Everything You Should Know About Portugal in The Euro 2024
With a staggering 3.5 billion fans, football is the world’s most popular sport, according to WorldAtlas. Besides, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is hosting one of its biggest events, the European Football Championship.
Informally known as the Euro, this competition has happened every four years since its start in 1960. More recently, in 2022, a record-breaking 365 million people across the globe watched the European Championship live. In fact, it is the second most prestigiated football event after the World Cup.
The European qualifiers started in March 2023 and ended in March 2024. Twenty-four teams have already been selected among the 55 UEFA member associations. Then, they will compete for the win through 51 games taking place in Germany between 14 June and 14 July.
Now, if there is one thing you should know about the Portuguese, it is that they love football. Most natives fiercely support their favorite national and regional teams. They follow all games from home or their local café
The upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 is an incredible opportunity to explore the Portuguese language and have fun! Learn some football-related vocabulary and understand where Portugal stands in the current Euro 2024 landscape. Start by knowing more about how football arrived and developed in Portugal.
The History of Football In Portugal
In 1875, a British student called Harry Hinton started the first football game in Madeira. Afterward, in 1888, the Pinto Basto brothers brought a football ball to Cascais. Finally, in 1892, Guilherme Pinto Basto founded the Foot-Ball Club Lisbonense.
Ten years later, in 1902, the CIF (Club Internacional de Foot-Ball). The first international match for the national football team was in 1907 with the Madrid Football Club. Rivalries between national clubs increased. But, at this time, the national competition was still limited to regional matches.
In 1914, the Porto, Lisbon, and Portalegre associations founded the União Portuguesa de Futebol (UFP). This entity organized and regulated national football practices. 1921 saw the establishment of the first national team, and the first national championship took place in 1921/1922.
The UFP later changed to FPF (Federação Portuguesa de Futebol) and became the organizer for the national championship and other competitions. In 1966, Portugal earned its first participation in a major tournament final – the World Cup. Twenty years later, in 1986, it saw its first participation in the European Championship.
Today, Portugal adds nine participations in the Euro. The country is also part of most football-related international events and has become home to world-renowned players. Currently, FC Porto is the most award-winning Portuguese team.
5 Key Moments in The Modern History of Football in Portugal
Learn about five moments that marked Portuguese football history in the last sixty years.
1966 World Cup Semi-Final
In 1966, Portugal reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in England. Eusébio was the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals. Portugal finished in third place after defeating the Soviet Union in the third-place playoff. This achievement marked Portugal’s emergence on the world stage.
Benfica’s European Cup Wins (1961 and 1962)
Benfica won the European Cup, now known as the UEFA Champions League, in 1961 and 1962. The team was under the management of Béla Guttmann and included players like Eusébio, José Águas, and Mário Coluna. Benfica defeated Barcelona in the 1961 final and Real Madrid in the 1962 final. These victories established Benfica as one of the top clubs in Europe.
The 2004 UEFA European Championship
Portugal hosted the UEFA European Championship in 2004. The national team, featuring stars like Luís Figo and a young Cristiano Ronaldo, reached the finals. However, it was defeated by Greece. Despite the loss, hosting the tournament and reaching the final was significant in Portuguese football history.
The 2011 UEFA European Finals
For the first time, two Portuguese teams, Porto and Braga, reached the UEFA European Finals. The teams went head-to-head in this match at the Dublin Arena in Ireland. Porto triumphed 1-0, with Radamel Falcao scoring the decisive goal. This all-Portuguese final marked a historic achievement for Portuguese football.
The UEFA Euro 2016
Portugal won their first major international tournament in 2016, the UEFA European Championship. Under the management of Fernando Santos, Portugal defeated France. Éder scored the decisive goal during the extra time. This victory was a historic achievement for Portuguese football.
The Portuguese Way of Sports Broadcasting
One of the ways you can sense how much the Portuguese love football is by listening to game broadcastings by natives. The Portuguese have become known for their broadcasts with verve. Commentators often include much sentiment and energy, transforming the spectator’s experience.
For example, check out this video recorded during the finals in the Euro 2016. The moment featured here is when Portugal defeated France and won the European Championship.
Portugal in The UEFA Euro 2024
Now that you know more about how football grew in Portugal, look at the country’s position in this year’s European Championship.
