Portugal national football team

Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team has represented Portugal in men's international football competition since 1921. The national team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home matches are played at various stadiums throughout Portugal, and its primary training ground and technical headquarters, Cidade do Futebol, is located in Oeiras. The head coach of the team is Roberto Martínez, and the captain is Cristiano Ronaldo, who also holds the team records for most caps and most goals.
Portugal's first participation in a major tournament finals was at the 1966 World Cup, which saw a team featuring Ballon d'Or winner Eusébio finish in third place. Portugal also made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 1984, losing to hosts and eventual winners France. Under the team's first golden generation in the 1990s, Portugal began consistently featuring in the European Championship and World Cup; they made the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, finishing in fourth place, along with placing as runners-up at Euro 2004 as hosts, and reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2000 and Euro 2012. This was in great part due to the production of several players, such as Luís Figo, Rui Costa, Ricardo Carvalho, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
In 2016, Portugal won its first-ever major trophy, Euro 2016, defeating hosts France in the final. With the win, Portugal qualified and made its only appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup held in Russia, where they finished in third place. Portugal qualified for and hosted the brand new 2019 Nations League finals where they triumphed, defeating the Netherlands and earning their second major tournament victory in three finals.
Portugal is colloquially referred to as the Seleção das Quinas (a synecdoche based on the flag of the country) and has notable rivalries with Brazil, due to shared cultural traits and heritage, France, due to several important meetings between the two teams at Euro and World Cup, and Spain, known as A Guerra Ibérica in Portuguese or The Iberian War in English, with the rivalry between two countries going back to 1581.
History
Early World Cup attempts
Portugal were not invited to the 1930 World Cup, which only featured a finals 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, with a 9–0 loss in Madrid and 2–1 loss in Lisbon for an aggregate score of 11–1.
In the 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification, the Seleção played one game against Switzerland held in neutral ground in Milan. They lost 2–1 and failed to qualify for the finals. The Second World War delayed the World Cup until 1950 and subsequently, the national team rarely played. A 10–0 home friendly loss against England, two years after the war, still stands as their biggest ever defeat.
1950s and early 1960s
Similar to 1934, Portugal were to play a two-legged round against Spain. After a 5–1 defeat in Madrid, they managed to draw the second game 2–2. With a 7–3 aggregate score, they did not qualify on the pitch, however they would later be invited to replace Turkey, which had withdrawn from participating. Portugal refused to participate.
In 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, the team would play Austria; the Austrians won the first game with a 9–1 result. The best the Portuguese could do was hold the Austrians to a goalless draw in Lisbon, resulting in a 9–1 aggregate defeat. Four years later, Portugal won a qualifying match for the first time, a 3–0 home victory over Italy. Nevertheless, they finished last in a group that also featured Northern Ireland; only the first-placed team, Northern Ireland, would qualify.
1960 was the year that UEFA created the European Championship. The first edition was a knock-out tournament with the last four teams participating in the finals stage that only featured one leg while the earlier stages had two legs. In the first round, the Seleção das Quinas won 2–0 at East Germany and then 3–2 in Porto, advancing with a 5–2 two-legged win. Portugal faced Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals, losing 6–3 on aggregate.
Portugal faced England and Luxembourg in 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification and ended up second in the group, behind England, who would be the only team in Group 6 to qualify. In the 1964 European Championship, Portugal played against Bulgaria in the qualifying rounds. The Portuguese lost in Sofia and won in Lisbon. With the round tied 4–4, a replay was needed in a neutral country. In the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Portugal lost 1–0 thanks to a late strike from Georgi Asparuhov.
Third place at the 1966 World Cup
Portugal were drawn with Czechoslovakia, Romania and Turkey for 1966 World Cup qualification. They topped the group with only one draw and one defeat in six games and finally qualified for a FIFA World Cup, with a 1–0 away win against Czechoslovakia and Turkey and a 5–1 home win against the Turks being notable results.
