This article is part of the Guardian’s Euro 2024 Experts’ Network, a collaboration between some of the top media organizations from the 24 countries that qualified. theguardian.com will provide previews from two countries every day in the run-up to the tournament, which starts on June 14.
Outlook
The individual quality of the Portuguese players makes the team one of the tournament favorites, something that was further reinforced during qualifying. It’s true that their group wasn’t the most demanding – Slovakia finished second and Luxembourg third – but you can only beat what’s in front of you and Roberto Martínez’s side won all ten games, scoring 36 and conceding two . It made them the highest scoring team in qualifying, as well as the team that conceded the fewest goals.
Currently there is only praise for Martínez, who replaced Fernando Santos after the disappointing World Cup in Qatar, when Cristiano Ronaldo was relegated to the bench. The appointment of the Spaniard made it possible to restart without removing the captain from the hard drive. Ronaldo scored ten goals in qualifying, a number surpassed only by Belgian Romelu Lukaku (14), and helped the team reach the final in Germany in the calmest way possible.
Portugal qualified by playing playful and attacking football with a versatile tactical structure, making full use of the individual qualities of players such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and João Cancelo. A pre-tournament defeat to Croatia dampened the mood in Portugal, but Bruno Fernandes said: “There are always aspects that can be improved. To be honest, I like a bit of negativity around the national team: ‘the team isn’t that good anymore’, ‘it’s still not what we want’. I like it because it is a sign that people expect a lot from us.”
Portugal seem to be just as comfortable playing with three centre-backs as they are with four backs. Against Lichtenstein, Martínez even had Rúben Neves at the back, knowing the midfielder could build attacks from an advanced position in the opponent’s half.
Up front, Ronaldo can play 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. This team is able to play 3-4-3, 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 – often in the same game – and that flexibility allows the players to showcase their technical and strategic intelligence.
“I don’t believe in systems. I believe in people who play football and that they should be tactically flexible and never force a talent to adapt to a system,” Martínez said during his presentation. That day he also said it was necessary to “dream big,” and the work he has done since has fueled expectations at home. Portugal are considered one of the three or four teams with the best chance of winning Euro 2024.
standard
The coach
The appointment of Roberto Martinez was initially received with some reservations. Not so much because he replaced the man who had taken the team to Euro 2016 glory – Fernando Santos’ image had deteriorated in his last years in charge – but more because there was hope that José Mourinho would take over the job . However, Martínez made a good impression from the start. Despite speaking Spanish, a language that the Portuguese understand well, he started learning Portuguese and has a much better communication strategy than his predecessor. He made a point of immediately visiting several players – including Cristiano Ronaldo at his new home in Saudi Arabia – and continued the charm offensive 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 and in conflict with coach Santos: at the end of the Portuguese World Cup in Qatar, after a quarter-final against Morocco, it seemed like a long and successful Cristiano Ronaldo cycle had ended. However, a few weeks later, CR7 was presented on Al-Nassr and replaced Roberto Martínez Santos. “My impression, when I first spoke to him, was that of an 18-year-old person,” said Martínez, who was in Riyadh a few days after he was hired. “For most players, the body fails first and then the head has to accept it. The opposite seems to be happening with Cristiano. The body only stops when the head tells it to stop.” The Saudi Pro League may not be as good as Ronaldo says, but it has allowed him to score goals again. At the age of 39, he becomes the first player to participate in six European Championship finals. “I’ve already learned that anything can happen,” the forward said. “I’m enjoying the present and now I want to go to the European Championships to see what happens. I want to enjoy the moment.”
One to watch
“The first time I saw it Joao Neves was with the under-19 team and I immediately saw the talent he has,” Roberto Martínez said in January. “But it was difficult to predict that he would be able to move into the first team so quickly and play as well as he did at Benfica.” In the end, the Spaniard could not resist the qualities of the small midfielder, who plays with his shirt in his shorts and has won over his teammates with talent and humility. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my career. Within two days he had gained the respect of the entire dressing room,” Martínez said.
The outsider
Joao Cancelo is not a player who normally causes problems for teammates, but is probably the person who has his heart closest to his mouth. At Manchester City he had a falling out with Pep Guardiola and was loaned out to Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He is emotional and it shows on the pitch, where he sometimes combines his unique skills in defense and attack with stupid mistakes. “There were times when I wasn’t at my best psychologically and that had a lot of influence on me in different competitions, like the last World Cup,” he told A Bola.
The backbone
In Diogo Costa Portugal has one of the most promising goalkeepers in the world. He gives the team security and a good start in the build-up game with his footwork. Pepe has long been the undisputed leader of the Portuguese defense but has suffered from fitness problems Ruben Dias is willing to take up that mantle. The Manchester-based Bruno Fernandes And Bernardo Silva are the brains of the team of which the former is about to inherit the captaincy. The most important reference point remains at the front Cristiano Ronaldo.
Probably starting XI
Famous fan
Since Euro 2004 in Portugal, members of a rock band the gift have followed the major tournaments, sometimes combined with concerts in the host countries, sometimes just following the team. Carlos Brum is not a celebrity in the entertainment world, but he has become Portugal’s No. 1 fan, having missed one tournament in the last 22 years. Whenever he can, he travels in his van to watch the Portuguese team. The most famous Portugal fan abroad, however, is Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, who always seems unfazed by media attention and supports the team with uninhibited passion from the VIP box.
Culinary delight
There’s nothing like the ritual of having one bifana (pork steak sandwich) and a beer before and/or after the match, often from a food truck near the location.
Portugal team profile written by Nuno Travassos for A Bola