malta (1–0) and in Sweden against second-placed team (also 1–0).

The 1990 World Cup qualification was widely seen as a possibility to go back to the international stage. Along with Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Luxembourg and Switzerland, Portugal fought until the last game to get one of the first two spots of the group. Playing at home against Czechoslovakia, they failed to score and the game ended in a 0-0 allowing the East Europeans to get the second place with twelve points (the same as winner's Belgium) with two points ahead of Portugal, who came with the first place. Notable results are the wins against Switzerland, 3–1 in Portugal and 2–1 in Neuchâtel.

During the draws for the Euro 1992 qualifying, the Netherlands was seen as the strongest team besides Portugal. Greece, Finland and Malta were the other teams. With five wins and eleven points, the Portuguese ended second behind the Dutch, who had two more points than Portugal. A famous result in this campaign was the 1–0 home win against the Dutch.

They participated in the friendly 1992 U.S. Cup along with the host, USA, Italy and Ireland in a round robin tournament. Portugal finished last with one point (six behind winners United States) from a draw with Italy (0–0). The other two games were defeats with USA (1–0) and the Republic of Ireland (2–0).

For the ’94 World Cup qualification, Portugal played in the same group as Estonia, Italy, Malta, Scotland and Switzerland for the two highest places. They disappointed, ending in third with fourteen points and six wins, just two points behind winner’s Italy and one behind second-placed Switzerland. In the last game of the round, Portugal were defeated by Italy in Milan. The Selecção managed to win 1–0 against Switzerland and 5–0 against the Scots, both were home wins. The then manager, Carlos Queiroz, blamed the Football Federation for this failure, saying that "They should clean the mess that the Federation has."

Golden generation

File:Magalhaes Pessoa.jpg
Portugal playing Kuwait on 19 November 2003 at Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa. Portugal beat Kuwait 8-0 which stands as a record for Portugal as their highest ever win in international football.

Portugal was invited to play at the SkyDome Cup in Toronto, Ontario, Canada against the then-European Champions Denmark and Canada. With a draw against the Canadians (1–1) and a win against the Danes, Portugal went on to win the trophy, which remains to date as their only win at senior level.

Portugal managed to reach the Euro 1996, by topping their group with twenty-three points, six more than second-placed Republic of Ireland. Their group consisted of Austria, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. In the qualification, Portugal thrashed Liechtenstein 8–0 (home, a record) and 7–0 (away) and defeated Northern Ireland 2–1 in away grounds.

In the final tournament, Portugal drew 1–1 with European Champions Denmark, won 1–0 to Turkey and 3–0 against Croatia, finishing first in their group. In the quarter-finals, they lost 1–0 to eventual runners-up Czech Republic, due to a marvelous Karel Poborský second-half lob over goalkeeper Vítor Baía. This marked the beginning ot the Golden Generation, a group of youngsters who had won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1989 and 1991 and were now leading the national senior squad.

The team almost qualified for the tournament that was to be hosted by France. However, during a qualifier in Germany, Rui Costa was controversially sent off for taking too long to walk off the field while Portugal was leading 1–0. Germany drew the crucial game and was thus able to qualify. This incident is regarded as one of the darkest in Portugal's football history, with FIFA being accused of favouritism in support of Germany, who were the defending Euro '96 champions. The group was made of Albania, Armenia, Germany, Northern Ireland and Ukraine, Portugal ended in third place with 19 points and six wins. Germany finished first with 22 points and Ukraine with twenty, with the Slavics winning a place in the final play-offs. Portugal tied both games with Germany (0–0 home and 1–1 away).

In the qualifications for the 2000 Euro, Portugal faced Azerbaijan, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Romania and Slovakia. Portugal gained twenty-three points, just one short of first place Romania, with seven wins. Having not qualified directly into the event, the Portuguese team had the best performance by any runner-up and therefore qualified for the final tournament. Major wins against Azerbaijan (7–0) and Liechtenstein (8–0) are the most remembered today.

Captained by Fernando Couto in the final stage, they defeated England (3–2, recovering from a 2–0 disadvantage), Romania (1–0) with a late header from Costinha in injury time, and Germany (3–0, from a Sérgio Conceição hat-trick), the last one using the B team, since they were already qualified in first of the group after the other two games, to finish atop their group and then defeated Turkey in the quarter-finals (2–0, with both goals from Nuno Gomes).

In the semi-final meeting with World Cup holders France, Portugal scored first and nearly scored again due to an Abel Xavier's header after France equalised. Portugal were eliminated in extra time by a golden goal when Zinedine Zidane converted a penalty. Austrian referee Gunter Benko awarded the spot kick for a handball after Abel Xavier blocked a shot from Sylvain Wiltord (Benko initially gave France a corner but changed his mind after consulting with Slovak linesman Igor Sramka). Xavier, Nuno Gomes (one of the top scorers in the tournament with four goals), and Paulo Bento were all given lengthy suspensions for shoving the referee.[2] The final result was 2–1.

During the World Cup 2002 qualification, Portugal made a crucial win against the Netherlands (2–0 in Rotterdam) and ties against Republic of Ireland (1–1 in both games) and the Netherlands (2–2 in Porto), in Porto, after falling 2–0 behind and scoring in the dyeing minutes of the game. Portugal won the group with seven wins and three ties with no defeats and 24 points (the same as the Republic of Ireland), but with a better goal average.

While the 2002 World Cup qualifying stage was unusually smooth, several problems and poor judgment decisions occurred during the preparation and tournament itself – shopping sprees by players, this time in Macau, were widely reported in the Portuguese press. Questionable managing choices and some amateurism, including the same lack of agreement on prizes. Vítor Baía replaced in-form Ricardo in goal, Beto played out of position at right back, Luís Figo was in very poor physical condition, and Hugo Viana was called as a last-minute replacement for Daniel Kenedy (who tested positive in a doping control test) – as Portugal underachieved and ended third in its group stage, subsequently eliminated. The manager Oliveira was fired after the World Cup.

Portugal entered the tournament as favourites to win Group D. However, they were upset 3–2 by the United States, at one point being three goals down in the match. They then rebounded with a 4–0 smashing Poland, with Pauleta netting a hat-trick.

Needing a draw to advance, they lost the final group game to hosts South Korea. Argentinian referee Ángel Sánchez sent off João Vieira Pinto for a tackle on Park Ji-Sung. Beto was ejected for his second yellow card of the match, reducing Portugal to nine men, and Park scored the winner to allow the Koreans to advance.[3]

The next major competition, the UEFA Euro 2004, was decided to be held in Portugal. On the preparation, the Football Federation made a contract with Luiz Felipe Scolari to manage the team until the tournament ended. Despite the disappointed friendly matches, the Portuguese team entered the tournament being a favourite to win it.

Portuguese football fans supporting the national team

The host nation lost the first game against Greece 1–2, an upset. They got their first win against Russia 2–0 and also beat a strong Spain side 1–0, with the latter eventually knocked out in the group stages.

They went through and went on to play against England, in an entertaining 2–2 draw that went into penalties, where Ricardo proved decisive, with an epic attitude taking off his goalkeeping gloves, saving a penalty and scoring right after the winner himself. Portugal beat the Netherlands 2–1 in the semi-final with a Maniche strike from outside the box. They were eventually beaten by heavy underdog outsiders Greece 1–0, credited to striker Angelos Charisteas, marking the first time in the history of the competition that the final featured the same two teams as the opening match. The match was considered a huge upset win for Greece.

After the tournament ended, a lot of players belonging to the Geração de Ouro (Golden Generation), abandoned their international footballing careers, with only Luís Figo remaining in the team, despite a temporary retirement. While Portugal was playing in the competition, Scolari agreed in a new two-year deal with the Federation.

Portugal finished first in the qualifying round for the 2006 World Cup with 30 points, nine games won, three draws, and no defeats. The second-placed Russia finished with seven points less. The Selecção played with Estonia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Russia, and Slovakia. Famous results include a home (7–1) against Russia and an away tie with Liechtenstein (2–2, after being winning 2–0 at half-time).

Portugal finished first place in Group D of the WC finals, with victories over Angola (1–0, goal from Pauleta, the leading goalscorer in the World Cup qualifiers), Iran (2–0, scored by Deco, and Cristiano Ronaldo) and Mexico (2–1, goals from Maniche and Simão). Only Mexico's Francisco Fonseca was able to score against Portugal.

Portugal defeated the Netherlands 1–0 in the Round of 16 on 25 June in Nuremberg. The only goal came courtesy of a Maniche strike in an acrimonious match marked by 16 yellow cards, with four players (Khalid Boulahrouz, Costinha, Deco, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst) being sent off. (See the Battle of Nuremberg.)

On 1 July at Gelsenkirchen, Portugal drew 0–0 after extra-time with England, but won 3–1 on penalties to reach their first World Cup semi-final since 1966. The game was marred by a violent challenge on Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho by England's Wayne Rooney, which resulted in him being sent off. Rooney later denied that it was intentional.

Portugal lost 1–0 against France in the semi-finals on 5 July at Munich. Two players had been forced to sit out due to accumulated bookings from the round of 16 and quarter-finals. It did not help that the team faced a hostile crowd of English and French fans; they relentlessly booed Ronaldo for his perceived unsportsmanlike behavior in the previous round. As in the semi-finals of Euro 2000, Portugal were narrowly defeated by France, with the decisive goal being a penalty scored by Zinedine Zidane after Thierry Henry was awarded a penalty from a foul committed by Ricardo Carvalho.

Portugal faced Germany in the third place play-off match on 8 July in Stuttgart. The match was notable for being Pauleta's last game for the national team so as captain Luís Figo's last before retirement from international football – though, surprisingly, he was not selected to start the game, coming on as a substitute near the end and setting up Portugal's goal in a 3–1 defeat. All three German goals had the direct participation of Bastian Schweinsteiger, who scored twice and had another shot turned into an own goal by Portugal's Petit. Ultimately, the team won the "Most Entertaining Team" award for their play during the World Cup, in an award always organized through public participation in a poll. Once again Scolari was asked to accept a new deal with the Federation that would maintain with as the manager until the end of the next competition.

Euro 2008 and beyond

After the successes of the Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Portugal was seen as a major contender to win the Euro 2008, but their qualification wasn't easy. The national team faced some problems in the last games, in addition, Scolari was suspended for three games, being substituted by his assistant manager. Portugal ended with seven wins and twenty-seven points (one less than first-placed Poland). Armenia. Azerbaijan, Belgium, Finland, Kazakhstan, Poland and Serbia were the opponents. With important triumphs against Azerbaijan (2–0 in Baku), Kazakhstan (2–1 in Almaty) and Belgium (4–0 in Lisbon and 2–1 in Brussels), they managed to qualify for the final stage.

The Portuguese team was a featured part of TV network ESPNs ad campaign promoting their coverage of the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament.[4] The first game was against Turkey and it was won 2–0, with first-ever scoring achievements for internationals Pepe and Raul Meireles. Their second game was against the Czech Republic, a 3–1 success. With assured qualification to the knockout stage, as first in group A, they played with the reserve team against Switzerland, and lost 2–0, with two Hakan Yakın goals. During the group stage, Scolari announced to the squad that it would be his last spell as the Portuguese manager, ending a five-year era full of prosperity.

On 19 June 2008, Portugal played against Germany, and were beaten 2–3 after falling behind 0–2 within the first half an hour. Portugal proceeded to score, followed by another German goal, a Michael Ballack header. Portugal scored a consolation goal in the final minutes of normal time, courtesy of Hélder Postiga, but was eventually knocked out of Euro 2008 at the quarterfinal stage.

Portugal participated in the qualifying stages with new manager Carlos Queiroz (who had already coached the team in older times), for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which is due to take place in South Africa. The team had a qualifying campaign that almost turned disastrous and just sneaked into second place by a single point over Sweden, a group where Denmark finished first, one point ahead from Portugal. Portugal was drawn to play against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the european zone play-offs. With two wins (1–0 in the first leg, in Lisbon; and 1–0, in Zenica), the team gained its right to participate in the World Cup.[5]

Having qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Selecção das Quinas had it's most successful decade up to date, having qualified for all the editions of the World Cup and Euro Cup (Euro 2000, World Cup 2002, Euro 2004, World Cup 2006, Euro 2008, and World Cup 2010), along with Spain, Italy, Germany, and France, the only other four teams to have done so.

In the Final Draw, on 4th December 2009, Portugal was drawn in one of the toughest groups, the so called Group of Death where the Selecção das Quinas will be facing 5-time champions Brazil, Africa's top contenders Côte d'Ivoire and 1966 opponents North Korea.