At the World Cup, the team started out with three wins in the group stage after they beat Hungary 3–1, Bulgaria 3–0, and two-time defending champions Brazil 3–1. Secondly, they beat quarter-finalists 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 would be played in 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. Portugal would not qualify for another World Cup for 20 years.
1980s
Portugal won their Euro 1984 qualifying group that contained Finland, Poland and the Soviet Union with a win over the latter, allowing them to qualify and be placed in Group B alongside Spain, West Germany and Romania in the finals. In the first two matches, they drew 0–0 and 1–1 against West Germany and Spain, respectively. A 1–0 win over Romania resulted in a second place finish in group play. Portugal were paired against hosts France in the semi-finals. After a draw in regular time, Portugal initially led 2–1 in extra-time, but the hosts scored in the 114th and 119th minutes to eliminate the Portuguese 3–2 and go through to the final.
For 1986 World Cup qualification, the Seleção 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, Portugal won the game to become the first team to beat West Germany at their home ground in an official match. The team exited early in the group stages after a win and two losses. They started with a 1–0 win against England, but later were beaten by Poland and Morocco 1–0 and 3–1 respectively. Their staying in Mexico was marked by the Saltillo Affair, where players refused to train in order to win more prizes from the Portuguese Football Federation. Mexico marked their last World Cup appearance until 2002.
1995–2006: The golden generation
At UEFA Euro 1996, Portugal finished first in Group D, and in the quarter-finals, they lost 1–0 to the Czech Republic.
Portugal failed to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In Euro 2000 qualifying, Portugal finished second in their group, one point short of first-placed Romania. However, after finishing as the top runner-up nation in qualifying, Portugal nonetheless secured a spot in the finals. They then defeated England 3–2, Romania 1–0 and Germany 3–0 to finish first in Group A, then defeated Turkey in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals against France, Portugal were eliminated in extra time when Zinedine Zidane converted a penalty. Referee Günter Benkö awarded the spot kick for a handball after Abel Xavier blocked a shot. Xavier, Nuno Gomes and Paulo Bento were all given lengthy suspensions for subsequently shoving the referee. The final eventually finished 2–1.
During 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Portugal won the group. Several problems and poor judgement decisions occurred during the preparation and tournament itself – shopping sprees by players were widely reported in the Portuguese press. Questionable managing choices and some amateurism, including the same lack of agreement on prizes. Portugal entered the tournament as favourites to win Group D. However, they were upset 3–2 by the United States. They then rebounded with a 4–0 smashing of Poland. Needing a draw to advance, they lost the last group game to hosts South Korea. Portugal underachieved and ended third in its group stage, subsequently eliminated. Manager António Oliveira was fired after the World Cup.
The next major competition, the UEFA Euro 2004, was held in Portugal. For preparation, the Football Federation made a contract with Luiz Felipe Scolari to manage the team until the tournament ended. Being a favourite to win it, the host nation lost the first game against Greece 1–2. They achieved their first win against Russia 2–0 and also beat Spain 1–0. They went on to play against England, in a 2–2 draw that went into penalties, with Portugal winning. Portugal beat the Netherlands 2–1 in the semi-finals, and suffered a second defeat from Greece, 1–0, in the final.
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. The silver lining for Portugal was the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was selected in the UEFA Euro All-Star team. While Portugal were 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, and topped Group D in the World Cup, with victories over Angola (1–0), Iran (2–0) and Mexico (2–1).
Portugal defeated the Netherlands 1–0 in the Round of 16 in Nuremberg in an acrimonious match marked by 16 yellow cards, with four players sent off. 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. They then lost 1–0 against France, and faced hosts Germany in the third place play-off match in a 3–1 defeat.
2006–2014: Post-golden generation and mixed results
For Euro 2008 Portugal finished second in qualification behind Poland, and won their first two group games against Turkey and the Czech Republic, although a loss to co-hosts Switzerland set up a quarter-final matchup with Germany which the team lost 3–2. After the tournament, Scolari left to take over at Chelsea. Afterwards, Carlos Queiroz was appointed as the head coach of the Portugal national team.
