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About Portugal

Until recently, Portuguese football heritage was largely confined to the success of the famous Benfica team of the 1960s. Led by the incomparable Eusebio, Benfica won two European Cups and lost in two other finals, while in 1966 they lost narrowly in the semi-finals of the World Cup to eventual winners, England. The team then went on a barren spell of qualification until losing in the semi-finals of Euro 1984, again to eventual winners, this time France. The golden generation of Portuguese football was just around the corner, led by Luis Figo, but it was only with the emergence of one of the finest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, that Portugual exceeded expectations. After going out in the group stages of World Cup 2014, Ronaldo and his side made it through the groups of Euro 2016 despite not winning a single match, and clinched the title by defeating France 1-0 in extra time in Paris thanks to an Eder goal. Their domestic competition, the Primeira Liga, is regularly contested between Befica and Porto, with Sporting often finishing behind the league's two giants. In recent times the likes of Boavista and Braga have achieved modest success, both domestically and in Europe. But similarly to Brazil, Portuguese talent is regularly captured by giants of the other leagues, reducing the quality of the league considerably.