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EspañolPORTUGAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
The 'Portugal football team' is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and is currently one of the strongest teams in Europe, finishing 4th at the last World Cup. Portugal have qualified four times for the FIFA World Cup; 1966, 1986, 2002 and 2006. The first appearance saw them reach the semi final, 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 after surprise defeats to Morocco, United States and South Korea. In the 1986 tournament, players went on strike over prize-money and refused to train between their first and the 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 Euro 2004 (The European Championships), where they lost to Greece, and to their second World Cup semi final in 2006, where they lost to France. The Portuguese were unable to equal Eusebio's 1966 third place finish as they lost to hosts Germany 3-1 on July 8 in Stuttgart, finishing in fourth place in the 2006 World Cup.
FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The team started out with three wins in the group stage where they were in Group C when they beat Hungary, Bulgaria and two-time defending champions Brazil. Secondly they beat surprise quarter-finalist Korea DPR 5-3, with Eusébio getting four markers to overturn a 0-3 deficit. Later, they reached the semifinals where they were beaten by hosts England 2-1. Portugal then defeated USSR 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.
Eusébio played in the 1970 and 1974 World Cup qualifiers but Portugal failed to make the tournament Finals.
1986 FIFA World Cup
In qualification round, Portugal had to beat West Germany in Stuttgart in the last qualifying game to be able to go through to the final round. Portugal won 0-1 and 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 1984 Euro Cup. 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 with a score of 1-0 and Morocco with a score of 3-1.
1998 FIFA World Cup
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. Germany drew the crucial game and was thus able to qualify.[1] 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.
2002 FIFA 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 thrashing of Poland, with Pauleta getting a hat trick.
Needing a draw to advance, they lost the final group game to hosts South Korea. Argentinian referee Angel Sanchez 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.[2]
2006 FIFA World Cup
The Portuguese squad qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany under the leadership of manager Luis Felipe Scolari and came in first place in Group D with victories over Angola (1-0, goal from Pauleta), Iran (2-0, goals from 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 June 25 in Nuremberg in one of the ugliest games in World Cup history. The only goal came courtesy of a Maniche strike in an acrimonious match marked by 16 yellow cards, with 4 players being sent off for a second bookable offense.
On Saturday, July 1 at Gelsenkirchen in the quarter-finals Portugal drew with England but won penalty kicks (3-1) to reach their first World Cup semi-final since the days of Eusébio, 40 years earlier.
Portugal lost to France (1-0) in the semi-finals on Wednesday, July 5 at Munich. Two players had been forced to sit out due to accumulated bookings from the round of 16 and quarterfinals. It did not help that the team faced a hostile crowd of English and French fans; as Cristiano Ronaldo was accused of unsportsmanlike behavior. As in the semi-finals of Euro 2000, Portugal was again narrowly defeated by France, with the decisive goal being a penalty scored by Zinedine Zidane after Thierry Henry was awarded a dubious penalty from a foul committed by Ricardo Carvalho. Portugal could have been awarded a penalty after Cristiano Ronaldo was pushed down in the box. However, a penalty was not awarded by the referee, and was itself a disputed incident where Ronaldo was accused of diving.
For third place, they faced Germany in the third place match on July 8 in Stuttgart. In this match, like the previous two in which Portugal had a couple of players suspended, the ''Selecção'' had lost Miguel to an injury suffered in the semi-final and Ricardo Carvalho to suspension, for accumulated yellow cards against Holland and France. Goalkeeper Ricardo had only conceded one goal in regular play so far (scored by Mexico's Francisco Fonseca, which would later curiously move to Portugal's own SL Benfica). Surprisingly, Figo did not start the match despite having captained the squad in the rest of the tournament. Not unlike the Lusitanians, three of Germany's starters, including captain Michael Ballack, would not be available due to injury. The first half was scoreless but Portugal had several good chances from Pauleta and Deco, forcing Oliver Kahn to make several saves. In the second half, Portugal was thoroughly routed 3-1 as Germany went up three goals to nil from Bastian Schweinsteiger's two goals and an own goal, also off his shot, by Portugal's Petit. Figo replaced Pauleta in the 77th minute, regaining his captaincy during the substitution. Although Germany scored another goal shortly after Figo's entrance, he set up Nuno Gomes's goal in the 88th minute to help Portugal claw back a marker, which was Portugal's second goal of the knockout round and the first since Maniche's against Holland.