Portugal came second in the qualifying stages for the 2010 FIFA World Cup under Queiroz, then beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in a play-off, thereby reaching every tournament in the decade. A 19-match undefeated streak, in which the team conceded only three goals, ended with a loss to eventual champions Spain in the round of 16, 1–0. Queiroz was later criticised for setting up his team in an overly cautious way. After the World Cup, squad regulars Simão, Paulo Ferreira, Miguel and Tiago all retired from international football. Queiroz was banned from coaching the national team for one month after he tried to block a doping test to the team while preparing for the World Cup, as well as directing insulting words to the testers. In consequence, he received a further six-month suspension. Several media outbursts from Queiroz against the heads of the Portuguese Football Federation followed, which partly prompted his dismissal. Paulo Bento was appointed as his replacement at head coach.
Bento's team qualified for Euro 2012; they were drawn with Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands in a widely speculated "group of death". They lost their first game 0–1 to Germany, then beat Denmark 3–2. The final group stage match was against the Netherlands. After Van der Vaart had given the Dutch a 1–0 lead, Ronaldo netted twice to ensure a 2–1 victory. Portugal finished second in the group and qualified for the knockout phase. Portugal defeated the Czech Republic 1–0 in the quarter-finals with a header from Ronaldo. The semi-final match was against Spain, who defeated Portugal 4–2 on penalties after a goalless draw.
In 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Portugal won 4–2 on aggregate in a play-off against Sweden with all four goals being scored by Ronaldo, and were drawn into Group G with the United States, Germany and Ghana. Their first match against the Germans was their worst-ever defeat in a World Cup, a 4–0 loss. They went on to draw 2–2 against the United States and won 2–1 against Ghana. However, the team were eliminated due to inferior goal difference to the Americans.
2016–present: Euro 2016 and first international glories
Portugal began the Euro 2016 qualifiers with a 0–1 home defeat against Albania, which resulted in Bento being dismissed from his managerial post to be replaced by Fernando Santos in September 2014. Under Santos, the team qualified as group winners and were drawn in Group F alongside newcomers Iceland, Austria and Hungary; the Portuguese advanced into the knockout stage as the third-best third place team following three straight draws. Portugal beat Croatia 1–0 in the Round of 16 after a goal from Ricardo Quaresma in extra time and then defeated Poland 5–3 on penalties to reach the semi-finals, where they defeated Wales 2–0 in regulation time with goals from Ronaldo and Nani to reach the final at the Stade de France against hosts France. The early stages of the final saw Ronaldo limp off the pitch injured; in extra time, substitute Eder turned hero when he scored the match's only goal in the 109th minute, defying all odds. Ronaldo won the Silver Boot, scoring three goals and providing three assists.
Following their Euro 2016 victory, Portugal participated in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Portugal faced Mexico on 17 June in their opening match, which ended in a 2–2 draw. Three days later, Portugal faced hosts Russia defeating them 1–0, with the only goal of the match being scored by Cristiano Ronaldo. On 24 June, Portugal defeated New Zealand 4–0 to top their group and advance to the semi-finals of the competition. Ronaldo was also man of the match in all three of Portugal's group stage matches. Portugal lost to Chile on penalties after a goalless draw in the semi-finals, but rebounded in the third place game, defeating Mexico 2–1 after extra time.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw, Portugal were placed in Group B along with Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Andorra and Latvia. Portugal would only lose one match against Switzerland 2–0. However, Portugal got their revenge on their last group stage match defeating Switzerland 2–0, to top their group and qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
In the 2018 World Cup, Portugal were drawn into Group B with Spain, Morocco and Iran. In their opening match on 15 June, Portugal were against Spain, which ended in a 3–3 draw, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick. Ronaldo scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory against Morocco, breaking Puskás' record. Portugal faced Iran on 25 June, in their last group match, which ended in a 1–1 draw, leading Portugal to progress to the knockout round as group runners-up behind Spain. On 30 June, Portugal were eliminated following a 2–1 defeat to Uruguay in the round of 16.
