⚽ Portugal– Key Euros Stats ⚽
Euro looks: 18
Euro titles: 1
Finest surface: Winners (2016)
Euros record: W19 D10 L10
Objectives scored: 56
Most significant win: 3-0 (latest vs Hungary in Euro 2020)
Gamer to view: Bruno Fernandes
World ranking: Sixth
Group label: Os Navegadores (The Navigators)
Group components:
- June 18: Portugal vs Czech Republic (Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)
- June 22: Turkey vs Portugal (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
- June 26: Georgia vs Portugal (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)
How to follow our Euro 2024 protection: UEFA Euro 2024 on Al Jazeera
It just took 6 brief years for the Euro 2016 champs Portugal to strike rock bottom at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The terrible defeat to Morocco on the planet Cup quarterfinal left them with the unenviable record of simply one win in the knockout phases of a significant competitors because that amazing Euro 2016 accomplishment.
In the consequences of their World Cup exit, coach Fernando Santos called time on his stint with the nationwide group.
As the tears streamed down Cristiano Ronaldo’s face as he strolled down the gamer’s tunnel in Qatar, you felt as though he would do the same.
Santos’s last function as Portugal supervisor– even before his side was up to Morocco at the quarterfinal phase– had actually seen him drop Ronaldo from the beginning lineup for each of Portugal’s knockout matches at the Qatar World Cup. That his replacement, Goncalo Ramo, went on to score a hat-trick versus Switzerland in the round of 16 seemed like the last nail in the casket of the super star’s long and remarkable worldwide profession.
It hasn’t shown to be the last act with the now 39-year-old Ronaldo set to play in a record 6th European football champion at Euro 2024 in Germany.
Among the very first things Roberto Martinez is reported to have actually done after taking control of as Portugal supervisor was to fulfill every member of the 26-man side that had actually been chosen for the World Cup in Qatar. All of them, Ronaldo consisted of, revealed their desire to continue with the nationwide group.
Of those 26 gamers, 21 have actually been called in Martinez’s team for Germany. Amongst them is 41-year-old protector Pepe, who’s been selected more for his significance off the pitch than on it.
“Pepe’s function in the locker space is necessary, the method he represents the nationwide group t-shirt,” Martinez stated. “When he is in shape, he is an extremely essential gamer. We have an extremely intriguing dressing space due to the fact that we have gamers from various generations.
We have an excellent mix of experience and children. It’s a list of 26 gamers that will offer an excellent reaction.”
A clean slate
While the workers modification has actually been very little, the energy originating from the group is extremely various to what it remained in Qatar.
A strong certification project has actually contributed in this– albeit versus weak opposition.
Portugal went unbeaten throughout their 10 Euro 2024 qualifiers, scoring the most objectives, 36, of any group and yielding the least, 2.
Martinez isn’t doing not have for firepower in a cutting edge that consists of gamers of the pedigree of Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix and Rafael Leao. Most importantly, he has actually decided to stay with Portugal’s most well-known gamer, Ronaldo, as the talisman of the attack.
Because Martinez took control of in January 2023, Ronaldo has actually begun 10 video games out of a possible 12 matches, just missing out on the other 2 components due to suspension and load management procedures.
The previous Real Madrid super star’s outstanding 10 objectives in Euro 2024 certification put him 2nd on the goalscoring charts behind just Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku.
Concerns stay
When evaluating Portugal’s opportunities at Euro 2024, the only caution is that the highest-ranked group in Portugal’s credentials group was Slovakia at world number 48, making any potential kind examination versus the leading competitors a challenging workout.
At the Euro 2024 group phase, they will deal with a much sterner test with matches versus the Czech Republic, ranked 36, Poland, ranked 28, and Turkey, ranked 40.
After a year in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, all eyes will be transfixed on Ronaldo and how well he will fare versus top-ranked opposition upon his go back to Europe’s leading countries competitors.
Martinez’s launching competition with Portugal at Euro 2024 is of equivalent intrigue.
Throughout his time as Belgium employer, Martinez directed the group to a third-place surface at the 2018 World Cup– the greatest in their history.
In Euro 2020, Belgium coincidentally knocked out Portugal in the round of 16 however suffered a quarterfinal exit at the hands of ultimate winners Italy. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was the most affordable point of Martinez’s reign, with the Belgians crashing out at the group phase.
The jury is still out on Martinez’s Belgium period and whether he underachieved with them. The one thing he did effectively do with the nationwide side was impart a winning mindset; the Spaniard assisted change Belgium’s credibility from adventurous underdogs to severe competitors.
Martinez now discovers himself dealing with a comparable job with his existing group at Euro 2024.
Lots of analysts think the time has actually come for Portugal to shed the “dark horse” tag they have actually saddled themselves with in significant competitions. This developed– and talent-stacked– team goes into Euro 2024 with the gamers to win everything however still deals with concerns about whether they have the required self-belief that was particular of the triumphant Euro 2016 Portugal side.
⚽ Portugal’s last team for Euro 2024 ⚽
Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo
Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Patricio (AS Roma)
Protectors: Antonio Silva (Benfica), Danilo Pereira (Paris St Germain), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Cancelo (Barcelona), Nelson Semedo (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Pepe (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Joao Neves (Benfica), Joao Palhinha (Fulham), Otavio Monteiro (Al Nassr), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Francisco Conceicao (Porto), Goncalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain), Joao Felix (Barcelona), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rafael Leao (Air Conditioner Milan).
You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s devoted Euro 2024 competition page with all the match accumulation and live text commentary, and maintain to date with group standings and real-time match outcomes and schedules.