Portugal will first face Côte d'Ivoire on 15 June 2010 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, followed by North Korea on 21 June 2010 at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town and the last group match will be played against Brazil on 25 June 2010 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Competitive record

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Honours

This is a list of honours for the senior Portuguese national team
  • Third Place (1): 1966
  • Fourth Place (1): 2006
  • Fourth Place (1):1996

Recent results and forthcoming fixtures

Matches

Portugal 1 – 0 Finland
Ronaldo 78' (pen.)
Portugal 0 – 0 Sweden
Portugal 2 – 0 South Africa
B. Alves 4'
Edinho 58'
Attendance: 24,000
Albania 1 – 2 Portugal
Bogdani 29' H. Almeida 27'
B. Alves 90+3'
Estonia 0 – 0 Portugal
Liechtenstein 0 – 3 Portugal
H. Almeida 16', 28'
R. Meireles 24'
Referee: N/A (N/A)
Denmark 1 – 1 Portugal
Bendtner 44' Liédson 87'
Attendance: 37.998
Referee: Massimo Busacca (SUI)
Hungary 0 – 1 Portugal
Pepe 9'
Attendance: 42.000
Referee: Stéphane Lannoy (FRA)
Portugal 3 – 0 Hungary
Simão 18', 79'
Liédson 74'
Attendance: 57,111
Referee: Alain Hamer (LUX)
Portugal 4 – 0 Malta
Nani 14'
Simão 45'
M. Veloso 52'
Edinho 90'
Attendance: 29,263
Referee: Alan Kelly (Republic of Ireland)
Portugal 1 – 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
B. Alves 31'
Attendance: 60,588
Portugal v China

FIFA World Cup 2010

Template:2010 FIFA World Cup Group G

Players

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Eduardo (1982-09-19) September 19, 1982 (age 42) 11 0 Portugal Braga
12 1GK Henrique Hilário (1975-10-21) October 21, 1975 (age 49) 0 0 England Chelsea
22 1GK Rui Patrício (1988-02-15) February 15, 1988 (age 36) 0 0 Portugal Sporting CP
2 2DF Bruno Alves (1981-11-27) November 27, 1981 (age 42) 27 5 Portugal Porto
3 2DF Ricardo Costa (1981-05-16) May 16, 1981 (age 43) 6 0 Germany Wolfsburg
4 2DF Rolando (1985-08-31) August 31, 1985 (age 39) 6 0 Portugal Porto
6 2DF Ricardo Carvalho (1978-05-18) May 18, 1978 (age 46) 60 4 England Chelsea
13 2DF Paulo Ferreira (1979-01-18) January 18, 1979 (age 45) 58 0 England Chelsea
14 2DF Miguel (1980-01-04) January 4, 1980 (age 44) 52 1 Spain Valencia
15 2DF Pepe (1983-02-26) February 26, 1983 (age 41) 24 2 Spain Real Madrid
5 3MF Duda (1980-06-27) June 27, 1980 (age 44) 13 1 Spain Málaga
8 3MF Tiago (1981-05-02) May 2, 1981 (age 43) 48 1 Spain Atlético Madrid
10 3MF Deco (1977-08-27) August 27, 1977 (age 47) 71 5 England Chelsea
16 3MF Raul Meireles (1983-03-17) March 17, 1983 (age 41) 30 3 Portugal Porto
18 3MF Fábio Coentrão (1988-03-11) March 11, 1988 (age 36) 1 0 Portugal Benfica
19 3MF Miguel Veloso (1986-05-11) May 11, 1986 (age 38) 10 1 Portugal Sporting CP
20 3MF João Moutinho (1986-09-08) September 8, 1986 (age 38) 25 1 Portugal Sporting CP
9 4FW Liédson (1977-12-17) December 17, 1977 (age 46) 6 2 Portugal Sporting CP
11 4FW Simão Sabrosa (substitute captain) (1979-10-31) October 31, 1979 (age 45) 78 21 Spain Atlético Madrid
17 4FW Nani (1986-11-17) November 17, 1986 (age 37) 33 6 England Manchester United
21 4FW Hugo Almeida (1984-05-23) May 23, 1984 (age 40) 22 4 Germany Werder Bremen
– 4FW Edinho (1982-07-07) July 7, 1982 (age 42) 5 2 Greece PAOK

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Portugal squad within the last twelve months.