Following the World Cup, Portugal were part of the inaugural UEFA Nations League, were the Seleção were placed in league A and were drawn into Group 3 with Italy and Poland. On 9 March 2018, UEFA announced that Portugal had expressed interest in bidding for the Nations League finals, which was later announced that the group winners would be appointed as the host. Portugal started the league defeating Italy in a home 1–0 victory, with André Silva scoring the match's only goal. In their second match, Portugal defeated Poland in a 3–2 away victory. In the two remaining matches, Portugal faced Italy and Poland in a 0–0 away draw and Poland 1–1 home, respectively, to advance to the Nations League finals, thereby automatically winning hosting rights, which were confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee on 3 December 2018. In the semi-finals on 5 June 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo made his return to the team scoring a hat-trick against Switzerland to secure the hosts a spot in the final. Four days later, in the finals at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal defeated the Netherlands 1–0, with the only being scored by Gonçalo Guedes in the 60th minute.
Portugal were drawn in Group B for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying with Lithuania, Luxembourg, Ukraine, and Serbia. Portugal won five games, drew two and lost one to qualify for the final tournament from the second place. In the process, Fernando Santos overtook Luiz Felipe Scolari's record as Portugal's coach with the most victories overall. Santos' team was drawn with France, Germany and Hungary in a widely speculated "group of death". Portugal advanced to the next round by defeating Hungary, drawing with France and losing to Germany. There, they faced Belgium and lost 0–1, finishing 13th overall, which is Portugal's lowest placement in Euros history.
Portugal were placed into Group A of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Republic of Ireland, and Serbia. After losing to Serbia at home on the last matchday, Portugal finished second and advanced to the play-off as opposed to qualifying directly. On 24 March 2022, Portugal beat Turkey 3–1 in the playoff semi-final, and five days later they defeated North Macedonia 2–0 in the play-off final to secure a berth in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
At the 2022 World Cup, Portugal defeated Ghana 3–2 in their first group game and then beat Uruguay 2–0 to qualify for the knockout stages. In the last group game, Portugal lost 2–1 to South Korea, but still managed to top their group. The match was marked by a controversy between national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo and national team coach Fernando Santos, with Ronaldo receiving criticism from his own coach for his reaction at being substituted. He was dropped from the starting line-up for Portugal's last 16 match against Switzerland, marking the first time since Euro 2008 that he had not started a game for Portugal in a major international tournament, and the first time Portugal had started a knockout game without Ronaldo in the starting line-up at an international tournament since Euro 2000. The Portuguese would eventually demolish Switzerland 6–1, their highest tally in a World Cup knockout game since the 1966 World Cup, with Ronaldo's replacement Gonçalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick. Tipped as favourites, Portugal employed the same strategy in the quarter-finals against Morocco but lost 1–0, making the Atlas Lions the first African semi-finalists at the World Cup. Following a disappointing World Cup campaign, which was marked by criticism over Santos defensive tactics and style of play, including the inability to utilise Portugal's attacking talent and the fracturing of his relationship Ronaldo, he was dismissed on 15 December.
On 9 January 2023, Roberto Martinez was announced as the head coach of Portugal, replacing Fernando Santos. Portugal were drawn in Group J for UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Slovakia. On 11 September 2023, Portugal recorded their biggest win in international history by defeating Luxembourg 9–0.
After having Nike as its kit manufacturer since 1997, in 2023, the team chose to replace it by Puma SE, starting in 2025.
Team image
Kits
Portugal's traditional home kit is mainly red with a green trim, reflecting the colors of the nation's flag. Over the years, the particular shade of red has alternated between a darker burgundy and a lighter scarlet. Both green and red shorts have been used to complete the strip.
The team's away kits, on the other hand, have varied more considerably. White has typically been preferred as a dominant color, either with blue shorts, or red and green highlights. In recent times, all-black has been utilised, as has a turquoise-teal color, the latter of which was prominently featured during the title-winning Euro 2016 campaign.
