Portugal national football team
| Nickname(s) | Seleção das Quinas (Team of the Quincunxes) Lusos (Lusitanians) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Association | Portuguese Football Federation (Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, FPF) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach | Roberto Martínez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Cristiano Ronaldo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most caps | Cristiano Ronaldo (223) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top scorer | Cristiano Ronaldo (141) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home stadium | Estádio Nacional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA code | POR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FIFA ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current | 5 1 (18 September 2025)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest | 3 (May–June 2010, October 2012, April–June 2014, September 2017–April 2018) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest | 43 (August 1998) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain 3–1 (Madrid, Spain; 18 December 1921) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9–0 Luxembourg (Almancil, Portugal; 11 September 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0–10 England (Lisbon, Portugal; 25 May 1947) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 8 (first in 1966) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 3rd (1966) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 9 (first in 1984) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 1st (2016) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nations League Finals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2019) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 1st (2019, 2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 4 (first in 1928) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 4th (1996) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederations Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 3rd (2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| 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 stadium is the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, located next to its primary training ground and the FPF headquarters (Cidade do Futebol), but the team generally plays its home matches in stadiums across the country. The head coach is Roberto Martínez,[4] and the captain is Cristiano Ronaldo, who 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 the hosts and eventual winners France. After missing out the 1998 World Cup, Portugal qualified for the Euro 2000 and started an uninterrupted streak of qualification for every European Championship and World Cup finals. In this run, Portugal finished fourth at the 2006 World Cup and runners-up at the Euro 2004, which they entered as hosts, and reached the semi-finals of the Euro 2000 and Euro 2012. This was in great part due to the production of several world class players, such as Ballon d'Or winners Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.[5][6] In 2016, Portugal won its first-ever major trophy by defeating hosts France in the Euro 2016 final. With this win, the team qualified for and made its only appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Russia, where they finished in third place. Portugal then qualified for and hosted the first finals of the UEFA Nations League in 2019, where it defeated the Netherlands to earn their second major title. Six years later, Portugal won its second Nations League and third overall title after defeating the incumbent Nations League and Euro 2024 title holders Spain in the 2025 final in Munich.
Portugal has also appeared in the Olympic football tournament on four occasions (1928, 1996, 2004, 2016), with its best result being a fourth place at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Portugal is colloquially referred to as the Seleção das Quinas (a synecdoche based on the flag of the country) and has several notable rivalries with other national teams. These include Brazil, due to their shared history and close cultural ties;[7] Spain, due to their historical rivalry as Iberian neighbours;[8] and France, due to several high-stake meetings between both teams at the Euros and World Cup.[9]
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
- ^ "Regulations of the UEFA European Football Championship 2010-12" (PDF). 3.08: UEFA. p. 4. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 9 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^ Demony, Catarina (15 December 2022). "Portugal coach Santos leaves job after World Cup exit". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ "Two trophies in three years – A Golden era for Portuguese football". 10 June 2019. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2019 – via www.tugascout.com.
- ^ "Portugal Will Never Win a Major Tournament:The Three Reasons Why". 20 April 2009. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2019 – via www.tugascout.com.
- ^ Wilson, Jeremy (25 June 2010). "Portugal 0 Brazil 0: match report". Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ Coelho, João Nuno (1998). ""'On the Border': Some Notes on Football and National Identity in Portugal". Fanatics! Power, Identity and Fandom in Football. Londres: Routledge. pp. 158–172. ISBN 978-1-134-67729-0. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ "From Xavier to Batta: how controversy shaped Portugal v France rivalry". The Guardian. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
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