Caps and goals are correct as of October 14, 2009.
Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK José Moreira (1982-03-20) March 20, 1982 (age 42) 1 0 Portugal Benfica v. Liechtenstein, August 12, 2009 (Friendly)
GK Daniel Fernandes (1983-09-25) September 25, 1983 (age 41) 2 0 Germany Bochum v. Estonia, June 10, 2009 (Friendly)
GK Beto (1982-05-01) May 1, 1982 (age 42) 1 0 Portugal Porto v. Malta, October 14, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
DF Zé Castro (1983-01-13) January 13, 1983 (age 41) 1 0 Spain Deportivo La Coruña v. Hungary, September 9, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
DF Gonçalo Brandão (1986-10-09) October 9, 1986 (age 38) 2 0 Italy Siena v. Estonia, June 10, 2009 (Friendly)
DF Nélson (1983-06-10) June 10, 1983 (age 41) 1 0 Spain Real Betis v. South Africa, March 31, 2009 (Friendly
DF José Bosingwa (1982-08-24) August 24, 1982 (age 42) 23 0 England Chelsea v. Malta, October 14, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
DF César Peixoto (1980-05-12) May 12, 1980 (age 44) 1 0 Portugal Benfica v. Malta, October 14, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
MF Pedro Mendes (1979-02-26) February 26, 1979 (age 45) 4 0 Scotland Rangers v. Malta, October 14, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
MF Maniche (1977-11-11) November 11, 1977 (age 47) 53 7 Germany Köln v. Hungary, September 9, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
MF Eliseu (1983-08-01) August 1, 1983 (age 41) 2 0 Italy Lazio v. Liechtenstein, August 12, 2009 (Friendly)
MF Nuno Assis (1977-11-25) November 25, 1977 (age 46) 5 0 Portugal Vitória de Guimarães v. Malta, October 18, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
MF Cristiano Ronaldo (1985-02-05) February 5, 1985 (age 39) 68 22 Spain Real Madrid v. Hungary, October 10, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
FW Nuno Gomes (1976-07-17) July 17, 1976 (age 48) 77 29 Portugal Benfica v. Malta, October 14, 2009 (2010 WC qual.)
FW Luís Boa Morte (1977-08-04) August 4, 1977 (age 47) 28 1 England West Ham United v. Estonia, June 10, 2009 (Friendly)
FW Danny (1983-08-07) August 7, 1983 (age 41) 8 1 Russia Zenit Saint Petersburg v. South Africa, March 31, 2009 (Friendly)
FW Orlando Sá (1988-05-26) May 26, 1988 (age 36) 1 0 Portugal Porto v. Finland, February 11, 2009 (Friendly)

Head coaches

Last updated May 9, 2009

Manager Period Record
Matches Won Draw Lost
Portugal Committee 1921–1923 3 0 0 3
Portugal Ribeiro dos Reis 1925–1926 6 1 1 4
Portugal Cândido de Oliveira 1926–1929, 1935–1945, 1952 31 8 9 14
Portugal Maia Loureiro 1929 1 0 0 1
Portugal Laurindo Grijó 1930 4 2 0 2
Portugal Tavares da Silva 1931, 1945–1947, 1951, 1955–1957 30 10 4 16
Portugal Salvador do Carmo 1932–1933, 1950, 1953–1954 12 3 4 5
Portugal Virgílio Paula 1947–1948 3 1 0 2
Portugal Armando Sampaio 1949 4 1 1 2
Portugal José Maria Antunes 1957–1960, 1962–1964, 1968–1969 31 9 4 18
Portugal Armando Ferreira 1961, 1962–1964 6 1 1 4
Portugal Fernando Peyroteo 1961 2 0 0 2
Portugal Manuel da Luz Afonso 1964–1966 20 15 2 3
Portugal José Gomes da Silva 1967, 1970–1971 13 5 4 4
Portugal José Augusto 1972–1973 15 9 4 2
Portugal José Maria Pedroto[6] 1974–1976 15 6 4 5
Portugal Juca 1977–1978, 1980-1982, 1987–1989 40 17 9 14
Portugal Mário Wilson 1978–1980 10 5 2 3
Brazil Otto Glória 1982–1983 7 3 1 3
Portugal Fernando Cabrita 1983–1984 9 5 2 2
Portugal José Augusto Torres 1984–1986 17 8 1 8
Portugal Rui Seabra 1986–1987 6 1 4 1
Portugal Artur Jorge 1990–1991, 1996–1997 20 9 8 3
Portugal Carlos Queiroz 1991–1993, 2008– 29 12 10 7
Portugal Nelo Vingada 1994 2 0 2 0
Portugal António Oliveira 1994–1996, 2000–2002 44 26 10 8
Portugal Humberto Coelho 1997–2000 24 16 4 4
Portugal Agostinho Oliveira 2002 4 2 2 0
Brazil Luiz Felipe Scolari 2003–2008 74 42 18 14
  • bold - signifies current manager

Previous squads

FIFA World Cup

UEFA European Football Championship

Summer Olympics Football Tournament

  • italic denotes team comprised by non main-team players

Most appearances

As of 18 November, 2009.[7][8]
No Name Caps Goals First game Last game
1 Luís Figo 127 32 October 12, 1991 July 8, 2006
2 Fernando Couto 110 8 December 19, 1990 June 30, 2004
3 Rui Costa 94 26 March 31, 1993 July 4, 2004
4 Pauleta 88 47 August 20, 1997 July 8, 2006
5 João Pinto 81 23 October 12, 1991 June 14, 2002
6 Vítor Baía 80 0 December 19, 1990 September 7, 2002
7 Ricardo 79 0 June 2, 2001 June 19, 2008
8 Simão 78 21 October 18, 1998 November 18, 2009
9 Nuno Gomes 77 29 January 24, 1996 October 10, 2009
10 Deco 71 5 March 29, 2003 November 18, 2009
11 João Domingos Pinto 70 1 September 5, 1983 July 7, 1996
12 Cristiano Ronaldo 68 23 August 20 2003 November 18, 2009
13 Nené 66 22 April 21, 1971 June 20, 1984
14 Eusébio 64 41 October 19, 1961 October 19, 1973
15 Humberto Coelho 64 6 October 18, 1968 June 18, 1983
16 Bento 77 9 January 24, 1996 October 10, 2009
17 Ricardo Carvalho 60 4 March 29, 2003 November 18, 2009
18 Paulo Ferreira 58 0 December 15, 2002 November 18, 2009
19 Coluna 57 8 May 4, 1955 December 11, 1968
  • Bold denotes players still available for selection.

Most goals

See also: List of Portugal national football team hat-tricks
As of 18 November, 2009.[9]
No Name Goals Caps Avg First game Last game
1 Pauleta 47 88 0.53 August 20, 1997 July 8, 2006
2 Eusébio 41 64 0.64 October 8, 1961 October 13, 1973
3 Luís Figo 32 127 0.25 October 12, 1991 July 8, 2006
4 Nuno Gomes 29 77 0.38 January 24, 1996 October 10, 2009
5 Rui Costa 26 94 0.28 March 31, 1993 July 4, 2004
6 João Pinto 23 81 0.28 October 12, 1991 June 14, 2002
7 Cristiano Ronaldo 22 68 0.32 August 20, 2003 October 10, 2009
Nené 22 66 0.33 April 21, 1971 June 23, 1984
8 Simão 21 78 0.27 October 18, 1998 November 14, 2009
9 Rui Jordão 15 43 0.35 March 29, 1972 January 25, 1989
10 José Torres 14 33 0.42 January 23, 1963 October 13, 1973
  • bold denotes player still available for selection

References

  1. ^ Selecção das Quinas refers to the five shields ("Team of the Escutcheons") or the five dots inside them ("Team of the Bezants") in the Portuguese flag, used until the 70s as the shirt badge. Refer to Flag of Portugal for symbolism associated with these bezants.
  2. ^ UEFA suspends Portuguese trio
  3. ^ FIFA suspends Pinto
  4. ^ Euro 2008 promotional video, on YouTube
  5. ^ "Meireles winner seals progress". ESPN. 2009-11-18. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  6. ^ The game against Goiás XI (a regional team from Brazil) was not sanctioned by FIFA, therefore it is not considered official and it is not included in this table.
  7. ^ "Deco é o 10.º jogador com mais internacionalizações". www.abola.pt (in Portuguese). A Bola. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
  8. ^ "Todas as internacionalizações". FPF.PT (in Portuguese). Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  9. ^ "Melhores Marcadores". FPF.PT (in Portuguese). Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Retrieved August 9, 2009.

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