Media coverage
Portugal's qualifying, Nations League and friendly matches are broadcast by free-to-air public broadcaster RTP and pay-TV network Sport TV.
Coaching staff
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2022
2023
Players
Current squad
The following 24 players were called up for UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Slovakia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on 13 and 16 October 2023, respectively.
Caps and goals correct as of: 16 October 2023, after the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the Portugal squad within the last 12 months.
RET
COV Player withdrew from the squad due to contracting COVID-19.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player retired from international football.
OTH Player withdrew from the squad due to other reasons.
Individual records
Players in bold are still active with Portugal.
Most appearances
Top goalscorers
Goal records
Most goals scored in one World Cup 9 – Eusébio (1966)
Most goals scored in World Cups 9 – Eusébio (1966)
Most goals scored in one European Championship 5 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2020)
Most goals scored in European Championships 14 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020)
Oldest goalscorer 39 years, 9 months and 10 days – Pepe (6–1 against Switzerland on 6 December 2022)
Youngest goalscorer 17 years, 9 months and 25 days – Fernando Chalana (2–1 against Cyprus on 5 December 1976)
Most hat-tricks 10 – Cristiano Ronaldo (includes four goals against Andorra on 7 October 2016 and Lithuania on 10 September 2019)
Most pokers 2 – Cristiano Ronaldo
Youngest player to score a hat-trick 20 years, 11 months and 4 days – André Silva (6–0 against Faroe Islands on 10 October 2016)
Other records
Most matches played in World Cup 22 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
Most matches played in European Championship 25 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020)
Oldest player (outfield and goalkeeper) 40 years, 3 months and 25 days – Pepe (0–1 against Iceland on 20 June 2023)
Longest national career 20 years, 1 month, 26 days – Cristiano Ronaldo (from 20 August 2003 to 16 October 2023)
Longest national career for an outfield player 20 years, 1 month, 26 days – Cristiano Ronaldo (from 20 August 2003 to 16 October 2023)
Youngest debutant 17 years, 6 months and 24 days – Paulo Futre (5–0 against Finland on 21 September 1983)
Youngest player to reach 100 caps 27 years, 8 months and 11 days – Cristiano Ronaldo (1–1 against Northern Ireland on 16 October 2012)
Youngest player to reach 200 caps 38 years, 4 months and 15 days – Cristiano Ronaldo (0–1 against Iceland on 20 June 2023)
Competitive record
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
FIFA World Cup
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
UEFA European Championship
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out. Red border colour indicates that the tournament was held on home soil.
UEFA Nations League
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
**Group stage played home and away. Flag shown represents host nation for the finals stage. Red border colour indicates the finals stage will be held on home soil
FIFA Confederations Cup
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
Olympic Games
From 1968–1988 Portugal were represented by the national amateur football team. Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
Minor tournaments
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
All-time results
The following table shows Portugal's all-time international record, correct as of 29 March 2022.
Source: Portugal - Historical results
Honours
Major tournaments
FIFA World Cup
Third place: 1966
FIFA Confederations Cup
Third place: 2017
UEFA European Championship
Champions: 2016
Runners-up: 2004
UEFA Nations League
Champions: 2019
Minor tournaments
SkyDome Cup
Champions: 1995
Brazil Independence Cup
Runners-up: 1972
Awards
FIFA World Cup Most Entertaining Team: 2006
Laureus World Sports Awards for Team of the Year:
Nominations: 2017
Rivalries
Portugal–Spain football rivalry
France–Portugal football rivalry
Footnotes
See also
* List of national sport teams of Portugal
References
External links
Portuguese Football Federation official website
UEFA profile
FIFA profile
RSSSF archive of results 1921–2003
RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
RSSSF archive of coaches 1921–
Full reports of all matches of the Portugal National Football Team 1921–1979
Portugal national football team
European national association football teams
UEFA European Championship-winning countries
UEFA Nations League-winning countries