PortuGOAL’s Matthew Marshall followed the Equipa das Quinas at the 2022 UEFA European U17 Championship in Israel.
In the latest installment of his 'missions' podcast series, Part one documents Portugal's campaign and Mat's experiences as he travels around the Holy Land including Jerusalem, Lod, Tel Aviv, Akko and Netanya.
Part two features interviews with press officer Tiago Sardo, analyst André Reis and journalist Luísa Nogueira.
There will be an intriguing Portuguese derby in Iranian football next season after Ricardo Sá Pinto and José Morais were appointed as managers of Esteghlal and Sepahan respectively this week.
Reigning champions Esteghlal confirmed the appointment of Sá Pinto on Tuesday, just a few weeks after the former international forward left Moreirense. Sepahan, who finished 3rd last term, announced Morais’ arrival on Thursday, with José Mourinho’s former assistant out of work since a brief spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal last year.
Portuguese football has for years been an extraordinary breeding ground for young talents who, after making a name for themselves early in their career, command premium transfer fees paid by the top clubs worldwide and go on to fully justify the money spent.
Rúben Dias, Bruno Fernandes and João Cancelo are just three recent examples of the quality of Portuguese players on the highest stage. All football fans will therefore be keen to learn about the latest up-and-coming Portuguese footballers from a variety of teams who could hit the big time.
PortuGOAL lists eight Portuguese players who could become household names among football fans worldwide in the not-too-distant future.
There is a lot of talk about the upcoming World Cup in Qatar with a fair amount of it focussing on Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo given it could be his last major tournament for the Seleção.
The reason that is relevant is that there are big questions about whether or not Fernando Santos is the right manager to lead Portugal in the World Cup. Even if Bovada sportsbook and other popular ones rate Portuguese chances quite high on the WC (at least of getting to the quarter-finals), there is huge scepticism among Portuguese fans.
Here we take a look at the pros and contras of sticking with Santos.
José Fonte continues to set remarkable standards for Lille in France, after being named the club’s Player of the Season following a campaign in which he played every single minute in all competitions.
Fonte, who turns 39 later this year, featured in 49 matches for Les Dogues in all competitions as Lille contested the Champions League as well as domestic duties. As such, the defender was dubbed “Mr 100%” on the club’s social media platforms, with Fonte clocking 3,420 minutes of action not including extra time.
South American champions Palmeiras issued a statement on Friday condemning what they believe are xenophobic attacks against their manager Abel Ferreira.
The move from Palmeiras came after Atlético Goianiense boss Jorginho was scathing in his criticism of Abel and his staff following the sides’ clash in the Campeonato Brasileiro. Palmeiras came from behind to win the match 4-2, scoring a remarkable four goals between the 42nd minute and half time, but Abel and his technical team were the subject of Jorginho’s frustration after the match.
Just 24 hours after selling Fábio Vieira to Arsenal, FC Porto are set to conclude another high-profile departure as midfielder Vitinha is on the brink of a move to French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
According to reports close to both parties in Portugal and France, the clubs have agreed a fee and Vitinha will sign a five-year contract at the Parc des Princes. Estimates over the fee vary, with some indication that the price may be under the €40m stipulated as a release clause in Vitinha’s contract at Estádio do Dragão.
Making their first significant play in this summer’s transfer market, the Arsenal universe will be brimming with excitement at a rare Primeira Liga venture, as they secure the services of FC Porto’s Fábio Vieira for a reported £30-million fee, plus add-ons.
For fans of the Portuguese game, however, the move instils a great deal of déjà vu, depreciating and heightening the league in equal measure.
No less than a week ago, the media’s eye had Benfica’s Darwin Nuñez in focus ahead of a club-record move for Liverpool, joining the Uruguayan with former Porto poster-boy Luis Díaz.
Today, Fábio Vieira becomes the latest to enjoy the attention his talents deserve, but just how good can the Premier League-bound star be?
The Luso descendants who chose Portugal as their home and the Seleção as their love
The Portuguese for many years, through their voyages across the seas, have settled in various places around the globe, so it is no surprise that many football players around the world are Luso-descent. They are children or grandchildren of Portuguese who left their country and organised their lives away from the motherland.
More and more descendants of emigrants are playing for Portugal, at its various levels, and despite some exceptions, the truth is that most of them have no doubts when it comes to choosing whether to play for the national team of the country where they were born or for the country where their parents came from.
Portugal international forward Bruma is set to return to Turkish football to join Jorge Jesus’ Fenerbahce, after the Istanbul club confirmed a deal to take him on loan from PSV Eindhoven.
Bruma, who has switched clubs many times during his career, enjoyed arguably his best form with Galatasaray in Turkey during the 2016-17 season, where he scored an impressive eleven goals in the Super Lig.
“I tried to take advantage of every minute the mister gave me. It wasn’t the result we wanted, we always want to win, but we played a great team with some of the best players in the world and a draw ended up a positive outcome.”
