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European giants Portugal have been graced by many fine players over the years and have evolved into one of the strongest teams in international football.
After failing to qualify for the first six European Championships, Portugal qualified for Euro 1984, where they finished third. They failed to qualify for the next two European Championships before reaching the quarter-finals at Euro 1996. Since then, they have been regulars at major tournaments.
Portugal reached the semi-finals of Euro 2000 and Euro 2012. They finished runners-up at Euro 2004 before going all the way in 2016 against France.
A Selecao will head to Euro 2020 as one of the favourites to win the tournament. But qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition could prove to be a tricky task for the reigning European champions. That's because Fernando Santos' side are perched in the 'group of death', which contains continental heavyweights France and Germany, and Hungary.
Nevertheless, Portugal will fancy their chances of a deep run at Euro 2020, as they have one of the strongest squads in the tournament. On that note, let's take a look at the greatest Portugal XI of all time:
# Goalkeeper - Vitor Baia
Legendary Portugal goalkeeper Vitor Baia narrowly edges out Ricardo for a spot in his team's greatest XI of all time. The former Porto and Barcelona shot-stopper made 80 appearances for Portugal. He played a key role in the country's run to the quarter-finals at Euro 1996 and the semi-finals at Euro 2000.
Baia won an incredible ten Primeira Liga titles, a Champions League and a UEFA Cup during his stint with Porto. He also helped Barcelona win a La Liga title, two Copa del Reys and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup during his two seasons with the Spanish giants.
He is one of only two goalkeepers to have won the three major UEFA club competitions, the other being Stefano Tacconi.
# Centre-back - Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho is best remembered for his time with Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid. At the peak of his career, the Portugal defender was one of the best centre-backs in the world.
Carvalho won seven league titles and four domestic cup competitions in three different countries. He went on to make 89 appearances for Portugal in an international career that spanned 13 years.
Carvalho was an integral member of the Portugal XI that reached the final of Euro 2004, the semi-finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and won Euro 2016.
Also Read: Strongest possible starting XI for England | UEFA Euro 2020.
# Centre-back: Pepe
Portugal and former Real Madrid defender Pepe is infamous for being the 'bad boy' of football due to his on-the-field antics. Nevertheless, his warrior-like attitude and body-on-the-line style of defending is something that is rarely seen in the modern game.
The 38-year-old rose to prominence during his time with Real Madrid. Along with Sergio Ramos, Pepe formed one of the most feared defensive partnerships in the game. The Brazilian-born defender started playing for Portugal in 2007 and has made 114 appearances.
Pepe soon became a key member of Portugal, representing the team at three Euros and as many World Cups. The Porto star was one of Portugal's standout players in their Euro 2016 triumph. Despite being 38, Pepe is set to play a key role for Portugal at Euro 2020, which could be his last appearance at a major tournament.
# Defender - Fabio Coentrao
Despite not making a massive impact for Portugal in international competitions, Fabio Coentrao is one of the finest full-backs Portugal have ever produced. He made 52 appearances for his country, representing Portugal at two World Cups and one European Championship.
Coentrao caught the attention of a number of Europe's top clubs during his time with Benfica. He won a league title and two domestic Cups before earning himself a €30 million move to Real Madrid in 2011. While at Madrid, Coentrao faced competition for the left-back slot from Marcelo.
During his time at Los Blancos, Coentrao won two league titles, two Champions Leagues and a Copa del Rey. Coentrao announced his retirement from the game last year.
# Midfielder - Deco
Former Porto and Barcelona legend Deco is one of the most gifted players to represent Portugal. Originally from Brazil, he qualified to play for Portugal after six years of residency in the country.
Deco made 75 appearances for Portugal during a span of seven years. The attacking midfielder played a pivotal role in his team's run to the Euro 2004 final and the semi-finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
At club level, Deco made a name for himself during his time with Porto. He won three Primeira Liga titles and a Champions League in five seasons with the Portuguese giants. He was named the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and UEFA Best Midfielder in Porto's 2003-04 Champions League-winning season.
Deco then moved to Barcelona in 2005, where he developed into one of the best midfielders in the game. He won two La Liga titles and a Champions League during his four seasons in Spain.
# Midfielder - Rui Costa
Rui Costa was widely regarded as one of the finest attacking midfielders in the game during his playing days. Costa was a key player for Portugal in the country's 'golden period', helping them reach the quarter-finals of Euro 1996, semi-final of Euro 2000 and final of Euro 2004.
Rui Costa's style of play influenced a lot of young Portuguese players. He made 94 appearances for his country and contributed 26 goals. Costa won a Primeira Liga title during his time with Benfica. He also won a Serie A and three Copa Italia titles during his stint with Fiorentina and AC Milan.
# Midfielder - Ricardo Quaresma
Ricardo Quaresma is one of the most naturally gifted players Portugal have ever produced. Once thought to be on the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo, Quaresma never quite lived up to his hype, though.
The former Porto star is a surprise inclusion in this list due to the impact he had had in Portugal colours over the years. Quaresma made 80 appearances for his national side and scored several key goals at major tournaments.
Quaresma scored a 117th-minute extra-time winner against Croatia in the Round of 16 at Euro 2016 and also netted the winning penalty in the quarter-final shootout against Poland.
The enigmatic winger is widely renowned for his inconsistency and off-field antics, but his contribution to the Portugal national team can never be understated.
# Midfielder - Luis Figo
Luis Figo is widely considered to be one of the best midfielders of all time. The Portugal winger played for some of the biggest clubs in the game like Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sporting Lison.
Figo is one of the few players to leave Barcelona and join their arch-rivals Real Madrid. Madrid spent a then-world-record fee of €62 million to sign Figo from Barcelona in 2000.
Luis Figo was Portugal's talisman during the 1990s and early 2000s, before the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Real Madrid star made 127 appearances for his country. He is the second-most capped player for Portugal, scoring 32 goals and assisting 23.
Figo captained Portugal to the Euro 2004 final and the semi-final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In club football, he won four league titles during his time in Spain with Barcelona and Real Madrid, a Champions League and two UEFA Super Cups.
The midfielder won the Ballon d'Or award in 2000 and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001. He is also a six-time winner of the Portugal Footballer of the Year award.
# Forward - Pauleta
An often forgotten hero of Portugal, Pauleta is one of the most prolific strikers the country have ever produced. Pauleta scored 47 goals in 88 matches for Portugal, a national record at the time of his retirement. He played for his country in two World Cups and as many European Championships.
Pauleta shone at club level during his time with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), scoring 109 goals in 211 games. Before his stint at PSG, Pauleta was prolific during his three seasons with Bordeaux, scoring 91 goals in 130 appearances. He finished as the top goal-scorer in Ligue 1 three times and was also voted the Ligue 1 Footballer of the Year twice.
Pauleta scored a hat-trick against Poland at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and was Portugal's starting striker in their run to the Euro 2004 final at home.
# Forward - Eusebio
Eusebio's name is one that is often included in the list of the greatest players of all time, along with that of Pele and Diego Maradona.
The striker revolutionised Portuguese football. He scored 41 goals in 64 appearances and was his team's talisman at the international tournaments he took part in.
Eusebio guided Portugal to a third-place finish at the 1966 World Cup. He finished as the top goalscorer of the tournament with nine goals and received the Bronze Ball award. He also won the Ballon d'Or award for European Footballer of the year in 1965 for his performances for Portugal and Benfica.
He spent most of his 22-year career with Portuguese giants Benfica and is their all-time top scorer with 473 goals in 440 games. Eusebio guided Benfica to an incredible 11 Primeira Liga titles, five Taca de Portugal titles and a European Cup. The legendary striker was elected the ninth-best footballer of the 20th century in a poll conducted by the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History and Statistics).
# Forward - Cristiano Ronaldo
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the greatest players to have graced the game. The once scrawny kid from Madeira, known for his speed, trickery and willingness to entertain, evolved into one of the most lethal goalscorers in the game during his six years with Manchester United.
Over the years, Ronaldo has established himself as a serial winner, helping European giants Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus to multiple trophies.
He has played a starring role in Portugal's run to the Euro 2004 final and 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finals. But Ronaldo was criticised for his inability to lead Portugal to glory at international tournaments.
That perception changed when Ronaldo led Portugal to glory at Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. The 36-year-old is the joint all-time leading goalscorer at the European Championships with nine goals and is set to make his fifth appearance at the tournament this summer.
The Juventus hitman has scored 103 goals in 174 appearances for his country. He is only the second player and the first European to score a century of international goals. Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to score a FIFA World Cup hat-trick against Spain and the only one to score in four different editions of the European Championships.
Also Read: Strongest possible starting XI for England | UEFA Euro 2020.