Despite this defeat, the Portuguese public hailed their national team as heroes when they returned home. The team won the Most Entertaining Team award for their play during the 2006 World Cup. The award is always organized through public participation in a poll.
Portugal's "Golden Generation" retired after the 2006 World Cup. The departure of Luís Figo has left Portugal's squad with a new look in midfield that was once taken over by himself and the likes of Rui Costa and Sérgio Conceição. The squad attempting to qualify for Euro 2008 will produce a young generation of players from the U-21 squad. Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho, Nani and Manuel Fernandes, and most importantly, Cristiano Ronaldo are some of the names that could possibly bring future success to Portugal.
World Cup record
| Year | Round | Position | Games | Wins | Draws ★ | Losses | Goals Scored | Goals Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Did not enter | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1934 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1938 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1950 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1954 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1958 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1962 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1966 | Semifinals (Third Place) | 3 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 8 |
| 1970 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1974 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1982 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1986 | Round 1 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2002 | Round 1 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| 2006 | Semifinals (Fourth Place) | 4 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
| 'Total' | 4/18 | - | 19 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 32 | 21 |
Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
European Championships
1984 European Championship
This was the first time that Portugal ever entered the European Championship. In the qualifying round, the team almost didn't qualify, but a 1-0 victory over USSR in the last game made it possible. 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 the second place in the group, which was enough to went through to the elimination round.
They would play against hosts, France, in one of the most excited matches in Euro Cup history. France scored first, but Portugal tied it almost an hour later. The game ended and the two teams would play in extra time. Portugal made 2-1 in the first half and both teams could have scored more goals. In the second half France scored with six minutes to go and in the last one. Portugal had been eliminated in the semi-finals.
1996 European Championship
In the final tournament, Portugal tied 1-1 with European Champions Denmark, won 1-0 to Turkey and Croatia by 3-0, finishing first in their group. In the quarter-finals they lost 1-0 to losing finalists, Czech Republic.
2000 European Championship
This tournament was the inaugural success of the so-called "Golden Generation", captained by Luís Figo. They defeated England, Romania, and Germany to finish atop their group and then defeated Turkey in the quarter-finals.
In the semi-final meeting with World Cup holders France, Portugal scored first. However, France equalized and Portugal was eliminated in extra time by a golden goal when Zinedine Zidane converted a penalty. Austrian referee Gunter Benko controversially 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 a Slovak linesman Igor Sramka). Abel Xavier, Nuno Gomes and Paulo Bento were given lengthy suspensions for shoving the referee.[3]
2004 European Championship
This tournament was held in Portugal. Portugal, as the host nation, went all the way through to the final where they were eventually beaten by Greece 1-0 by a goal from Greek striker, Angelos Charisteas. Previously, on the opening match, Greece beat Portugal 2-1. This is the first time in the history of the competition that the final featured the same two teams as the opening match.
2008 European Championship
Group A standings
Main articles: UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group A
Here are the complete group standing as of September 8, 2007:
European Championship Record
| Year | Round | Position | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals Scored | Goals Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1964 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1968 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1972 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1976 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1980 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1984 | Semifinals | 3–4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 1988 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1992 | Did not qualify | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1996 | Quarter-finals | 5–8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 2000 | Semifinals | 3–4 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 |
| 2004 | Final | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 |
| 2008 | Qualification in progress | |||||||
| 'Total' | 4/12 | - | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 27 | 16 |
Recent results and forthcoming fixtures
1-1
(September 6, 2006, Euro 2008 qualifying)
3-0 (October 7, 2006, Euro 2008 qualifying)
2-1 (October 11, 2006, Euro 2008 qualifying)
3-0 (November 15, 2006, Euro 2008 qualifying)
0-2 (February 6, 2007, friendly match)
4-0 (March 24, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
1-1 (March 28, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
1-2 (June 2, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
Al Salmiya Club 1-1 (June 5, 2007, friendly match)
1-1 (August 22, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
2-2 (September 8, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
- (September 12, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
- (October 13, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
- (October 17, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
- (November 17, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
- (November 21, 2007, Euro 2008 qualifying)
Current squad
The following players named for Euro 2008 qualifying match against Belgium and friendly match against Kuwait on June 2 and June 5 2007. [4] [5]
Caps and goals as of June 5, 2007, included against Kuwait.
