kids encyclopedia robot

Portugal national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Portugal women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Portugal
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) A Seleção das Quinas (The Team of the Escutcheons)
Lusos (Lusitanians)
Association Portuguese Football Federation
(Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, FPF)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Roberto Martínez
Captain Cristiano Ronaldo
Most caps Cristiano Ronaldo (206)
Top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo (128)
Home stadium Estádio Nacional
FIFA code POR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 6 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 3 (May–June 2010, October 2012, April–June 2014, September 2017–April 2018)
Lowest 43 (August 1998)
Elo ranking
Current 7 Decrease 3 (3 March 2019)
Highest 2 (June 2006)
Lowest 42 (November 1962)
First international
 Spain 3–1 Portugal 
(Madrid, Spain; 18 December 1921)
Biggest win
 Portugal 9–0 Luxembourg 
(Almancil, Portugal; 11 September 2023)
Biggest defeat
 Portugal 0–10 England 
(Lisbon, Portugal; 25 May 1947)
World Cup
Appearances 9 (first in 1966)
Best result Third place (1966)
European Championship
Appearances 9 (first in 1984)
Best result Champions (2016)
Nations League Finals
Appearances 1 (first in 2019)
Best result Champions (2019)
Olympic Games
Appearances 4 (first in 1928)
Best result Fourth place (1996)
Confederations Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2017)
Best result Third place (2017)
Medal record
Men's football
FIFA World Cup
Bronze 1966 England Team
UEFA European Championship
Gold 2016 France Team
Silver 2004 Portugal Team
Bronze 1984 France (s.f.) Team
Bronze 2000 Belgium and Netherlands (s.f.) Team
Bronze 2012 Poland and Ukraine (s.f.) Team
UEFA Nations League
Gold 2019 Portugal Team
FIFA Confederations Cup
Bronze 2017 Russia Team
Website fpf.pt

The Portugal national football team (Portuguese: Seleção Portuguesa de Futebol) has represented Portugal in men's international football competitions since 1921. The national team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home games are played at the Estádio Nacional stadiums in 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 winners 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 finals. 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 also appeared in the Olympic football tournament, and made it to the semi-finals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, finishing in fourth place.

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 the Euros 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

Main article: History of the Portugal national football team

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.

Charisteas' Siegtreffer im Finale der Euro 2004
Portugal lost the Euro 2004 final 0–1 to Greece with a header from Angelos Charisteas (pictured).

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.

Cristiano Ronaldo 20120609
Ronaldo, pictured playing against Germany at Euro 2012, assumed the captaincy in the wake of Euro 2008.

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, many 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

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Cédric
Adrien
João Mário
Nani
Portugal's starting lineup for the UEFA Euro 2016 final

In UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, Bento was dismissed following a defeat to Albania and was replaced by Fernando Santos in September 2014. After qualifying for the finals, Portugal finished third in Group F but advanced to the knockout stages as the third-best third place team following three straight draws. Portugal beat Croatia 1–0 after extra time in the round of 16 and then defeated Poland 5–3 on penalties to reach the semi-finals, where they defeated Wales 2–0. In the final against the hosts France, Ronaldo went off injured. However, in extra time, substitute Eder scored the winning goal in the 109th minute.

Following their Euro 2016 victory, Portugal participated in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. They finished top of their group, but 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.

Portugal national football team World Cup 2018
Portugal lining up before a match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Portugal opened their campaign with a 3–3 draw with Spain, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick. After a 1–0 victory against Morocco, Portugal drew 1–1 with Iran to progress to the knockout round as group runners-up. Portugal were eliminated following a 2–1 defeat to Uruguay in the round of 16.

Following the World Cup, Portugal won the inaugural UEFA Nations League beating the Netherlands at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, with the only being scored by Gonçalo Guedes in the 60th minute.

At UEFA Euro 2020, Portugal were drawn into a group containing France, Germany and Hungary which was widely speculated as being the "group of death". Portugal advanced to the next round by defeating Hungary, drawing with France and losing to Germany. There, they faced Belgium but lost 1–0.

For the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Portugal were required to qualify for the finals via the play-offs after finishing second in their group. Nevertheless, Portugal managed to beat Turkey and North Macedonia to qualify for the final tournament. 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. The Portuguese would demolish Switzerland 6–1 in the next round, their highest tally in a World Cup knockout game since the 1966 World Cup, with Gonçalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick. However, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Morocco, 1–0. Following a disappointing World Cup campaign, Santos was dismissed on 15 December. On 9 January 2023, Roberto Martinez was announced as the head coach of Portugal, replacing Fernando Santos.

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

Main article: List of Portugal national football team managers
Roberto Martínez 2018
Roberto Martínez, the current coach
Position Name
Head coach Spain Roberto Martínez
Assistant coach England Anthony Barry
Portugal Ricardo Carvalho
Goalkeeping coach Spain Iñaki Bergara
Portugal Ricardo
Chief analyst Portugal Bruno Pereira
Performance manager Wales Richard Evans
Technical director Portugal José Couceiro
Portugal José Guilherme
Sports scientist Portugal João Brito
Head of media and communications Portugal Marco Ferreira
Academy manager Portugal Joaquim Milheiro

Results and fixtures

Main article: Portugal national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.       Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

2024

Players

Current squad

The following 32 players were called up for friendlies against Sweden and Slovenia on 21 and 26 March 2024, respectively.
Ronaldo, Félix, Neves, Otávio, Vitinha, Danilo, Cancelo and Dalot join the squad only after the match against Sweden.

  • Caps and goals correct as of: 26 March 2024, after the match against Slovenia.
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Rui Patrício (3rd captain) (1988-02-15) 15 February 1988 (age 36) 108 0 Italy Roma
12 1GK José Sá (1993-01-17) 17 January 1993 (age 31) 1 0 England Wolverhampton Wanderers
22 1GK Diogo Costa (1999-09-19) 19 September 1999 (age 25) 20 0 Portugal Porto
1GK Samuel Soares (2002-06-15) 15 June 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Portugal Benfica
2 2DF Diogo Dalot (1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 25) 17 2 England Manchester United
3 2DF Pepe (vice-captain) (1983-02-26) 26 February 1983 (age 41) 136 8 Portugal Porto
4 2DF António Silva (2003-10-30) 30 October 2003 (age 21) 9 0 Portugal Benfica
5 2DF Diogo Leite (1999-01-23) 23 January 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Germany Union Berlin
13 2DF Danilo Pereira (1991-09-09) 9 September 1991 (age 33) 71 2 France Paris Saint-Germain
14 2DF Gonçalo Inácio (2001-08-25) 25 August 2001 (age 23) 6 2 Portugal Sporting CP
15 2DF João Mário (2000-01-03) 3 January 2000 (age 24) 3 0 Portugal Porto
19 2DF Nuno Mendes (2002-06-19) 19 June 2002 (age 22) 20 0 France Paris Saint-Germain
20 2DF João Cancelo (1994-05-27) 27 May 1994 (age 30) 51 10 Spain Barcelona
2DF Rúben Dias (1997-05-14) 14 May 1997 (age 27) 54 2 England Manchester City
2DF Nélson Semedo (1993-11-16) 16 November 1993 (age 31) 28 0 England Wolverhampton Wanderers
2DF Toti Gomes (1999-01-16) 16 January 1999 (age 25) 2 0 England Wolverhampton Wanderers
6 3MF João Neves (2004-09-27) 27 September 2004 (age 20) 5 0 Portugal Benfica
8 3MF Bruno Fernandes (1994-09-08) 8 September 1994 (age 30) 64 20 England Manchester United
16 3MF Otávio (1995-02-09) 9 February 1995 (age 29) 20 3 Saudi Arabia Al Nassr
18 3MF Rúben Neves (1997-03-13) 13 March 1997 (age 27) 46 0 Saudi Arabia Al Hilal
23 3MF Vitinha (2000-02-13) 13 February 2000 (age 24) 15 0 France Paris Saint-Germain
3MF Bernardo Silva (1994-08-10) 10 August 1994 (age 30) 88 11 England Manchester City
3MF João Palhinha (1995-07-09) 9 July 1995 (age 29) 25 2 England Fulham
3MF Matheus Nunes (1998-08-27) 27 August 1998 (age 26) 12 2 England Manchester City
7 4FW Cristiano Ronaldo (captain) (1985-02-05) 5 February 1985 (age 39) 206 128 Saudi Arabia Al Nassr
9 4FW Dany Mota (1998-05-02) 2 May 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Italy Monza
10 4FW João Félix (1999-11-10) 10 November 1999 (age 25) 37 7 Spain Barcelona
11 4FW Jota Silva (1999-08-01) 1 August 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Portugal Vitória de Guimarães
17 4FW Bruma (1994-10-24) 24 October 1994 (age 30) 12 2 Portugal Braga
21 4FW Francisco Conceição (2002-12-14) 14 December 2002 (age 21) 1 0 Portugal Porto
4FW Rafael Leão (1999-06-10) 10 June 1999 (age 25) 24 4 Italy AC Milan
4FW Gonçalo Ramos (2001-06-20) 20 June 2001 (age 23) 11 8 France Paris Saint-Germain

