EURO 2024 | France opponent analysis: Portugal | OneFootball

France face Portugal in Hamburg on Friday with both looking to progress to the semi-finals of Euro 2024. From the manager to the most famous culinary delight and in-depth profiles of the whole squad, here is everything you need to know about Roberto Martínez’s side. This piece was written by Nuno Travassos, Catarina Pereira and Luís Mateus for A Bola as part of GFFN’s partnership with The Guardian’s sports network.

Prospects

The individual quality of the current Portugal players dictate that the team go to the Euros as one of the favourites, something that was reinforced during qualifying. It is true that the group was not the most demanding of all – Slovakia finished second and Luxembourg third – but you can only beat what is put in front of you and Roberto Martínez’s side won all of their 10 games, scoring 36 and conceding only two in the process. It made the highest-scoring team of the campaign, as well as the team that let in the fewest goals.

So, at the moment, there is only praise for Martínez, who replaced Fernando Santos after the disappointing World Cup in Qatar in December 2022, during which Cristiano Ronaldo found himself relegated to the bench. The appointment of the Spaniard made it possible to make a reset without deleting the captain from the hard drive. Ronaldo scored 10 goals in qualifying, a number only bettered by Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (14) and helped the team reach the finals in Germany in the most calm way possible.

Portugal reached the finals playing easy-on-the-eye, attacking football with a very versatile tactical structure, making full use of the individual qualities of players such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and João Cancelo among others.

Portugal seem as comfortable playing with three central defenders as they do with a backline of four and against Lichtenstein Martínez even had  Rúben Neves at the back as he knew he would be able to spend most of his time building attacks from a midfield position in the opponents’ half.

Up front, Ronaldo can play either a more isolated role through the middle with support from Bernardo Silva, João Félix or Rafael Leão or Gonçalo Ramos can join the captain up front for a more reinforced central attack. This team is capable of playing 3-4-3, 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 – often within the same game – and the flexibility allows the players to showcase their technical and strategic intelligence.

“I don’t believe in systems. I believe in human beings who play football and for them to be tactically flexible, never forcing a talent to adapt to a system,” Martínez said at his presentation. That day he also said it was necessary to “dream big” and the work he has carried out since then has fuelled expectations back home with Portugal now being considered as one of the three or four teams who have the best chance to win Euro 2024.

The coach

The appointment of Roberto Martínez was met with some initial reservations. Not so much because he was replacing the man who had taken the team to Euro glory in 2016 – Fernando Santos’ image had deteriorated in his last years in charge – but more because there was hope a certain José Mourinho would take the job. However, from the start, Martínez has made a good impression. Despite speaking a language that the Portuguese understand well (Spanish) he set about learning Portuguese and had a far superior communication strategy in contrast to his predecessor. He made a point of visiting several players straight away – including Cristiano Ronaldo in his new home in Saudi Arabia – and continued the charm operation with a football philosophy that immediately captivated the players. “The Portuguese have the best professional players in Europe,” he said, highlighting their competitiveness and tactical awareness.

The icon

Without a club, relegated to the bench for Portugal and in conflict with the national coach, Fernando Santos. At the end of Portugal’s World Cup in Qatar, in the quarter-finals against Morocco, it looked like the (long and successful) Cristiano Ronaldo cycle had ended. A few weeks later, however, CR7 was being presented as an Al-Nassr player and Roberto Martínez replaced Fernando Santos. “My impression, when I first spoke to him, was that of an 18-year-old person,” reported Martínez, who was in Riyadh a few days after being hired. “For most players, the body fails first and the head then has to accept it. With Cristiano, the opposite seems to happen. The body will only stop when the head says it has to stop,” he added. The Saudi Pro League may not be as good as Ronaldo says it is but it has allowed him to score goals again. At 39 years old, he will become the first player to appear in six European Championships. “I’ve already learned that anything can happen,” the striker says. “I’m enjoying the present and now I aim to go to the Euros to see what happens. I want to enjoy the moment.”

One to watch

“The first time I saw João Neves was with the Under-19 team and I immediately saw the talent he has,” said Roberto Martínez in January. “But it was difficult to predict that he could move so quickly to the first team and to play as well as he has with Benfica.” In the end the Spaniard could not resist the charm – and playing qualities – of the short midfielder who plays with his shirt tucked into his shorts and who has won over his teammates with talent and humility. “I have never seen anything like it in my career. Within two days he had gained the respect of the whole dressing room,” the coach added.

The maverick

João Cancelo is not a player who usually causes problems with his teammates, but he is probably the person who has his heart closest to his mouth. At Manchester City, he got into a dispute with Pep Guardiola and was loaned out to Bayern Munich and Barcelona in recent seasons. He is very emotional and it shows on the pitch too, where he can mix his unique prowess of defence and attack with silly mistakes. “There were times when I wasn’t at my best psychologically and that affected me a lot in different competitions, like the last World Cup,” he told A Bola.

The spine

In Diogo Costa Portugal have one of the most promising goalkeepers in the world and he gives the team security and a good start in build up play with his good footwork. Pepe has been the undisputed leader of the Portugal defence for a long time but he has had fitness problems with Rúben Dias ready to take over that mantle. The Manchester-based Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva are the brains of the team with the former set to inherit the captain’s armband. Up  front, the main reference point remains Ronaldo.

Probable starting XI

3-4-3: Diogo Costa; Danilo, Ruben Dias, Inácio; Cancelo, Palhinha, Bruno, Dalot; Bernardo, Ronaldo and Félix

If we want options for players to get fit

3-4-3: Diogo Costa; Danilo, Ruben Dias, Pepe/Inácio; Cancelo, Palhinha, Bruno, Dalot/ Nuno Mendes; Bernardo, Ronaldo e Félix/Leão

Celebrity fans

Ever since the 2004 Euros in Portugal, the members of the rock band The Gift have been following the major tournaments, sometimes combining it with concerts in the host countries, sometimes just travelling to follow the team. Carlos Brum is not a celebrity in the world of entertainment but has become the No. 1 fan of the Portugal team, missing only one tournament in the past 22 years. Easily recognisable with his trademark Indian chief’s headdress. Whenever he can he travels to watch the Portugal team in his van. The best-known Portugal fan abroad though, is without a doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, who always seems unfazed by the media scrutiny and supports the team with inhibited passion from the VIP box.

Culinary delight

Portuguese football fans enjoy hamburgers or hot dogs like supporters in many other countries but nothing beats the ritual of having a bifana (a pork steak sandwich) and a beer before and/or after the game, often from a food truck located near the venue.

Portugal player profiles

Diogo Costa

Date of Birth: 19.09.1999

Position: Goalkeeper

Club: Porto

Has already won two European titles with Portugal, at Under-17 and Under-19 levels, in addition to the Uefa Youth League, with Porto. He took over as Portugal’s No 1 in the qualifying playoff for the 2022 World Cup and is known for his confidence and ability with his feet, but gave Portugal a tremendous scare in their opening match in Qatar when he failed to notice Iñaki Williams behind him. Costa dropped the ball at his feet to play out and was robbed by the alert Ghana forward. Fortunately, Williams slipped before he could get a shot off and Portugal held on for a 3-2 victory. Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction went viral, the superstar forward standing on the bench with his hand on his head and mouth wide open in horror. Later Costa was partially at fault for the Morocco goal that eliminated Portugal in the quarter-finals, but generally, he’s a very solid goalkeeper. Last March, Transfermarkt ranked him as the most valuable keeper in the world. The Portugal coach, Roberto Martínez, believes Costa can reach the level of Thibaut Courtois, whom the Spaniard worked with while managing Belgium.

Rui Patrício

Date of Birth: 15.02.1988

Position: Goalkeeper

Club: Roma

Having already lost his status as Portugal’s No 1, Patrício this year experienced the same fate at Roma, but he continues to be a very valid option for Roberto Martínez. The most capped keeper in Portugal’s history, he is married to a psychologist, Vera, but even before that relationship he had already realised the importance of working on his mind. He’s a longtime practitioner of Atma Kriya Yoga and has Sri Swami Vishwananda as his spiritual guru. “It’s important to train strategies and tools to deal with things when they happen, and anticipate scenarios,” Patrício has said. “If a bomb went off next door, I would remain focused. It’s about finding focus strategies and learning to manage emotions. I think everyone should do this work. Self-knowledge is essential.”

José Sá

Date of Birth: 17.01.1993

Position: Goalkeeper

Club: Wolves

Replaced Rui Patrício in the Wolves goal in 2021, and though he has impressed at the English club, making more than 100 appearances in the Premier League, he has never managed to take over the No 1 jersey with Portugal. He was called up to the national team for the first time in 2017 but had to wait until 2023 to make his debut. “I’ll remember this for the rest of my life, it was an incredible night,” Sá said after the game in Liechtenstein. Will be Roberto Martínez’s third goalkeeper at the Euros. The red beard is his trademark and has been nicknamed António Variações after the renowned Portuguese singer who died in 1984 and sported similarly impressive facial hair. “They started to call me that after the European Under-21s [in 2015]. It must be the voice,” Sá once joked.

Rúben Dias

Date of Birth: 14.05.1997

Position: Central defender

Club: Manchester City

The classy centre-back’s dedication to his work, on and off the field, is remarkable. A leader by nature, one gesture at the Ballon d’Or gala summed up his team ethic and generosity of spirit. Manchester City were named team of the year after winning the treble, and as the players went on stage to receive the award, Dias invited Ilkay Ilkay Gündogan to join them even though the German – who kindly declined the invitation – had left for Barcelona a few months earlier. Dias dreams of becoming champions of Europe with Portugal as well as City. “The least thing we can do for the country is eternal,” he says, but if that happens caution is needed with the celebrations: Dias’s father left Noel Gallagher needing stitches after an accidental headbutt during the madness after City won the Premier League in 2022 on the final day, and more recently the player himself vomited on teammate Jack Grealish’s mum’s suitcase after winning the Champions League.

João Cancelo

Date of Birth: 27.05.1994

Position: Full-back

Club: Barcelona

In March Cancelo had to undergo tests to check for a possible genetic heart problem after his brother was forced to end his football career, but no abnormalities were detected. After becoming champion in Portugal, England and Germany, he fulfilled his dream of playing for Barcelona, on loan from Manchester City, where he ended up in conflict with Pep Guardiola. “Lies were told. They were ungrateful to me,” he told the Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola. “I never failed in my commitment to the club, to the fans and I always gave everything. I remember a time when I was robbed and attacked and the next day I was playing at the Emirates against Arsenal.” He dedicates all his achievements to his mother, who died when he was 18, in a car accident in which he and his brother were also involved. He doesn’t hide his desire to return to Benfica, but he wants to end his career at Barreirense, his hometown club, playing as a winger or No 10.

Diogo Dalot

Date of Birth: 18.03.1999

Position: Full-back

Club: Manchester United

“Dalot has been Manchester United’s best player this season.” That’s not just any praise when it comes from Gary Neville, former full-back and captain of the Red Devils, who in March highlighted the Portuguese player’s improved consistency despite having to alternate between the right and left side of the defence because of United’s injuries this season. Last year he created a padel club in Porto, with advice from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who likes to invest in that area, and with whom Dalot played at Milan. “Padel is a sport that is becoming more and more fashionable and has been growing in recent years, not only in Portugal, but also all over the world, and therefore it was logical for me to invest in this sport,” Dalot explained. His trademark “check the pulse” celebration began playing uno cards with his teammates in the Portugal Under-20 team.

Danilo Pereira

Date of Birth: 09.09.1991

Position: Central defender / Defensive Midfielder

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

He lived away from his mother between the ages of two and five until he left Guinea for Portugal. He has already played in five countries and speaks six languages, which matches the versatility he showcases on the field, where he seamlessly alternates between the centre of defence and midfield. “It’s not that important. I’ve always been used to it, it’s nothing new. When people ask me about this, I don’t take it the wrong way, as the important thing is to show value,” he says. As the oldest of the Portuguese players at PSG, he earned the nickname “daddy” in the dressing room. “His will knows no barriers, his class crosses borders,” summarised Papillon, the Portuguese rapper, when he was asked by the Portuguese FA TV channel to dedicate some rhymes to his childhood friend.

António Silva

Date of Birth: 30.10.2003

Position: Central defender

Club: Benfica

He was recruited by Benfica when he was 11 years old, but the adaptation was anything but easy. He even returned to his hometown of Penalva do Castelo for a few months but later reappeared in Lisbon, and today he is a fan favourite. Makes the odd error but the 20-year-old knows that is part of his growth. “I’m not going to go through a whole season without making mistakes, they’re always going to happen. The most important thing is to learn from them and try to reduce them as much as possible,” he told A Bola. His leadership skills were evident in the derby against Sporting in November. Benfica scored a 94th-minute equaliser through João Neves, but in the middle of the celebrations, Silva ran to grab his friend so that the game could be resumed quickly. He wanted more, and Benfica still managed to score the winning goal three minutes later, after VAR validation, with Silva waiting for the decision on his knees on the pitch.

Gonçalo Inácio

Date of Birth: 25.08.2001

Position: Central defender

Club: Sporting

Was called up to the national team by Fernando Santos before the 2022 World Cup but was not included in the squad for the tournament and only made his debut for Portugal in the qualifying campaign for this European Championship. “Gonçalo Inácio is the most searched profile in European football,” said the current coach, Roberto Martínez. “Central, left foot, can play inside, with quality, scores goals, has intelligence.” Off the field, Inácio is very reserved, and in interviews his discomfort is noticeable. He’s not a big fan of social media and when he’s not training he spends hours on the PlayStation. “I go to train, I come home and I can stay playing until I go to sleep. It’s an escape. I’m not a social media person, if it were possible I wouldn’t even have Instagram, I don’t like public exposure or showing off in photographs,” he says.

Nélson Semedo

Date of Birth: 16.11.1993

Position: Full-back

Club: Wolves

Sixty-five games for Benfica were enough to be voted by the fans as one of the 20 players on the “Wall of Champions”, launched to mark the 20th anniversary of Estádio da Luz. “I will never be able to repay what the club gave me. It made me grow and gave me wings to fly much further than I ever dreamed of,” said Semedo, who has already expressed his desire to return one day. He was at Barcelona for three years but since 2020 has been with Wolves, signing a new contract in May 2023, a month before signing his marriage contract with Marlene, his girlfriend of 12 years, whom he welcomed in tears at the altar. The physical problems of Raphaël Guerreiro and Nuno Mendes gave him new momentum in the national team, where the versatility of João Cancelo and Diogo Dalot has also created opportunities for him.

Pepe

Date of Birth: 26.02.1983

Position: Central defender

Club: Porto

At the age of 41 it’s normal to prioritise life outside work and maybe start thinking about some retirement plans. Well, not for Pepe. Having become the oldest outfield player ever in the Champions League, and the oldest scorer, Porto’s warrior is ageing like Porto’s wine. He still runs and plays like an 18-year-old – and is still as grumpy as an 80-year-old. “He is the most competitive player I worked with. He gives up many good things, many pleasures in life, to stay that way. It is a great pride and pleasure to work with a player like Pepe,” says Sérgio Conceição, his coach at Porto and mastermind of competitiveness and demand. In addition to his long relationship with the club and the national team, he has been married for many years to Ana Sofia Moreira, and loyalty is everything to the boy born in Brazil. “I am what I am because Portugal gave me everything,” he says.

Nuno Mendes

Date of Birth: 19.06.2002

Position: Left-back

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

His season only started in February, after 10 months out due to injury, and upon his return, he was given a warm welcome from the demanding PSG fans. Roberto Martínez wasted no time and included Mendes in the Portugal squad the following month. “Nuno recovered very well and represents a great club, with a lot of demands, and his performances are at the highest level,” explained the coach. Off the pitch, the 21-year-old with Angolan heritage is similarly talented it seems. “Nuno loves to dance, but above all to sing, and he never sounds out of tune on a single note,” his girlfriend said in 2022, before revealing some other traits he no doubt wished she hadn’t. “He is still a child who loves colouring books, building Lego and has an addiction to sucking his thumb.”