The Team
The Portuguese team for the UEFA Euro 2024 includes famous names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Leão, and Bruno Fernandes. Of the twenty-six players selected, nine play in the Premier League.
Here is the Portuguese Euro team, the clubs that players currently work with, and their respective field positions:
- Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers), and Rui Patrício (AS Roma).
- Defenders: António Silva (SL Benfica), Danilo Pereira (PSG), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting CP), João Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Nélson Semedo (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Pepe (FC Porto), and Rúben Dias (Manchester City).
- Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), João Neves (SL Benfica), João Palhinha (Fulham FC), Otávio Monteiro (Al Nassr), Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal), and Vitinha (PSG).
- Forwards: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Diogo Jota (Liverpool FC), Francisco Conceição (FC Porto), Gonçalo Ramos (PSG), João Félix (FC Barcelona), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton Wanderers), and Rafael Leão (AC Milan).
The Qualifiers
The UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying process started back in March 2023. The first spot of the twenty-four total is for the hosts, Germany. The following twenty places were decided by the qualifying group stage, with the top two in each section advancing.
Portugal secured a place in its ninth Euro on Matchday 7 after defeating Slovakia in October 2023. The remaining three spots went to the winners of the playoffs, linked to the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League. In this case, they were Georgia, Poland, and Ukraine.
The Final Tournament
The final tournament develops in five stages. You can see and download the fixture list for the upcoming matches through the official UEFA website. It includes the dates, locations, and kick-off times for all games.
Group Stage
The group stage has three games between the members of each group and finishes on 26 June. Portugal is part of Group F, along with Türkiye, Georgia, and Czechia. During this stage, the country will play on the following dates and locations:
- 18/06: Portugal vs Czechia (Leipzig)
- 22/06: Türkiye vs Portugal (Dortmund)
- 26/06: Georgia vs Portugal (Gelsenkirchen)
Round of 16
The round of 16 starts on 29 June and finishes on 2 July. It is a knockout stage where sixteen teams compete to advance to the quarter-finals. During the Euro 2020, Belgium eliminated Portugal during the round of 16.
Quarter-finals
The quarter-finals happen on the 5th and 6th of July. At this stage, eight teams will compete in knockout matches to move on to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals
The semi-finals will be on the 9th and 10th of July. At this time, only four teams will remain competing to determine the two finalists for the championship.
The Final
The final game will take place in Berlin, at the Olympiastadion, on 14 July. It will decide the winner of the Euro 2024, with the losing team earning the runner-up position. Italy won the last UEFA Euro 2020, held in 2021, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and England became runners-up.
During the last game, the teams will use the Official Match Ball of UEFA EURO 2024. Called FUSSBALLLIEBE, it saw its launch in November 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Euro 2024
With such a significant event right around the corner, fans are excited and want to know everything. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Euro 2024.
Can Portugal Win Euro 2024?
Portugal has a strong chance of winning Euro 2024. The team includes experienced and successful players like Cristiano Ronaldo and emerging talents such as João Félix and Bernardo Silva. Besides, the Portuguese has already conquered the title once, in 2016.
With a solid squad and a history of success, Portugal can be considered one of the contenders for the title. However, their victory will depend on team form, injuries, and competition from other top European nations.
Where Will The Euro 2024 be Held?
The Euro 2024 will be in Germany. The competition will take place in ten different world-class stadiums located across the country. The host cities will be Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart.
You can find the UEFA Euro guide for venues and host cities here.
Who Sponsors Euro 2024?
The Euro 2024 official global sponsors are:
- Adidas
- AliExpress
- Alipay+
- Atos
- Betano
- Booking.com
- BYD
- Coca-Cola Zero
- Hisense
- Lidl
- Engelbert Strauss
- Visit Qatar
- Vivo
The official national sponsors are:
- Bitburger
- Deutsche Bahn
- Deutsche Telekom
- Ergo
- Wiesenhof
Will Euro 2024 Be on TV?
As one of the most significant competitions worldwide, you can rest assured the UEFA Euro 2024 will be on TV. In Portugal, you can watch them on national channels like RTP, SIC, and TVI. The sports-dedicated channel, Sport TV, also promised to create a temporary channel exclusively for the event.
Additionally, you can find your national broadcast partners on the UEFA website or watch it online on streaming platforms. If you sign up for MyUEFA, you also get access to highlights, games, and exclusive prizes.
Which Teams Qualified for UEFA Euro 2024?
The final tournament draw that determined the Euro qualifiers for 2024 happened in Hamburg in December 2023. These are the draws for the group stage:
- Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
- Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
- Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
- Group D: Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France
- Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
- Group F: Türkiye, Georgia, Portugal, Czechia
What is the Official Song for the Euro 2024?
Italian production trio Meduza, the American band OneRepublic, and German singer-songwriter Leony were chosen as the championship’s official artists. They created the official song for the event and released it to the public last May.
Entitled “FIRE,” the song is already accessible on all streaming platforms. It was written by Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic’s lead vocalist, and produced by Meduza.
European Portuguese Football-related Vocabulary
Of course, we could not miss the opportunity to teach you some essential Portuguese vocabulary. After all, at Portuguese With Carla, we are all about learning while having fun. Discover that for yourself by signing up for a FREE TRIAL of our intuitive language program – The Journey!
Learning Portuguese words about your favorite game will be a breeze. Plus, with the final tournament already happening, you can practice and use them in real-life conversations throughout the upcoming weeks. Here is a 75-word set you can add to a specific section of your vocabulary notebook:
- Agent – Agente
- Attack – Ataque
- Ball – Bola
- Boots – Chuteiras
- Captain – Capitão
- Championship – Campeonato
- Clean sheet – Jogo sem sofrer golos
- Club – Clube
- Coach – Treinador
- Corner kick – Pontapé de canto
- Counterattack – Contra-ataque
- Crossbar – Barra transversal
- Cup – Taça
- Defeat – Derrota
- Defense – Defesa
- Defender – Defesa
- Dribble – Drible
- Draw – Empate
- Extra time – Prolongamento
- Fans – Adeptos
- Field – Campo
- Forward – Avançado
- Foul – Falta
- Free kick – Livre
- Friendly match – Jogo amigável
- Full-time – Tempo completo
- Goal – Golo
- Goalkeeper – Guarda-redes
- Goal line – Linha de golo
- Half-time – Intervalo
- Hat-trick – Hat-trick (três golos no mesmo jogo)
- Header – Cabeceamento
- Injury – Lesão
- Kick-off – Pontapé de saída
- League – Liga
- Match – Partida
- Man marking – Marcação homem a homem
- Midfielder – Médio
- National team – Seleção nacional
- Net – Rede
- Offside – Fora de jogo
- Offside trap – Armadilha de fora de jogo
- Pass – Passe
- Penalty – Penálti
- Penalty shootout – Disputa de penáltis
- Player – Jogador
- Possession – Posse de bola
- Referee – Árbitro
- Red card – Cartão vermelho
- Scouting – Observação
- Score – Marcador
- Season – Época
- Set piece – Bola parada
- Shin guards – Caneleiras
- Shoot – Remate
- Sponsorship – Patrocínio
- Stadium – Estádio
- Substitute – Substituto
- Substitution – Substituição
- Tackle – Carrinho
- Tactics – Táticas
- Team – Equipa
- Throw-in – Lançamento lateral
- Touchline – Linha lateral
- Transfer – Transferência
- Trophy – Troféu
- Uniform – Uniforme
- Victory – Vitória
- Warm-up – Aquecimento
- Whistle – Apito
- Yellow card – Cartão amarelo
- Zone marking – Marcação por zona
Listen to Lesson 16 of the Portuguese With Carla Podcast to learn more European Portuguese football-related vocabulary. It is available on all your favorite podcatchers and the Portuguese With Carla YouTube channel.
Conclusion on Portugal in The Euro 2024
Football is the most popular sport, with billions of fans worldwide, including most Portuguese natives. One of the most significant events in the sports category is the European Championship, promoted by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Hosted by Germany and with 24 qualified teams, the final tournament has already started on 14 June.
How about you? Do you love football as much as the Portuguese do? Are you ready to use your newly acquired vocabulary to practice Portuguese with natives? What else would you love to discover about Portuguese football? Tell us everything in the comment section below.
If you would love to expand your European Portuguese knowledge, check out The Journey! This unique program that feels like playing a game will help you reach fluency and introduce you to Portuguese culture. Start your free trial today!