Recent call-ups

See also: Portugal national football team previous squads

The following players have also been called up to the Portugal squad within the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Celton Biai (2000-08-13) 13 August 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Netherlands Dordrecht v.  Luxembourg, 26 March 2023
DF Raphaël Guerreiro (1993-12-22) 22 December 1993 (age 30) 65 4 Germany Bayern Munich v.  Sweden, 21 March 2024 INJ
MF Renato Sanches (1997-08-18) 18 August 1997 (age 27) 32 3 Italy Roma v.  Iceland, 20 June 2023
MF João Mário (1993-01-19) 19 January 1993 (age 31) 56 3 Portugal Benfica v.  Luxembourg, 26 March 2023 RET
FW Francisco Trincão (1999-12-29) 29 December 1999 (age 24) 7 0 Portugal Sporting CP v.  Sweden, 21 March 2024 INJ
FW Diogo Jota (1996-12-04) 4 December 1996 (age 27) 36 12 England Liverpool v.  Iceland, 19 November 2023
FW Ricardo Horta (1994-09-15) 15 September 1994 (age 30) 12 4 Portugal Braga v.  Iceland, 19 November 2023
FW Pedro Neto (2000-03-09) 9 March 2000 (age 24) 5 1 England Wolverhampton Wanderers v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 16 October 2023


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 statistics

Players in bold are still active with Portugal.

Most appearances

Cristiano Ronaldo WC2022 - 02
Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal's most capped player and all-time top scorer.
See also: List of Portugal international footballers and List of Portugal national football team captains
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Cristiano Ronaldo 206 128 2003–present
2 João Moutinho 146 7 2005–present
3 Pepe 136 8 2007–present
4 Luís Figo 127 32 1991–2006
5 Nani 112 24 2006–2017
6 Fernando Couto 110 8 1990–2004
7 Rui Patrício 108 0 2010–present
8 Bruno Alves 96 11 2007–2018
9 Rui Costa 94 26 1993–2004
10 Ricardo Carvalho 89 5 2003–2016

Top goalscorers

See also: List of Portugal national football team hat-tricks
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Cristiano Ronaldo (list) 128 206 0.62 2003–present
2 Pauleta (list) 47 88 0.53 1997–2006
3 Eusébio (list) 41 64 0.64 1961–1973
4 Luís Figo 32 127 0.25 1991–2006
5 Nuno Gomes 29 79 0.37 1996–2011
6 Hélder Postiga 27 71 0.38 2003–2014
7 Rui Costa 26 94 0.28 1993–2004
8 Nani 24 112 0.21 2006–2017
9 João Pinto 23 81 0.28 1991–2002
10 Nené 22 66 0.33 1971–1984
Simão 22 85 0.26 1998–2010

Goal records

Most goals scored in one World Cup 
9 – Eusébio (1966)
Most goals scored in World Cup
9 – Eusébio (1966)
Most goals scored in one European Championship
5 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2020)
Most goals scored in European Championship
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)
41 years and 24 days – Pepe (5–2 against Sweden on 21 March 2024) 
Longest national career
20 years, 2 months, 30 days  – Cristiano Ronaldo (from 20 August 2003 to 19 November 2023) 
Longest national career for an outfield player
20 years, 2 months, 30 days  – Cristiano Ronaldo (from 20 August 2003 to 19 November 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

See also: Portugal national football team all-time record

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place       Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup

Main article: Portugal at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Position Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Did not enter Declined participation
Kingdom of Italy 1934 Did not qualify 2nd 2 0 0 2 1 11
French Third Republic 1938 2nd 1 0 0 1 1 2
Fourth Brazilian Republic 1950 2nd 2 0 1 1 3 7
Switzerland 1954 2nd 2 0 1 1 1 9
Sweden 1958 3rd 4 1 1 2 4 7
Chile 1962 2nd 4 1 1 2 9 7
England 1966 Third place 3rd 6 5 0 1 17 8 1st 6 4 1 1 9 4
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 4th 6 1 2 3 8 10
West Germany 1974 2nd 6 2 3 1 10 6
Argentina 1978 2nd 6 4 1 1 12 6
Spain 1982 4th 8 3 1 4 8 11
Mexico 1986 Group stage 17th 3 1 0 2 2 4 2nd 8 5 0 3 12 10
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 3rd 8 4 2 2 11 8
United States 1994 3rd 10 6 2 2 18 5
France 1998 3rd 10 5 4 1 12 4
South Korea Japan 2002 Group stage 21st 3 1 0 2 6 4 1st 10 7 3 0 33 7
Germany 2006 Fourth place 4th 7 4 1 2 7 5 1st 12 9 3 0 35 5
South Africa 2010 Round of 16 11th 4 1 2 1 7 1 P/O 12 7 4 1 19 5
Brazil 2014 Group stage 18th 3 1 1 1 4 7 P/O 12 8 3 1 24 11
Russia 2018 Round of 16 13th 4 1 2 1 6 6 1st 10 9 0 1 32 4
Qatar 2022 Quarter-finals 8th 5 3 0 2 12 6 P/O 10 7 2 1 22 7
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 Qualified as co-hosts Qualified as co-hosts
Saudi Arabia 2034 To be determined To be determined
Total Third place 8/22 35 17 6 12 61 41 — 149 83 35 31 284 146
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