João Palhinha

Date of Birth: 09.07.1995

Position: Defensive midfielder

Club: Fulham

“In Portugal, I felt like I couldn’t do anything. Any touch on an opponent resulted in a yellow card. In England it’s completely different,” the midfielder said, shortly after leaving Sporting for Fulham. Palhinha feels like a fish in water in the Premier League, where he is the tackle king, dispossessing opponents more than any other player in the division. But on the last day of the 2023 summer transfer window, he was in Munich, undergoing medical examinations and taking photographs, before a huge move to Bayern. That transfer fell through, but he has bounced back with a resilience and fighting spirit so evident in his game. “It was something that really affected me and my family. But it’s water under the bridge,” he explains. “I don’t want to remember that too much. In my life everything has happened for a reason, I like to think that the future will tell me whether what happened was what had to happen or not,” he said.

Bruno Fernandes

Date of Birth: 08.09.1994

Position: Midfielder

Club: Manchester United

Born in Maia, half an hour from Porto by car, he started out in the youth team at lower-league club Infesta before he was discovered by Boavista at the age of 10. Seven years later he was off to Italy and Serie B Novara for about €40,000. It was an all-or-nothing move which has prepared him for the rest of his career, as he has admitted since. Jumped from Novara to Udinese, and from Udinese to Sporting, with a loan to Sampdoria in between, becoming the Portuguese Lions’ captain and best player. At Manchester United he quickly emerged as a leader, even before taking the armband, his impressive performances dragging the team up through difficult times. His furious outbursts on the field have earned him a lot of criticism, but explained in an interview with A Bola that they are a product of his search for perfection in himself and his teammates: “Intense players are hard to understand,” he said. Has evolved since the World Cup to become one of the big leaders in Roberto Martínez’s side and has excelled as a playmaker in the No 8 role.

Bernardo Silva

Date of Birth: 10.08.1994

Position: Midfielder / forward

Club: Manchester City

A big player for big matches, Silva has been praised by Pep Guardiola in recent seasons as one of his most important players, and a humble one at that. “I like coaches who demand a lot from me,” Silva said in an interview. Excelled in the Champions League this season until elimination by Real Madrid, when he missed a bizarre penalty in the shootout. A rare bad decision, which clashed with all the brilliant ones that have won him plaudits and multiple trophies at City while performing many different roles: right-winger, No 8, No 6 and even left-back, although he is quick to point out “it was a high left-back in the field”. Everyone knows the story about Silva leaving Benfica for Monaco after his first senior coach, Jorge Jesus, started thinking about converting him into a left-back. For Portugal, Silva is mostly a right winger with permission to roam, especially in rotation with Bruno Fernandes, who likes to arrive late in the box. Silva views winning Euro 2024 as the final step to fulfilling his destiny as one of Portugal’s greats. “I miss the trophies to reach the expectations people have about me,” he says.

Rúben Neves

Date of Birth: 13.03.1997

Position: Midfielder

Club: Al-Hilal

“I always said that one of my references was Andrea Pirlo. It was by reading his book that I learned more English when I arrived at Wolverhampton. And he has a phrase there that is ‘I think, therefore I play’, and I started celebrating like that,” Neves explained once when asked why he points to his head when he scores a goal. During six years at Wolves, he was constantly linked with moves to the Premier League’s top clubs, but when he left, a year ago, his destination was Al-Hilal, in Saudi Arabia, coached by his compatriot Jorge Jesus. “The club project appealed to me, but also the possibility of giving my family the life I always dreamed of for them. That was, for me, the main reason that I didn’t have any doubts about accepting this proposal. I have three children, my wife, and taking care of them is my greatest trophy, my greatest achievement,” he explained. Neves owns a futsal pavilion decorated by street artist Mr Dheo with references to the emblems he had on his chest, and even the goals have the midfielder’s signature.

