Portugal coach Fernando Santos turned to teenager Renato Sanches in a bid to bring some fluency to the midfield in their Euro 2016 quarter-final against Poland on Thursday and was handsomely rewarded for the decision.
'If the coach considers it, I am ready to play the next game'
Coach Fernando Santos blamed a lack of pace and a failure to stay calm in the frantic final minutes for Portugal's inability to beat rank outsiders Iceland in their Euro 2016 opener on Tuesday.
The fate of Sunday's intriguing European Championship final between France and Portugal weighs largely on two men wearing the number seven shirt, one already at the top of the game and the other one getting there fast.
Pragmatic, difficult to beat, spearheaded by talismanic forwards and led by veteran, battle-hardened coaches -- few teams have as much in common with each other as Uruguay and Portugal who meet in a World Cup round of 16 tie on Saturday.
The Real Madrid forward was superb in Portugal's 3-3 World Cup draw with Spain on Friday, giving his team the perfect start with a penalty, putting them 2-1 ahead and popping up at the death, cool as you like, to whip home a free-kick and complete a magnificent hat-trick.
Spain's decision to sack coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the World Cup will have little impact on the quality of the 2010 world champions' game, Germany midfielder Toni Kroos said on Thursday.
European champions Portugal were let off the hook by Morocco's wasteful finishing and another Cristiano Ronaldo moment as they notched up a fortuitous victory in the World Cup on Wednesday. Yet, the reactions of the respective coaches suggested a different result.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has urged his team mates not to get carried away by the 7-0 romp over Estonia ahead of their campaign at the Euro 2016. The 31-year-old forward, warming up for his side's Group F opener against Iceland on Tuesday in Saint-Etienne, made his first appearance with Portugal this summer in Lisbon on Wednesday night. "It was just a friendly and even though we won 7-0, it doesn't mean anything," Ronaldo was quoted
European champions Portugal came up against a superior version of themselves as they were knocked out of the World Cup by Uruguay on Saturday. Although Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo will grab the headlines -- the former for his two brilliantly goals and the latter for what could well be his World Cup farewell -- Uruguay owed their 2-1 win to a superb all-round performance.
Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani scored twice to earn the South Americans a 2-1 win over European champions Portugal in their World Cup round of 16 clash on Saturday and set up a quarter-final against France.
Portugal's press gave a big salute to Cristiano Ronaldo and the entire national team on Thursday after their 2-0 win over Wales clinched a return to the European Championship final for the first time in 12 years.
Portuguese coach Fernando Santos said his hardest task will be keeping his 'kids' grounded after they advanced to the semi-finals with a win over Poland on Thursday.
Not even the return of Cristiano Ronaldo could arrest Portugal's ailing fortunes as new manager Fernando Santos watched his men defeated 2-1 by France in a friendly in Paris on Saturday.
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.
Quaison fires Sweden to extra-time World Cup playoff win over Czechs
The 55 teams have been divided into 10 groups of five or six, and the top two teams in each qualify directly.
Portugal's impressive midfielder Renato Sanches is finally ready for his Bayern Munich debut although the 19-year-old Euro 2016 winner still faces a tough challenge to claim a regular place in the team. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that Sanches could make his debut away to Schalke 04 on Friday (1830 GMT) if Arturo Vidal is still worn out after his long trip from South America, where he played two World Cup qualifiers for Chile in five days.
Images and a round-up of all the World Cup qualifiers played across continents on Tuesday.
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.
Croatia will be focussing on containing Cristiano Ronaldo as well as bidding to score a first ever goal against Portugal when they meet in the last 16 at Euro 2016 on Saturday, coach Ante Cacic said.
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.
Uruguay's Edinson Cavani has always played second fiddle to his more illustrious attacking colleagues at country or club level but the long-haired marksman emerged out of those shadows with his twin strike in the World Cup round of 16 last week.
The World Cup lost its headline acts on Saturday as the game's two biggest stars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, readied to leave Russia after their teams were eliminated in the round of 16. Messi's Argentina lost 4-3 to France and hours later Ronaldo's Portugal went down 2-1 to Uruguay, leaving the tournament without its two best known and most loved players.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos left Bernardo Silva, one of the country's brightest young players, out of his final 23-man Euro 2016 squad on Tuesday but included 18-year-old Renato Sanches.
European champions Portugal spurned a two-goal lead against Tunisia, stumbling to a 2-2 draw, as France, one of the World Cup favourites, flexed their muscles with a comfortable 2-0 win over Ireland in warm-up friendlies on Monday.
Chelsea's Marcos Alonso and Real Madrid's Nacho were notable absentees in defence, along with Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is planning a fresh 24-team Club World Cup to start with a 'pilot' edition in 2021.
'I'm very happy and I can say that 2016 was the best year of my career, the trophy shows that people aren't blind and watch the games.'
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.
Cristiano Ronaldo wept tears of despair then tears of joy as Portugal stunned host France to lift the 2016 Euro Title in Paris. The Portuguese talisman has won everything at club level with Manchester United and Real Madrid. But Ronaldo has now become a true great after leading his country to European glory- Portugal's first major football title. Ronaldo tried to fight through pain due to a knee injury that he had suffered during the match but the knee injury took it's toll on him as Portugal lost their captain, who had to be carried off on a stretcher.
It will be virgin territory for Wales when they face Portugal in the Euro 2016 semi-finals yet their opponents could be forgiven a sense of deja vu as they step on to the pitch in Lyon on Wednesday.
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.
One question stands out after Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria on Saturday -- does Cristiano Ronaldo have to take every single free kick and penalty?
Images and summary of all the World Cup 2022 qualifiers played across continents on Tuesday.
One of Europe's most expensive teenagers Renato Sanches has yet to nail down a starting spot with Portugal but the brawny midfielder is making his presence felt on the continent's biggest stage.
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.
Images from the Nations League matches.
Debutant Helder Costa opened the scoring on his international debut for an experimental Portugal who made 10 changes from the team which started the 3-2 Nations League win in Poland 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.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances