Portugal
National Team Information
General Info
UEFA
A Seleção (The Selection), Os Navegadores (The Navigators)
- Cristiano Ronaldo – Goals: 117
- Pauleta – Goals: 47
- Eusebio – Goals: 41
- Luis Figo – Goals: 32
- Nuno Gomes – Goals: 29
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time and an international icon. He has the most international goals of any player ever and has won five Ballon d’Ors. He also has the most goals ever in the Champions League and UEFA European Championships. A complete forward, Ronaldo’s physicality, dribbling, finishing, heading and set piece ability are all excellent.
Before Ronaldo, there was Eusebio. Eusebio scored a ridiculous nine goals at the 1966 World Cup as Portugal surprisingly finished in third place. A Ballon d’Or winner, Eusebio was the first player to ever win the European Golden Boot. He scored 41 goals for Portugal in 64 appearances and was voted the ninth-best footballer of the 20th century.
Only Lionel Messi has more career La Liga assists than Luis Figo. Figo, the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner, played in four major tournaments for Portugal. He’s one of Portugal’s most capped players of all time and scored 32 goals in 127 matches.
Rui Costa is one of the best midfielders of his generation and played for Portugal for over a decade. The attacking midfielder scored 26 goals for Portugal in 94 appearances and won league titles in Portugal and Italy. He also won the Champions League with AC Milan in 2003.
One of the most aggressive defenders in the world, Pepe is a serial winner. Pepe was named the man of the match as Portugal defeated France in the Euro 2016 final. He’s also been named to three Euro all-tournament teams and has won seven league titles in Portugal and Spain. Pepe has made over 125 appearances for Portugal since 2007.
Portugal’s first World Cup appearance in 1966 was one to remember. They won their first ever World Cup match 3-1 vs. Hungary. Then, Portugal followed it up with a dominant 3-0 win vs. Hungary and a surprising 3-1 win over Brazil. With three wins in three, Portugal won the group and were matched up with North Korea in the quarterfinals.
North Korea got off to a great start and led 3-0 within 25 minutes. Then, Portugal’s Eusebio took over. The striker scored an incredible four goals in a 5-3 comeback win to propel Portugal to the semifinals. The Portuguese lost to hosts England 2-1 at Wembley Stadium. Still, Portugal defeated the Soviet Union 2-1 in the third place match to secure a bronze medal in their first World Cup appearance. With nine goals, reigning Ballon d’Or winner Eusebio was the tournament’s top scorer.
The next two decades were a rough period for the Portuguese national team and they next returned to the World Cup in 1986. Before the tournament even started, Antonio Veloso tested positive for a banned substance but it ended up being a false positive. Between a threatened strike, reports of inappropriate behavior and getting scammed by local Mexican officials, it was a disaster for Portugal before the tournament even got started.
Despite all of the noise, Portugal picked up a shock win over England in their opener. That ended up being the high point of the tournament. Soon after, starting goalkeeper Manuel Bento broke his leg in training and Portugal lost the next match to Poland. Needing a win vs. Morocco to go through to the knockout stage, Portugal embarrassingly lost 3-1.
Portugal National Football Team History
First 20th-Century World Cup Qualification
The Portugal national football team has been one of the best national teams of the 21st century. Even though they have had recent success, Portugal qualified for just two World Cups in the 20th century.
In the early days, the closest Portugal came to World Cup qualification was 1938. They lost 2-1 to Syria, which eliminated them from World Cup contention. In fact, Portugal were unable to win a WCQ match until a 3-0 defeat of Italy in 1954. Still, fans had to wait until 1966 for the first Portugal FIFA World Cup appearance.
Incredibly, Portugal topped their group with wins over Hungary, Brazil and Bulgaria. Eusebio scored four goals in a 5-3 quarterfinals win over North Korea but England defeated Portugal in the semifinals. The Seleção finished their first World Cup campaign with a win over the Soviet Union for third place.
Portugal first qualified for the European Championships in 1984 and went through to the semifinals with a win and two draws. Despite two goals from Jordao, France knocked off Portugal 3-2 in extra time.
World Cup Overshadowed by the Saltillo Affair
In 1986, Portugal played at their second FIFA World Cup in Mexico. They qualified by beating West Germany in West Germany, which was the first time any team had done that to date. However, their appearance was overshadowed by the “Saltillo Affair”. One of the players tested positive for anabolic steroids and players went on strike pre-tournament until the prizes were increased, among other controversies.
Regardless, Portugal won their opening match versus England. However, a draw and loss in their next two matches meant Portugal were knocked out in the World Cup group stage.
Return to the World Cup in 2002
The Seleção failed to qualify for the next four major tournaments, until Euro 1996. Portugal made the semifinals at Euro 2000 and returned to the World Cup in 2002. With parallels to the 1986 disaster, Portugal national football team were once again eliminated in the group stage.
Portugal hosted Euro 2004 and a 19-year old Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a 2-1 loss against Greece in his major tournament debut. Regardless, Portugal won the group over Greece and the two teams met once again in the final. Playing at home in Lisbon, Portugal were heavily favored but lost 1-0 and Greece completed one of the most unlikely runs in soccer history.
First Semifinals Appearance Since 1966
At Germany 2006, Portugal finished on top of Group D with wins over Mexico, Iran and Angola. The Seleção beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the round of 16 and knocked off England in penalties in the quarterfinals. In their first semifinals appearance since 1966, Portugal lost 1-0 to France.
Qualifying for their third consecutive World Cup for the first time, Portugal did well in the 2010 Group Stage. They scored the biggest margin of victory at the tournament with a massive 7-0 win versus North Korea. Portugal’s other two matches versus Brazil and Ivory Coast finished in scoreless draws. After going over five hours without conceding a goal, Portugal lost 1-0 to eventual champions Spain in the round of 16.
Toughing It Out From 2000-2016
Ronaldo was a joint-top scorer at Euro 2012 as Portugal national football team reached the semifinals for the first time since 2000. For a second consecutive major tournament, Portugal were eliminated by Spain, this time on penalties.
Portugal were drawn in a tough group in the 2014 World Cup, together with Germany, Ghana and the USA. Germany destroyed the Seleção in the opener, 4-0. A 2-2 draw with the USA and 2-1 win versus Ghana weren’t enough for Portugal to advance to the knockout stage.
Euro 2016: Win in Stunning Fashion
With three consecutive draws to open Euro 2016, Portugal’s start was largely uninspiring. Fernando Santos’s Portugal barely qualified for the knockout stage as one of the top four third-place teams. Regardless, Ricardo Quaresma’s tap-in goal in extra time versus Croatia sent Portugal to the quarterfinals.
Portugal weren’t exactly convincing, but they got the job done in penalties against Poland to advance to the semifinals. Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani scored their third goals of the tournament to lead Portugal to a 2-0 win over Wales. In their first final since 2004 heartbreak, Portugal faced hosts France. Ronaldo went off early with an injury but Portugal managed to force extra time.
Eder scored the game’s only goal and Portugal won their first major tournament in stunning fashion. The Seleção won just one of their seven matches in normal time but still went home with a trophy. Renato Sanches won the tournament’s Best Young Player Award.
Ronaldo's First World-Cup Hat Trick
Ronaldo scored his first career World-Cup hat trick in a 3-3 2018 draw against France. He then broke Ferenc Puskas’s record for most European international goals with the game’s only goal versus Morocco. With a 1-1 draw against Iran, Portugal advanced in second place in their group. However, they were eliminated 2-1 by Uruguay in the round of 16.
The Portugal national football team won the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019 and qualified for Qatar 2022 with playoff wins over Turkey and North Macedonia.
Portugal Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Primeira Liga (Liga Portugal 1):
The Primeira Liga is a massively popular league for Portugal soccer betting. It’s the top-tier league in the country and is one of Europe’s better leagues. Iconic clubs like Sporting CP, Benfica and FC Porto play in the Primeira Liga. There are 18 teams in the league and it follows a double round-robin format. The two teams at the bottom of the table at the season’s end are relegated to the Liga Portugal 2.
Primeira Liga Clubs 2022-23
| Team |
|---|
| Arouca |
| Benfica |
| Boavista |
| Braga |
| Casa Pia |
| Chaves |
| Estoril |
| Famalicão |
| Gil Vicente |
| Marítimo |
| Paços de Ferreira |
| Portimonense |
| Porto |
| Rio Ave |
| Santa Clara |
| Sporting CP |
| Vitória de Guimarães |
| Vizela |
Liga Portugal 2:
The Liga Portugal 2 is another Portuguese soccer league. It’s on the second level of the Portuguese soccer pyramid and also features 18 clubs. The two top teams are promoted to the Primeira Liga at the end of each season. However, if a Primeira Liga team’s reserve side finishes in the top two, they are not allowed to be promoted. The bottom two teams are sent down to the Liga 3.
Liga Portugal 2 Clubs 2022-23
| Team |
|---|
| Académico de Viseu |
| Benfica B |
| B-SAD |
| Estrela da Amadora |
| Farense |
| Feirense |
| Leixões |
| Mafra |
| Moreirense |
| Nacional |
| Oliveirense |
| Penafiel |
| Porto B |
| Sp. Covilhã |
| Tondela |
| Torreense |
| Trofense |
| Vilafranquense |
Portugal Cups & Tournaments
Portugal’s soccer teams compete in the knockout-style Taça de Portugal each year. The Taça de Portugal features all of Portugal’s professional clubs and amateur teams from the top four divisions. The winner of the Taça de Portugal receives a place in the UEFA Europa League. Benfica are the most successful club in the competition’s history, with 26 titles.
The Taça da Liga is a competition open to teams in Portugal’s top two tiers. It’s another excellent opportunity for Portugal soccer betting. It’s a newer competition, which was only established in the 2007-08 season. The competition has a unique format as the first two rounds are knockout style. Then, there are four groups of three teams in the third round, who play a single round-robin. The group winners advance to the semifinals and the fixtures are single legs from there on out. Benfica have also won the most Taça da Liga’s.
The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira is one of the most well-known Portuguese soccer games. It’s an annual single-match cup fixture between the winner of the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal. When a team wins both competitions, the second team in the match is the Taça de Portugal runners-up.
Portugal Soccer Betting Information
Betting on the Primeira Liga
Portugal’s soccer betting is commonly done on Primeira Liga matches. According to UEFA’s country coefficients, the Portuguese league is the seventh-best league in Europe. The level of play is quite high and many of soccer’s best young talents pass through the Portuguese league. Plus, teams like FC Porto, Sporting and Benfica regularly participate and do well in the UEFA Champions League.
There is typically a gap in quality between Portugal’s big three teams, SC Braga and the rest of the league. Since the 2017-18 season, the big three and Braga have finished in the top four. While there is a lot of attacking talent in the league, it’s typically more of a defensive league. From the 2013-14 to 2020-21 seasons, both teams scored in under 50 percent of matches.
While 2021-22 was a notable exception to the rule, matches still averaged just 2.64 goals per game. Betting on outright odds is common in the Primeira Liga but it might be worth limiting the potential list of candidates. Only Portugal’s big three of Benfica, Sporting and Porto have won the title since the 2001-02 season. They’ve won a ridiculous 75 of the last 76 league titles.
With both the Taça da Liga and Taça de Portugal sandwiched into the Portuguese season, there are plenty of Portuguese matches to bet on. As one of Europe’s most followed leagues, betting on the Primeira Liga is a solid option.
Portugal National Team Betting Tips & Odds
Portugal, a football powerhouse, sets sail with an arsenal of talent, aiming for glory once again, led by the indomitable Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese national team has been a force for the last two decades. Portugal’s domestic league has always produced excellent teams but Os Navegadores were late bloomers. Since reaching the final of UEFA Euro 2004, Portugal have made the World Cup semifinals and won UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. Cristiano Ronaldo has been a massive part of Portugal’s success and is poised to play in another World Cup at Qatar 2022. Ronaldo is the top scorer in international history and is nearing 200 appearances for Portugal.
Betting tips tend to tout Portugal as the favorites to win their group. They’re in Group H with Uruguay, South Korea and Ghana and priced as -165 favorites to win it. Portugal are big favorites to qualify from the group, at -900 odds. They have an incredibly talented team but the question has always been: do the pieces fit? It remains to be seen whether young attackers like Joao Felix and Rafael Leao will get a chance to showcase their skills.
One thing is certain: Portugal’s defense is strong. Real Madrid legend Pepe is still playing at 39 years old and Portugal also have Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira and Raphael Guerreiro to deploy across their back line. With such a talented side, Portugal sit at -1400 odds to win their first World Cup. That gives them the seventh-best odds to win the tournament. Ronaldo is priced at +1600 odds to win the golden boot and goalkeeper Rui Patricio comes in at +1100 odds to win the golden glove.
Conclusion
Soccer in Portugal is some of the best in any country worldwide. For a country of just over 10 million people, the quality of both the Primeira Liga and the Portugal national team is seriously impressive. There is a lot of readily available information and statistics on the Primeira Liga, which makes it easy to start betting on the league.
No one’s ever doubted the talent on Portugal’s national team. However, the chemistry doesn’t always seem to be completely there. It’ll take a huge team effort to win their first World Cup at Qatar 2022, though. Following the World Cup, Portugal should be heavy favorites to qualify for Euro 2024. They’re in a group with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Liechtenstein.