Vitinha

Date of Birth: 13.02.2000

Position: Midfielder

Club: PSG

We must admit that Vítor Ferreira is not a name with star quality. And Vitinha sounds much better in French. So, it’s normal that PSG fans sing “Vitinha, Vitinha, Vitinhaaaa …” They have been signing it often this season, because, at 24, the midfielder is having the best season of his career. “He’s a perfect player for a coach like me. He doesn’t lose the ball, which is exactly what we want,” says Luis Enrique about Iniesta, sorry, Vitinha. A mainstay of PSG’s Champions  League push this season, where they reached the semi-finals, the player who Wolves declined to sign after a loan spell in 2020-21, is flourishing amid the club’s new emphasis on youth. He recently took his little daughter, Mafalda, to Eurodisney in Paris but it is his football that has provided the real fun lately.

Matheus Nunes

Date of Birth: 27.08.1998

Position: Midfielder

Club: Manchester City

Sporting’s president, Frederico Varandas, once said Nunes’s future transfer would pay the €10m the club had been forced to give Braga to bring in Rúben Amorim as manager. Amorim’s response? “He will in turn pay an apartment to his mother. He should only be concerned with what to do when the ball starts to roll. But it’s good to have a president who believes in young players.” In 2022, Wolves paid €45m for the midfielder then sold him a year later to Manchester City for €62m. Pep Guardiola finally had his hands on a player he had described as “one of the best midfielders of the world” a few years earlier, but Nunes has taken time to adapt to his new coach’s methods. He’s not the first, but the player born and raised in Rio de Janeiro until the age of 12 must be a good option for Roberto Martínez’s starting lineup because of his profile: a very vertical player who can progress fast with the ball and distribute with ease.

João Neves

Date of Birth: 27.09.2004

Position: Midfielder

Club: Benfica

Only 19 years old and already untouchable in Benfica’s first XI, he is one of the biggest stars of the team; always focused and dynamic, forever resilient. The fans love him, cheering every pass and ball recovery, even if it comes after a bad decision. Neves lost his mother hours before the second leg of the Europa League knockout round playoff against Toulouse but asked to play and was crucial in Benfica’s progress. “That last match in France was very emotive, there is no secret.”, he acknowledged recently. The fans were always with him and when he could finally rest, he cried side by side with António Silva, his teammate for club and country, who was mourning the loss of his grandfather. Neves is taking his first steps with the national team, but looking so comfortable that everyone predicts he will become a fundamental figure sooner rather than later.

João Félix

Date of Birth: 10.11.1999

Position: Forward / Attacking midfielder

Club: Barcelona

Happier now at Barcelona, without the straitjacket imposed on him by Diego Simeone, Félix is finally showing glimpses of his raw talent. Still lacking consistency and continuity but looks closer to the player everyone thought he would become when he made his Benfica debut aged 17 and scored his first Primeira Liga goal a week later, becoming the youngest player to score in the Lisbon derby. Headlines such as “the new golden boy” and “a goal served by a genius” were only an appetiser for what would follow: 11 goals and eight assists in the last 19 games of the season to help Benfica clinch the title, and a €120m summer transfer to Atlético Madrid. He says he is just “a normal guy, not arrogant” to those who know him best. Roberto Martínez is likely to choose between Féliz and Rafael Leão for the left forward position.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Date of Birth: 05.02.1985

Position: Forward

Club: Al-Nassr

Another Euros and another major tournament for Cristiano Ronaldo. His transfer to Al-Nassr meant he has regained his smile in the national team, repaying the trust of Roberto Martínez with 10 goals in Euro 2024 qualifying. “It’s a different chapter for all of us,” he said. “The energies are good, positive – that is the most important thing. There is fresh air now.” Things had looked bleak as the 2022 World Cup campaign spiralled out of control. Having fallen out with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, Portugal’s captain arrived in Qatar in poor physical condition and was substituted in the three group-stage games. In the last one, he reacted badly and was caught on camera saying to the coach: “You’re in a f***ing hurry to get me out.” He lost his starting spot in the knockout stage and when Morocco knocked Portugal out in the quarter-finals he immediately left for the dressing room crying profusely. The following day he left a message on social media saying that winning the World Cup was “the biggest and most ambitious dream of his career”, and expressed the hope that time would be “a good advisor”. It looked like Ronaldo, then aged 37, might say goodbye to the national team but a few days later Fernando Santos’s departure was announced and everything changed.

