| Revision as of 01:02, 29 May 2004 view sourceDale Arnett (talk | contribs)Administrators294,847 edits Added a paragraph on the "golden generation" and its success at U-20 level.← Previous edit | Revision as of 11:39, 3 June 2004 view source Calexico (talk | contribs)445 edits +esNext edit → | ||
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Revision as of 11:39, 3 June 2004
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| Team colours | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Association | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portuguese Football Federation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Luiz Felipe Scolari, 2003- | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most capped player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fernando Couto: 105 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest goalscorer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eusébio: 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First International | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain 3 - 1 Portugal (Madrid, Spain; 18 November, 1921) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Largest win | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal 8 - 0 Liechtenstein (Lisbon, Portugal; 18 November, 1994) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal 8 - 0 Liechtenstein (Coimbra, Portugal; 9 June, 1999) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal 8 - 0 Kuwait (Leiria, Portugal; 19 November, 2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Largest defeat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal 0 - 8 England (Lisbon, Portugal; 25 May, 1947) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finals appearances: 3 (First: 1966) Best result: Third place 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finals appearances: 4 (First: 1984) Best result: Third place 1984, 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Although the Portuguese national football team has never won any major competition at senior level nor have reached a final, they usually play very attractive football and can produce some great performances, playing head-to-head with the world's best national sides.
Portugal's best performance yet, was back in the 1966 World Cup, in their very first World Cup appearance, when they reached the semi-finals and lost only to later world champions England. Led by their legendary player Eusébio, they put up amazing performances, knocking out previous World Cup champions Brazil and fighting back from a 3-0 result in the quarter-finals against North Korea, winning by 5-3. Portugal eventually finished in third place and Eusébio was considered the best player of the tournament.
Few national teams have had to live up to greater expectations than the Portugal team from roughly 1994 to 2004. The Portugal under-20 national team won two successive FIFA World Youth Cups in 1989 and 1991 with a virtual galaxy of stars, the greatest of whom were midfielders Luis Figo and Rui Costa; these stars were dubbed the golden generation. However, they have yet to transfer their success at youth level to senior level. The upcoming EURO 2004 will be the last chance for the "golden generation" to fulfill its promise.
World Cup record
| 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 | Third place |
| 1970 | Did not qualify |
| 1974 | Did not qualify |
| 1978 | Did not qualify |
| 1982 | Did not qualify |
| 1986 | Round 1 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify |
| 1994 | Did not qualify |
| 1998 | Did not qualify |
| 2002 | Round 1 |
European Championship record
- 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 Third place
- 1988 Did not qualify
- 1992 Did not qualify
- 1996 Quarter finals
- 2000 Third place
- 2004 Qualified automatically as host