Portugal national football team

Nickname(s) Selecção das Quinas[1]
Association Federação Portuguesa de Futebol
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari (2003-)
Captain Nuno Gomes
Most caps Luís Figo (127)
Top scorer Pauleta (47)
FIFA code POR
FIFA ranking 8
Highest FIFA ranking 4 (March 2001)
Lowest FIFA ranking 43 (August 1998)
Elo ranking 9
Highest Elo ranking 2 (June 2006)
Lowest Elo ranking 45 (November 1962)

The Portugal football team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), finishing 4th at the last World Cup. Portugal have qualified four times for the FIFA World Cup; 1966, 1986, 2002 and 2006. The first appearance saw them reach the semi final, losing 2-1 at Wembley to the eventual world champions England. Portugal finished in third place and Eusébio was considered the best player of the tournament. The next two times Portugal qualified for the World Cup were 1986 and 2002, with Portugal going out in the first round both times after surprise defeats to Morocco, United States and South Korea. In the 1986 tournament, players went on strike over prize-money and refused to train between their first and the second games.

In 2003, the Portuguese Football Federation decided to hire Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian who had led the Brazil national football team to win the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Scolari led Portugal to the final of Euro 2004 (The European Championships), where they lost to Greece, and to their second World Cup semi final in 2006, where they lost to France. The Portuguese were unable to equal Eusebio's 1966 third place finish as they lost to hosts Germany 3-1 on July 8 in Stuttgart, finishing in fourth place in the 2006 World Cup.