Recent call-up
The following players have all recently been called up to the Portugal squad. Bracket shows last call-up time.
Previous squads
★ 2006 FIFA World Cup squads - Portugal
★ 2004 European Football Championship squads - Portugal
★ 2002 FIFA World Cup squads - Portugal
★ 2000 European Football Championship squads - Portugal
★ 1996 European Football Championship squads - Portugal
★ 1986 FIFA World Cup squads - Portugal
★ 1984 European Football Championship squads - Portugal
★ 1966 FIFA World Cup squads - Portugal
Players
Famous Players
Most appearances
Below is a list of the 12 players with the most appearances for Portugal, as of March 28, 2007 (
★ denotes players still available for selection):
| No | Name | Games | Goals | First game | Last game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luís Figo | 127 | 32 | 12-10-1991 | 08-07-2006 |
| 2 | Fernando Couto | 110 | 8 | 19-12-1990 | 30-06-2004 |
| 3 | Rui Costa | 94 | 26 | 31-03-1993 | 04-07-2004 |
| 4 | Pauleta | 88 | 47 | 20-08-1997 | 08-07-2006 |
| 5 | João Vieira Pinto | 81 | 23 | 12-10-1991 | 14-06-2002 |
| 6 | Vítor Baía | 80 | 0 | 19-12-1990 | 07-09-2002 |
| 7 | João Pinto | 70 | 1 | 16-02-1983 | 09-11-1996 |
| 8 | Nené | 66 | 22 | 21-04-1971 | 23-06-1984 |
| 9 | Ricardo ★ | 65 | 0 | 02-06-2001 | 02-06-2007 |
| 10 | Eusébio | 64 | 41 | 08-10-1961 | 13-10-1973 |
| = | Humberto Coelho | 64 | 6 | 27-10-1968 | 27-04-1983 |
| 12 | Nuno Gomes ★ | 63 | 27 | 24-01-1996 | 28-03-2007 |
Most goals
Below is a list of the 12 players with the most goals for Portugal, as of March 28, 2007 (
★ denotes players still available for selection):
| No | Name | Games | Goals | First game | Last game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pauleta | 88 | 47 | 20-08-1997 | 08-07-2006 |
| 2 | Eusébio | 64 | 41 | 08-10-1961 | 13-10-1973 |
| 3 | Luís Figo | 127 | 32 | 12-10-1991 | 08-07-2006 |
| 4 | Nuno Gomes ★ | 63 | 27 | 28-01-1996 | 28-03-2007 |
| 5 | Rui Costa | 94 | 26 | 31-03-1993 | 04-07-2004 |
| 6 | João Vieira Pinto | 81 | 23 | 12-10-1991 | 14-06-2002 |
| 7 | Nené | 66 | 22 | 21-04-1971 | 23-06-1984 |
| 8 | Cristiano Ronaldo ★ | 47 | 18 | 20-08-2003 | 22-08-2007 |
| 9 | Rui Jordão | 43 | 15 | 29-03-1972 | 25-01-1989 |
| 10 | Torres | 33 | 14 | 23-01-1963 | 13-10-1973 |
| 11 | Fernando Peyroteo | 20 | 13 | 24-04-1938 | 20-03-1949 |
| 12 | Simão ★ | 55 | 13 | 18-11-1998 | 28-03-2007 |
Trivia
★ This team won the 2006 FIFA World Cup most entertaining team award.
★ Pauleta was the lead goal scorer in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
★ In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, this team set a record for the number of yellow cards received by a national team in a single world cup: 24 in total. Mainly due to the controversial match against Holland where a double figure amount of cards (yellow and red) were handed out.
Footnotes
1. ''Equipa 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.
External links
★ Official website of the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)
★ Portuguese National Football Team
★ Portugoal.net | |The definitive Portuguese football site (in English)
★ Soccerpulse - Portuguese Information and Discussion Forum (in English)
★ Portugal on ESPN
★ RSSSF archive of results 1921-2003
★ RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
★ RSSSF archive of coaches 1921-
★ Portugal National Football Team Players
★ Portugal National Team Players (List)
★ Reports on Portugal's Matches in the 2006 World Cup
★ Daily Portuguese Football news, discussion, stats, images, and more in English
★ Daily Portuguese Football News, Live Scores, Standings, Liga de Honra, II Division, Taça de Portugal
★ Portugal Football Team History Video at vidFootball.com
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