UEFA European Championship

Main article: Portugal at the UEFA European Championship
UEFA European Championship record Qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Did not qualify 4 3 0 1 8 8
Spain 1964 3 1 0 2 4 5
Italy 1968 6 2 2 2 6 6
Belgium 1972 6 3 1 2 10 6
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976 6 2 3 1 5 7
Italy 1980 8 4 1 3 10 11
France 1984 Semi-finals 3rd 4 1 2 1 4 4 6 5 0 1 11 6
West Germany 1988 Did not qualify 8 2 4 2 6 8
Sweden 1992 8 5 1 2 11 4
England 1996 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 5 2 10 7 2 1 29 7
Belgium Netherlands 2000 Semi-finals 3rd 5 4 0 1 10 4 10 7 2 1 32 4
Portugal 2004 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 1 2 8 6 Qualified as hosts
Austria Switzerland 2008 Quarter-finals 7th 4 2 0 2 7 6 14 7 6 1 24 10
Poland Ukraine 2012 Semi-finals 3rd 5 3 1 1 6 4 10 6 2 2 27 14
France 2016 Champions 1st 7 3 4 0 9 5 8 7 0 1 11 5
Europe 2020 Round of 16 13th 4 1 1 2 7 7 8 5 2 1 22 6
Germany 2024 Qualified 10 10 0 0 36 2
Total 1 Title 9/17 39 19 10 10 56 38 125 76 26 23 252 109
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out. Red border colour indicates that the tournament was held on home soil.

UEFA Nations League

Main article: Portugal at the UEFA Nations League
UEFA Nations League record
Season** Division Group Pld W D* L GF GA P/R Rank
Portugal 2018–19 A 3 6 4 2 0 9 4 Same position 1st
Italy 2020–21 A 3 6 4 1 1 12 4 Same position 5th
Netherlands 2022–23 A 2 6 3 1 2 11 3 Same position 6th
2024–25 A 1 To be determined
Total 16 9 4 3 28 10 1 Title
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
**Group stage played home and away. Flag shown represents hosts nations for the finals stage. Red border colour indicates the finals stage will be held on home soil

FIFA Confederations Cup

Main article: Portugal at the FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1995
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999
South KoreaJapan 2001
France 2003
Germany 2005
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013
Russia 2017 Third place 3rd 5 3 2 0 9 3
Total Third place 1/10 5 3 2 0 9 3
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Olympic Games

Main article: Football at the Summer Olympics

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.

Olympic Games Record
Year Round Pld W D* L GF GA
Greece 1896 No football tournament
France 1900 Did not enter
United States 1904
United Kingdom 1908
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924
Netherlands 1928 Quarter-finals 3 2 0 1 7 5
United States 1932 No football tournament
Germany 1936 Did not enter
United Kingdom 1948
Finland 1952
Australia 1956
Italy 1960
Japan 1964
Mexico 1968
West Germany 1972
Canada 1976
Soviet Union 1980
United States 1984 Did not qualify
South Korea 1988
Spain 1992
United States 1996 Fourth place 6 2 2 2 6 10
Australia 2000 Did not qualify
Greece 2004 Group stage 3 1 0 2 6 9
China 2008 Did not qualify
United Kingdom 2012
Brazil 2016 Quarter-finals 4 2 1 1 5 6
Japan 2020 Did not qualify
Total Fourth place 16 7 3 6 24 30
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Minor tournaments

Year Round Position GP W D* L GF GA
Brazil 1964 Taça de Nações Third place 3rd 3 0 1 2 2 7
Brazil 1972 Brazil Independence Cup Runners-up 2nd 8 6 1 1 17 5
United States 1992 U.S. Cup Fourth place 4th 3 0 1 2 0 3
Canada 1995 SkyDome Cup Champions 1st 2 1 1 0 2 1
Total 1 Title 4/4 16 7 4 5 21 16
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

All-time results

Main article: Portugal national football team results

The following table shows Portugal's all-time international record, correct as of 29 March 2022.

Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA
Total 647 315 151 181 1096 741

Source: Portugal - Historical results

Honours

Major

Minor

  • 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

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Portugal para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Portugal national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.