Portugal national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Portugal

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 (221)
Top scorer	Cristiano Ronaldo (138)
Home stadium	Estádio Nacional
FIFA code	POR
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	6 (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 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	8 (first in 1966)
Best result	Third place (1966)
European Championship
Appearances	9 (first in 1984)
Best result	Champions (2016)
Nations League Finals
Appearances	2 (first in 2019)
Best result	Champions (2019, 2025)
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 UEFA Nations League Gold 2019 Portugal Team Gold 2025 Germany Team FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze 2017 Russia Team
Website	fpf.pt

The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in international football games for men. The team is managed by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Their main stadium is the Estádio Nacional, but they play games all over the country.

The current coach is Roberto Martínez, and the team captain is Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo holds the record for playing the most games and scoring the most goals for Portugal.

Portugal first played in a big tournament at the 1966 World Cup. A famous player named Eusébio helped them finish in third place. They also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 1984 but lost to France.

After missing the 1998 World Cup, Portugal started a long run of qualifying for every European Championship and World Cup. During this time, they had amazing players like Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo. They finished fourth at the 2006 World Cup and were runners-up at the Euro 2004 when they hosted it.

In 2016, Portugal won their first major trophy by beating France in the Euro 2016 final. This win also allowed them to play in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017, where they finished third. In 2019, Portugal hosted and won the first-ever UEFA Nations League by defeating the Netherlands. In 2025, they won their second Nations League title, beating Spain in the final in Munich.

Portugal has also played in the Olympic football tournament four times. Their best result was fourth place at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

People often call the team Seleção das Quinas, which refers to the shields on the Portuguese flag. Portugal has rivalries with teams like Brazil, Spain, and France.

History of the Team

Early World Cup Journeys

Portugal did not play in the first World Cup in 1930. They tried to qualify for the 1934 World Cup but lost badly to Spain.

For the 1938 World Cup, they played one game against Switzerland and lost, so they did not qualify. World War II stopped the World Cup for a while. After the war, Portugal had their biggest loss ever in a friendly game, losing 10-0 to England.

The 1950s and 1960s

In 1950, Portugal again lost to Spain in the qualifiers. They were invited to play in the World Cup when another team pulled out, but Portugal decided not to go.

They also failed to qualify for the 1954 and 1958 World Cups. In 1958, they won a qualifying match for the first time, beating Italy 3-0 at home.

In 1960, the European Championship started. Portugal won their first round against East Germany but then lost to Yugoslavia. They also did not qualify for the 1962 World Cup or the 1964 European Championship.

Third Place at the 1966 World Cup

Portugal finally qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 1966. They won their qualifying group, with important wins against Czechoslovakia and Turkey.

At the World Cup, they won all three group games, beating Hungary, Bulgaria, and even the two-time champions Brazil. In the quarter-finals, they came back from being 3-0 down to beat North Korea 5-3, with Eusébio scoring four goals. They lost 2-1 to hosts England in the semi-finals. Portugal then beat the Soviet Union 2-1 to finish third, which is their best World Cup result ever. Eusébio was the top scorer with nine goals. Portugal did not qualify for another World Cup for 20 years after this.

The 1980s

Portugal qualified for UEFA Euro 1984. They finished second in their group and played against hosts France in the semi-finals. Portugal led 2-1 in extra time, but France scored two late goals to win 3-2.

For the 1986 World Cup, Portugal qualified by beating West Germany in their home stadium, which was a big achievement. However, they were knocked out in the group stage after winning one game and losing two. This World Cup was also known for the "Saltillo Affair," where players had disagreements about prize money. Portugal did not play in another World Cup until 2002.

The Golden Generation (1995–2006)

At UEFA Euro 1996, Portugal reached the quarter-finals but lost to the Czech Republic. They did not qualify for the 1998 World Cup.

Portugal lost the Euro 2004 final 0–1 to Greece.

Portugal qualified for UEFA Euro 2000 as one of the best second-placed teams. They won all their group games against England, Romania, and Germany. They then beat Turkey in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals against France, Portugal lost in extra time due to a penalty.

Portugal won their group in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup. However, at the tournament, they did not play well. They lost to the United States and South Korea, and were knocked out in the group stage.

The next big tournament was UEFA Euro 2004, which Portugal hosted. They lost their first game to Greece but then won against Russia and Spain. They beat England in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals and the Netherlands in the semi-finals. But in the final, they lost to Greece again, 1-0. After this tournament, many older "Golden Generation" players retired. However, Cristiano Ronaldo became a rising star and was named in the Euro All-Star team.

Portugal finished first in their qualifying group for the 2006 World Cup. At the World Cup, they won their group games against Angola, Iran, and Mexico. They beat the Netherlands 1-0 in a very tough game known as the "Battle of Nuremberg." They then won against England in a penalty shootout to reach their first World Cup semi-final since 1966. Portugal lost 1-0 to France in the semi-final and then 3-1 to Germany in the third-place match.

After the Golden Generation (2006–2014)

For UEFA Euro 2008, Portugal finished second in their qualifying group. They won their first two group games but lost to Switzerland, which led to a quarter-final match against Germany. They lost 3-2 to Germany.

Ronaldo, pictured playing against Germany at Euro 2012, became captain after Euro 2008.

Portugal qualified for the 2010 World Cup through a play-off. They had a long unbeaten run before losing to Spain 1-0 in the Round of 16.

The team qualified for UEFA Euro 2012. They were in a tough group with Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. After losing to Germany, they beat Denmark and then the Netherlands (with two goals from Ronaldo) to reach the knockout stage. Portugal beat the Czech Republic 1-0 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, they lost to Spain in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.

In the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, Portugal won a play-off against Sweden, with Ronaldo scoring all four goals. At the World Cup, they had a tough group. They lost 4-0 to Germany, drew 2-2 with the United States, and won 2-1 against Ghana. However, they were eliminated because of a worse goal difference.

Recent Success (2016–Present)

After a change in coach, Portugal qualified for UEFA Euro 2016. They finished third in their group but still made it to the knockout stages. They beat Croatia 1-0 in extra time and then Poland in a penalty shootout. In the semi-finals, they defeated Wales 2-0. In the final against hosts France, Ronaldo got injured, but substitute Eder scored the winning goal in extra time, giving Portugal their first major trophy!

After winning Euro 2016, Portugal played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. They won their group but lost to Chile in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals. They then beat Mexico 2-1 to finish third.

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

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Portugal started with a 3-3 draw against Spain, where Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals. They then beat Morocco 1-0 and drew 1-1 with Iran, moving to the next round. However, they were knocked out by Uruguay with a 2-1 loss in the Round of 16.

After the World Cup, Portugal won the first-ever UEFA Nations League in 2019, beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final.

At UEFA Euro 2020, Portugal was in a very tough group with France, Germany, and Hungary. They made it to the next round but lost 1-0 to Belgium in the Round of 16.

For the 2022 World Cup, Portugal had to play in play-offs to qualify, which they won against Turkey and North Macedonia. At the World Cup, they beat Ghana 3-2 and Uruguay 2-0 to reach the knockout stages. They then crushed Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16, with Gonçalo Ramos scoring three goals. However, they were surprisingly knocked out by Morocco with a 1-0 loss in the quarter-finals. After this, Fernando Santos was replaced by Roberto Martínez as the new coach in January 2023.

In 2025, Portugal won their second UEFA Nations League title. They beat Denmark in the quarter-finals, Germany in the semi-finals, and then Spain in the final in Munich.

Team Look

Kits

Portugal's home kit is usually red with green details, matching the colors of their flag. The shade of red has changed over the years, from a darker red to a brighter red. They have used both green and red shorts.

The away kits have changed more often. White is a common color, sometimes with blue shorts or red and green highlights. Recently, they have also used all-black or a turquoise-teal color, which they wore when they won Euro 2016.

Kit Suppliers

Period	Supplier
1920–1976	None
1976–1994	Adidas
1994–1996	Olympic Sportswear
1997–2024	Nike
2025–	Puma

Coaching Staff

Roberto Martínez, the current coach

Position	Name
Head coach	Roberto Martínez
Assistant coaches	Austin MacPhee Ricardo Carvalho
Goalkeeping coaches	Ricardo Iñaki Bergara
Chief analyst	Bruno Pereira
Performance manager	Richard Evans
Technical director	José Couceiro José Guilherme
Sports scientist	João Brito
Head of media and communications	Marco Ferreira
Academy manager	Joaquim Milheiro

Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals.

• Caps and goals are correct as of: 8 June 2025, after the match against Spain.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Diogo Costa	{{{age}}}	36	0	Porto
12	1GK	José Sá	{{{age}}}	3	0	Wolverhampton Wanderers
22	1GK	Rui Silva	{{{age}}}	1	0	Sporting CP
2	2DF	Nélson Semedo	{{{age}}}	44	0	Unattached
3	2DF	Rúben Dias	{{{age}}}	68	3	Manchester City
4	2DF	António Silva	{{{age}}}	17	0	Benfica
5	2DF	Diogo Dalot	{{{age}}}	29	3	Manchester United
13	2DF	Renato Veiga	{{{age}}}	5	0	Chelsea
14	2DF	Gonçalo Inácio	{{{age}}}	16	2	Sporting CP
25	2DF	Nuno Mendes	{{{age}}}	37	1	Paris Saint-Germain
6	3MF	João Palhinha	{{{age}}}	34	2	Bayern Munich
8	3MF	Bruno Fernandes	{{{age}}}	80	25	Manchester United
10	3MF	Bernardo Silva (vice-captain)	{{{age}}}	102	13	Manchester City
15	3MF	João Neves	{{{age}}}	16	0	Paris Saint-Germain
18	3MF	Rúben Neves	{{{age}}}	58	0	Al-Hilal
19	3MF	Pedro Gonçalves	{{{age}}}	3	0	Sporting CP
23	3MF	Vitinha	{{{age}}}	29	0	Paris Saint-Germain
7	4FW	Cristiano Ronaldo (captain)	{{{age}}}	221	138	Al-Nassr
9	4FW	Gonçalo Ramos	{{{age}}}	16	9	Paris Saint-Germain
11	4FW	João Félix	{{{age}}}	45	9	Chelsea
16	4FW	Francisco Trincão	{{{age}}}	11	2	Sporting CP
17	4FW	Rafael Leão	{{{age}}}	40	5	Milan
20	4FW	Pedro Neto	{{{age}}}	17	2	Chelsea
24	4FW	Rodrigo Mora	{{{age}}}	0	0	Porto
26	4FW	Francisco Conceição	{{{age}}}	11	2	Porto

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called up to the Portugal squad in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Ricardo Velho	{{{age}}}	0	0	Farense	v.  Scotland, 15 October 2024
DF	Nuno Tavares	{{{age}}}	1	0	Lazio	2025 Nations League Finals INJ
DF	João Cancelo	{{{age}}}	60	10	Al-Hilal	v.  Croatia, 18 November 2024
DF	Tomás Araújo	{{{age}}}	1	0	Benfica	v.  Croatia, 18 November 2024
DF	Tiago Djaló	{{{age}}}	1	0	Porto	v.  Croatia, 18 November 2024
DF	Tiago Santos	{{{age}}}	0	0	Lille	v.  Scotland, 8 September 2024
MF	Otávio	{{{age}}}	22	3	Al-Nassr	v.  Croatia, 18 November 2024
MF	Samú Costa	{{{age}}}	2	0	Mallorca	v.  Croatia, 18 November 2024
MF	Matheus Nunes	{{{age}}}	16	2	Manchester City	v.  Poland, 15 November 2024 INJ
FW	Geovany Quenda	{{{age}}}	0	0	Sporting CP	v.  Denmark, 23 March 2025
FW	Fábio Silva	{{{age}}}	1	0	Wolverhampton Wanderers	v.  Croatia, 18 November 2024
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.

Player Statistics

Players in bold are still playing for the national team.

Most Games Played

Cristiano Ronaldo has played the most games and scored the most goals for Portugal.

Top Goalscorers

Goal Records

• Most goals in one World Cup: 9 – Eusébio (1966)
• Most goals in World Cup history: 9 – Eusébio (1966)
• Most goals in one European Championship: 5 – Cristiano Ronaldo (2020)
• Most goals in European Championship history: 14 – Cristiano Ronaldo (across 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020)
• Oldest goalscorer: 40 years, 4 months, and 3 days – Cristiano Ronaldo (against Spain on 8 June 2025)
• Youngest goalscorer: 17 years, 9 months, and 25 days – Fernando Chalana (against Cyprus on 5 December 1976)
• Most hat-tricks (3 goals in one game): 10 – Cristiano Ronaldo
• Most pokers (4 goals in one game): 2 – Cristiano Ronaldo
• Youngest player to score a hat-trick: 20 years, 11 months, and 4 days – André Silva (against Faroe Islands on 10 October 2016)

Other Records

• Most World Cup matches played: 22 – Cristiano Ronaldo (from 2006 to 2022)
• Most European Championship matches played: 30 – Cristiano Ronaldo (from 2004 to 2024)
• Oldest player: 41 years, 4 months, and 9 days – Pepe (against France on 5 July 2024)
• Longest national team career: 21 years, 9 months, and 19 days – Cristiano Ronaldo (from 20 August 2003 to 8 June 2025)
• Youngest player to debut: 17 years, 6 months, and 24 days – Paulo Futre (against Finland on 21 September 1983)
• Youngest player to reach 100 games: 27 years, 8 months, and 11 days – Cristiano Ronaldo (against Northern Ireland on 16 October 2012)
• Youngest player to reach 200 games: 38 years, 4 months, and 15 days – Cristiano Ronaldo (against Iceland on 20 June 2023)

Team Achievements

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place  

Major Competitions

• FIFA World Cup
  • Third place (1): 1966
• UEFA European Championship
  • Champions (1): 2016
  • Runners-up (1): 2004
• UEFA Nations League
  • Champions (2): 2019, 2025
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Third place (1): 2017

Friendly Tournaments

• 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: Nominated in 2017

Summary of Major Trophies

Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	0	0	1	1
FIFA Confederations Cup	0	0	1	1
UEFA European Championship	1	1	0	2
UEFA Nations League	2	0	0	2
Total	3	1	2	6

Rivalries

• Portugal–Spain football rivalry

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Portugal para niños

• National sports teams of Portugal