Portugal

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: 3

Portugal will be making their fifth World Cup appearance and their third consecutive one. They have made it to the semi-finals in two of those tournaments, including Germany 2006. Portugal was placed into Group G alongside perennial favorites Brazil (ranked 1st), Cote d’Ivoire (ranked 27th) and Korea DPR (ranked 105th). Brazil is predicted to win this group and second place will likely be decided in Portugal’s very first match on June 15 when they face Cote d’Ivoire.

Portugal began qualification as popular favorites but they struggled mightily, winning only one of their first five games. As people began to lose hope that Portugal would make the tournament, they somehow managed to turn things around and come in second in their group (behind Denmark) to earn a play-off spot. They then proceeded to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina to earn a spot in the World Cup. Despite all these struggles, hope is still high that this talented Portugal team can reach the semi-finals once again.

Coach

Portugal is coached for the second time by Carlos Queiroz, who took over in 2008 after coaching the national team before in 1991-1993. Queiroz’s biggest success came when he coached the under-20 Portugal side and won two World Youth Championships. That success, however, has not followed him to the senior side. In his first stint as head coach he failed to qualify for both Euro ‘92 and the 1994 World Cup. During this campaign, after getting dangerously close to being fired, Queiroz somehow managed to right the ship and finish qualification, playing extremely well and barely earning a spot in South Africa. Portuguese fans will hope the team can continue with that form all the way through the World Cup, and many would agree they have the talent to do just that.

Key Players

The biggest figure for Portugal, and one of the most popular players in the world, is midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is an extremely exciting player whose speed and dribbling ability are uncanny. In 2008, Ronaldo won the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award. Ronaldo also possesses an incredible long distance shot that makes him extremely dangerous from set-pieces. He did not, however, play well during the qualification campaign and Portugal will need him to shine if they are to make a serious run in South Africa.

Two other figures in the midfield to pay attention to are Simao and Deco. Simao led the team in goals during qualifying (four) and will hope to keep that up. Deco is another talented midfielder who is known for his goal-scoring ability and his technical knowledge. Deco, along with defender Pepe and forward Liedson, provide an interesting side story, as they are all Brazilian-born players who will look to make an impact when Portugal and Brazil meet on June 25.

Another player who must be at his best for Portugal is Ricardo Carvalho. Carvalho is a tough defender who plays extremely hard and is effective at doing little things to get under the skin of forwards. A leader in the backfield, Carvalho is excellent through the air and loves to take opportunities to charge forward in the attack.