Portugal History

 

The moment of truth   

Like the Netherlands, Portugal has earned a fine footballing reputation over the years despite a relatively small population, and their stylish game has benefited from players with origins in former Portuguese colonies like Angola and Mozambique, and also players from Brazil.

Ancient history
The first match was played in Portugal in 1888, almost a century before the great Eusébio dazzled supporters at the finals of the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England, finishing top scorer with nine goals including four in the remarkable quarter-final win against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea . However, it took some time for Portuguese football to find its feet, and the Portuguese Football Federation was not founded until 1914.

Bright start
Their first international match was to end in a 3-1 defeat by neigbours Spain in 1921, but after becoming members of FIFA in 1923, Portugal made a bright start. Early successes included reaching the quarter-finals at the 1928 Olympic football tournament in Amsterdam, some six years before the foundation of the first Portuguese professional league.

Proud refusal
Portugal were not to have much success in subsequent decades - the nearest they came to a major achievement was refusing a place at the 1950 World Cup finals in Brazil after Turkey pulled out; a decision which says much for the pride the Portuguese take in their football.

Favourite son
And they were soon to have a team to be justly proud of. While SL Benfica were a major name in European club football, their favourite son - Mozambique-born Eusébio - was to help Portugal finish in third place in the 1966 World Cup the year after he was named European Footballer of the Year.

On the map
It was a tournament that put Portuguese football on the map, but they were not to show the same level of performance again until 1984, when a team constructed around homegrown talents like Nené, Fernando Chalana and Rui Jordão reached the semi-finals in their first appearance at the UEFA European Championship.

World Cup disappointment
At the 1986 World Cup, Portugal defeated England 1-0, but then goalkeeper Manuel Bento broke a leg in a training session and two subsequent defeats - by Poland 1-0 and Morocco 3-1 - meant an early exit.

New generation
Salvation, however, was not too far around the corner, and the early 1990s saw a renaissance in Portuguese football with the discovery of a new generation of young players. The likes of Luís Figo, Rui Costa and Fernando Couto helped Portugal to scoop youth titles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and hopes were high when they joined the senior ranks.

Recent high
As the great players from the 'golden generation' gradually filtered into the first team, much was expected of Portugal, yet little was achieved. They reached the second round at the finals of EURO 96™, failed to qualify for the 1998 World Cup, before reaching a recent high by getting to the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2000™.

World Cup low
For many, with their players hitting maturity, the 2002 World Cup was Portugal's chance to strike gold. As it was, it was to end in sorrow, with defeats against the United States and hosts the Korean Republic seeing Portugal shipped back home before the knockout stages.

Perfect timing
The cream of FC Porto's UEFA Cup-winning side of 2002/03 have now been added to Portugal's existing stock of mercurial talents, and as they compete on home soil at UEFA EURO 2004™, perhaps Portugal have finally picked the perfect moment to show the world what they can really do.

 

Country Info

Portugal's new pride

AREA: 92,391 sq km
POPULATION: 10,102,022
NEIGHBOURS: Spain
LANGUAGES: Portuguese
CAPITAL CITY: Lisbon

Dominated by foreign powers for much of its early history, Portugal was to emerge from the shadows of its conquerors to become a pioneer state of European exploration. In footballing terms, the national team is also increasingly expanding its ambitions, and as the nation plays host to the finals of UEFA EURO 2004™, Portugal is closer to the heart of the game than ever before.

Occupying forces
The early history of Portugal is a bewildering game of musical chairs as successive waves of occupying powers left their mark on the country. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Visigoths all settled in Portugal, only for the country to be colonised by Moorish invaders in the eighth century.

World giants
Portugal regained independence, ejecting the Moors in the 13th century before embarking upon a process of global expansion which would see the Portuguese flag flying as far away as India, Africa, the Far East and Brazil in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Rising force
That worldwide power waned as the centuries went on, although with its old allies Britain, Portugal was proud to hold Napoleon at bay. More recently, the nation emerged from a period of military dictatorship under António de Oliveira Salazar to emerge as one of Europe's rising powers.

International debut
In footballing terms, Portugal made their first international appearance in 1921, losing 3-1 against Spain in Madrid. Although Portugal - boasting the brilliant Eusébio in their ranks - finished third at the 1966 FIFA World Cup finals, it was only recently that the national team began to share the reputation of the nation's most successful clubs, SL Benfica and FC Porto.

Golden generation
Portugal won the FIFA World Under-20 Championship in 1989 and 1991 and the UEFA European Under-18 Championship in 1994 to mark the birth of a brilliant new team featuring the likes of Luís Figo, Rui Costa and Fernando Couto. That team has matured over the years - reaching the last four at UEFA EURO 2000™ - and would love to bow out in style at EURO 2004™.
 

 

 

 

Today Years 2004 Portugal team

Player name list

Andrade Jorge Defender
Beto Defender
Costa Rui Midfield
Costinha Midfield
Couto Fernando Defender
Deco Midfield
Figo Luís Midfield
Miguel Defender
Gomes Nuno Forward
Nuno Valente Defender
Pauleta Forward
Paulo Ferreira Defender
Petit Midfield
Quim Goalkeeper
Ricardo Goalkeeper
Ricardo Carvalho Defender
Ronaldo Cristiano Forward
Rui Jorge Defender
Sabrosa Simão Forward
Tiago Midfield

 

Group A
  PLD W D L GS GA PTS
Portugal 3 2 0 1 4 2 6
Greece 3 1 1 1 4 4 4
Spain 3 1 1 1 2 2 4
Russia 3 1 0 2 2 4 3

 

 

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