Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba could start their opening World Cup game against Portugal next week, coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said on Thursday.
He has won it all at club level and has three world player of the year awards but on Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated as never before -- with tears of joy streaming down his face after his Portugal beat France 1-0 to win the European Championship.
Talismanic Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing just one shot on goal, but coach Fernando Santos defended his "amazing" captain.
Hungary and Portugal reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages after a rip-roaring 3-3 draw in which Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice and became the first player to score at four European Championship finals on Wednesday.
Portugal won their first Euro title after defeating France 1-0 at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday.
Having reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals without winning a game in 90 minutes it is probably time for Portugal fans to stop worrying about their misfiring forwards and instead give credit to the coach and defenders who have got the to the last four.
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World Cup qualifiers Portugal were held 1-1 by Northern Ireland.
Portugal are ready to move up a gear when they face Croatia in their mouth-watering last-16 clash in Lens on Saturday, coach Fernando Santos said.
On this evidence the Czech Republic could play a dozen quarter-finals and still not produce the number of goal attempts that Cristiano Ronaldo managed on his own in another display of awesome authority by the Portugal skipper.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored both goals as Portugal deservedly beat the Netherlands 2-1 on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 and eliminate the Dutch, beaten World Cup finalists two years ago.
Brazil lived up to expectations by smashing Bolivia 5-1 at home in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers opener on Friday.
Thousands of fans greeted Euro 2016 champions Portugal as they landed in Lisbon on Monday, chanting the name of goal hero Eder, whose extra-time screamer sealed the 1-0 victory over France.
Portugal, who missed a spot kick given thanks to the video assistant referees 16 minutes into the match, were awarded a second penalty after 104 minutes when Miguel Layun handled the ball.
Centre-half Pepe is doubtful for Portugal's Euro 2016 semi-final against Wales on Wednesday and a decision on his fitness will be made in the morning.
The expanded European soccer Championship format with 24 teams in the finals instead of 16 contributed to fairytale runs by so-called minnows at Euro 2016 but also helped Portugal lift their first major trophy. The new formula introduces an extra knockout stage, the round of 16, with the top two teams in each of the six groups going through as well as the four best third-placed sides. Portugal did just that, finishing third in their group and going on to win the tournament with a 1-0 victory in extra time over hosts France in Sunday's final.
Veterans Arjen Robben (21) and Wesley Sneijder (34) laid the groundwork for a Dutch victory in coach Dick Advocaat's first game in charge.
Chelsea signed Portugal's Brazilian-born playmaker Deco from Barcelona on Monday.
Matches will be played almost every day according to a new fixture list the league released on Saturday.
Ronaldo admitted that both of them changed the history of football and urged his fans to not hate on Messi.
Switzerland notched their first win at a European Championship finals when it least mattered by beating a second-string side from Euro 2008 quarter-finalists Portugal 2-0 on Sunday.
The 31-year-old is still recovering from the knee injury which forced him to limp out of the Euro 2016 final against France in the first half, coach Fernando Santos said.
Daniel Jensen's stoppage time winner gave Denmark a 3-2 victory in Portugal in a World Cup Group One qualifier on Wednesday that featured four goals in the closing seven minutes.
Nine teams are in contention to fill up the remaining four slots in the 2008 Euro qualifying tournament.
Bravo stopped Portugal's first three spot kicks from Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho and Nani while Chile converted their first three to win the clash of South American and European champions.
India on Monday assured Portugal that it would remain compliant with the expectations of the Portuguese system and judiciary on the issue of gangster Abu Salem.
Portugal midfielder Tiago has decided to retire from international soccer citing personal reasons, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said on Monday.
Wasteful Portugal were held to a 1-1 home draw by Serbia after their captain and top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo limped off with an apparent hamstring injury in the first half of their Euro 2020 Group B qualifier on Monday.
Substitute Ricardo Quaresma turned in three minutes from the end of extra time as Portugal edged a tense encounter to book a UEFA Euro 2016 quarter-final date with Poland. After 116 minutes in which the teams failed to muster a single shot on target, Ivan Perisic headed against the upright.
Portugal proved they can flourish without their talismanic forward Cristiano Ronaldo, at least on the pitch, in beating France to win Euro 2016. Coach Fernando Santos has been trying to reduce their dependency on Ronaldo and his team's ability to live without their alltime leading scorer and captain faced its ultimate test when he was went off injured after 25 minutes of Sunday's final. They passed with flying colours. Relieved of any obligation to pass to Ronaldo every time he was free or allow him to take free kicks, Portugal's players appeared less inhibited without him on the pitch.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been one of Portugal's biggest culprits, missing an easy chance late in the 1-1 draw with Iceland and firing a penalty against the post late in the Austria match.
After teetering on the brink of first-round elimination and being involved in the most boring match of the tournament, there is now a real chance Portugal could muddle their way through to the Euro 2016 final. A kind draw has left Portugal with an eminently winnable quarter-final against Poland which would be followed by a semi-final against Wales, Hungary or Belgium.
Euro 2016 finalists Portugal received a boost on Saturday when central defender Pepe trained with his teammates and appeared to be free of any injury problems.
A Dani Carvajal strike in the ninth-minute of stoppage time rescued Real Madrid, earning them a 3-2 comeback win at home against bottom side Almeria on Sunday in a frantic LaLiga tussle that was marked by VAR controversy.
'It was a machinery of death. A large number of Hindus were first converted and then persecuted from 1560 all the way to 1812!' says novelist Richard Zimler.
Brazil and Portugal fought themselves into a stalemate on Friday but the 0-0 draw was enough for both teams to go through comfortably into the second round of the World Cup.
Portugal enjoyed their biggest ever World Cup victory when they overwhelmed North Korea 7-0 in Group G on Monday to end the Asian side's hopes.
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