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Portugal are one of the few international teams whose current crop of players are among the most successful in the country's history. Although exceptional players like Eusebio, Luis Figo and Pedro Pauleta played for them in the past, they lacked a well-rounded team that could compete for honours.
Portugal's best performance at an international tournament before the 21st century was at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. They finished a remarkable third on that occasion. It was the first time they had qualified for the competition after six previous failed attempts.
To sum things up, in the first 16 editions of the World Cup until 1998, Portugal did not qualify on 13 occasions. They have now qualified for each of the last five beginning in 2002; they are in the playoffs to qualify for the 2022 edition.
However, Portugal have a better record in Europe. They won the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2018-19, and also won the UEFA Euro 2016 - their first-ever international trophy.
Portugal's resurgence has been aided by a crop of world-class talent. Their current team boasts some incredible players too. Players like Diogo Jota, Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo have shown a lot of promise in recent times.
On that note, here's a look at the five best players produced by Portugal in the 21st century.
#5 Joao Moutinho
Joao Moutinho was born in Barreiro, Portugal, in 1986. He began his youth career at Sporting CP, and made his senior debut for the club in 2003. Moutinho has since played for Porto and Monaco, and is currently at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Portugal international has been a mainstay in the starting XI for club and country.
Moutinho has made 755 club appearances, scoring 51 goals and providing 121 assists. Over the years, he has played a quiet and composed role at the heart of midfield - a role that usually goes unnoticed in a stat-crazy era.
He controls the ball, distributes it well to his teammates and knows when to play threaded passes. Moutinho has also made 142 appearances for Portugal, and is second only to Cristiano Ronaldo in their all-time appearance chart.
The pair shared an intense and unforgettable moment in UEFA Euro 2016. Ronaldo used his leadership skills to motivate Moutinho to take a kick in the penalty shootout against Poland in the quarter-final. The latter obliged and scored.
Moutinho has won three Primeira Liga titles, three Taca de Portugal Cups, one Ligue 1 title and the UEFA Europa League. With his country, the midfielder won Euro 2016 as well as the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2018-19.
With over 15 appearances between him and the next player, Moutinho is set to remain at the top of several lists in Portugal's footballing history.
#4 Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho was born in Amarante, Portugal, in 1978. He began his youth career with FC Porto in Portugal before making his senior debut for them in 1997. Carvalho was a solid centre-back who gave attackers little breathing room, and had an imposing physical presence. Most notably having played for Chelsea, the defender also represented Real Madrid and AS Monaco.
Carvalho made 560 appearances at club level, scoring 22 goals and assisting 13. He was known for commanding the box, and not making tackles unless absolutely necessary. The former Portugal international was impressive in one-on-one situations, and seldom folded under pressure.
You can watch a montage of Carvalho's performances here:
In club football, he won seven league titles, four domestic cups, one UEFA Cup and one UEFA Champions League. He was named UEFA's Best Club Defender of the Year in 2003-04, and was also part of the UEFA Team of the Year that season.
Carvalho also made 89 appearances for Portugal, winning Euro 2016 with them. The defender called it quits from football in 2017 after a brief spell with Shanghai SIPG in China.
#3 Pepe
Portugal's Kepler Ferreira, commonly known as Pepe, was born in Maceio, Brazil, in 1983. He began his youth career at Corinthians-AL in 1995. However, Pepe made his senior debut with Portuguese side Maritimo. The defender later played for Real Madrid and Besiktas before moving back to Porto, where he currently plays.
Pepe has made 647 club appearances, scoring 38 goals and providing 34 assists. The Portugal international is a tenacious defender who is always on the heels of his opponent and gives them little room to play with. He is a hard-tackler who isn't afraid to lunge into challenges. The defender has received 12 red cards in his career.
He formed a solid partnership with Sergio Ramos in the heart of Real Madrid's defence, and was instrumental in winning 'La Decima' - the club's 10th UEFA Champions League title, in 2014.
Pepe has won six domestic league titles, six domestic cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and three UEFA Champions League titles.
He has made 123 appearances for Portugal, and ranks fourth in their all-time list of appearances, just four games adrift of third-placed Luis Figo. With his country, the centre-back won UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League.
The Porto man will look to compete with SL Benfica and Sporting CP for the Portuguese title again this season.
#2 Deco
Anderson Luis de Souza, known as Deco, was born in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, in 1977. He began his youth career with Corinthians in Brazil, and made his senior debut in 1996. Deco played mainly as a creative midfielder or playmaker, and played professionally for 17 years. He represented the likes of Porto, Barcelona and Chelsea, among others.
The former Portugal international made 490 club appearances, scoring 75 goals and providing 166 assists. He was one of the best midfielders to play in Europe, and often dazzled with his displays in the UEFA Champions League. The midfielder won two Champions League titles - one with Porto and the other with Barcelona.
Deco was named UEFA's Midfielder of the Year on both occasions - 2004 and 2006. He remains one of the few players to have won the award as well as the prestigious 'Big Ears' with two different clubs.
Deco also made 75 appearances for Portugal, and was part of the team that finished runner-up to Greece at Euro 2004. He retired in 2013 after a three-year spell at Fluminense, as arguably the greatest Portuguese midfielder of all time.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Madeira, Portugal, in 1985. He came through the youth ranks at Sporting CP, and made his senior debut for the club in 2002.
He began his career as a winger, but has developed into a lethal striker recently. He has represented Juventus and Real Madrid, and is currently in his second spell at Manchester United.
The Portugal captain has made 915 career appearances at club level, scoring a stunning 687 goals and providing 231 assists. He has won seven domestic league titles, four domestic cups and five Champions League trophies.
Ronaldo has also won five Ballon d'Or awards. He is the all-time top scorer and appearance maker in Champions League history, with 140 goals in 181 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo recently scored his 800th goal in professional football. To put that into perspective, a newcomer will have to score 40 goals per season (for club and country) for 20 seasons to match Ronaldo's incredible tally.
Ronaldo has been successful with Portugal as well, captaining the side for the past several years. He led them to victory at Euro 2016 - the nation's first major international honour.
Ronaldo has scored 115 goals in 184 appearances for Portugal, topping their all-time scoring and appearances list. He is also the all-time top scorer in men's international football. His tally for Portugal is six more than Lionel Messi's and Diego Maradona's for Argentina together.
Ronaldo currently plays for Manchester United - the club where he first became a global star. The Portugal captain will hope to steer the Red Devils into a Champions League spot by the end of the season.