Rafael Leão

Date of Birth: 10.06.1999

Position: Forward/Winger

Club: Milan

Fast and furious, but in the right way. Leão is pace, flair, and creativity, even if in Italy he is being criticised for not scoring enough goals. The pragmatists should remember that Raphael, the painter, not the player, was admired for his clarity of form and ease of composition. A painting by the Portugal forward, meanwhile, could be signed by Caravaggio, and it would be a portrait of crude reality and pure emotion. Leão’s finest art, besides football, is music. Son of a semba singer and nephew of a DJ, he is a rapper known as Way 45, a reference to the postcode of the neighbourhood in Seixal called Jamaica, where he grew up. “For me, it means: ‘Don’t forget where you came from.” Came through Sporting’s academy until he broke his contract and signed for Lille. The courts ruled against the player, and when he joined Milan they needed to find an agreement with Lille and Sporting CP to compensate the Portuguese side.

Gonçalo Ramos

Date of Birth: 20.06.2001

Position: Forward

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

Took Cristiano Ronaldo’s place in the starting lineup for the knockout stages at the 2022 World Cup and at the end of that season – in which he scored 27 goals for Benfica – was signed by PSG for €65m. In his first interviews in Paris he only risked speaking in English, and when challenged to say a word in French – other than “bonjour” – he replied “baguette”. A few months later, PSG made a video with Danilo as his French teacher and Ramos made his compatriot laugh a lot. But the biggest obstacle in adapting was a health problem the forward suffered in December, which left him vomiting, bleeding and battling a fever for several days. Despite significant weight loss, he scored three goals on Portugal’s journey to the European Championship and earned high praise from PSG’s Luis Enrique. “I can’t help but express my admiration. He brings with him an incredible spirit, an ambition that knows no limits and a truly captivating talent.”

Francisco Conceição

Date of Birth: 14.02.2002

Position: Winger

Club: Porto

Chico only made his debut for the national team in March, against Slovenia, in the last friendly before the squad was named but he did enough to earn a ticket to Germany. He impressed at club level too under the tutelage of his father, Sérgio Conceição, at Porto after returning to the club on loan from Ajax. He will rejoin them permanently in the summer. He is only 21 years old but does not lack attitude and is the kind of player who has been known to sarcastically applaud the referee after being sent off or kick in the door to the dressing room. He is also the kind of player who can cut in from the right and unleash an unstoppable strike, Messi style. “He has a good left foot, he likes to be vertical and has the right personality to change a game,” says Roberto Martínez. “He is an exceptional little fire-cracker; a very different player.”

Pedro Neto

Date of Birth: 09.03.2000

Position: Forward

Club: Wolverhampton

With injuries having deprived the forward of playing at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, Neto was delighted to be back on the pitch for the final day of the 2023-24 season, even if it was for only 12 minutes against Liverpool. It was enough, however, to convince Roberto Martínez to take a gamble on the talented 24-year-old. The son of a roller hockey player and a volleyball player, Neto grew up in a sporting family. It was not until he was 12 that he put away his skates and focused on football. He was the first player born in the 2000s to represent the Portuguese national team and scored on his debut (in November 2020, aged 20, against Andorra). “Hope is always the last thing to die,” said his father regarding the player’s chances to play at Euro 2024. “Of course, we had some doubts because he wasn’t 100% fit at one stage. He has been unlucky with injuries but this time it went well.”

Diogo Jota

Date of Birth: 04.12.1996

Position: Forward

Club: Liverpool

A discreet but versatile and very reliable striker, who at 27 years old believes that his best is yet to come, “I always look at what Cristiano Ronaldo does, because it seems to me that he has scored more goals since he was 30 than before,” Jota said. “This shows that it is always possible to improve.” If it weren’t for the injuries, he would have even greater prominence at Liverpool and with the national team. He missed the World Cup in Qatar, was unavailable for more than 20 games for his club last season and has continued to struggle for fitness in recent months.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle