Top 10 greatest Portuguese footballers of all time

Portugal may not have won a FIFA World Cup, but it’s a renowned force in European and world football. Unsurprisingly, Portuguese fans are very proud of their heroes. Learn more about them below.

Betting on the Best 

It’s not enough to say that Portuguese people love football. Last year, the most-watched TV programmes in the country were football matches, reaching over 2.3 million viewers in a country of 10 million. Certainly, Portuguese fans have a lot to be proud of: their clubs have won European trophies regularly, the national team lifted the European Championship in 2016 and has reached two World Cup semi-finals, and some of the finest players in the history of this sport hail from the country.

Portuguese fans like other sports, too. Following ice hockey is popular in the country, no doubt linked to the indoor versions of the game not played on ice being extremely popular in Portugal. Today, countless fans still follow the odds on Canadian Ice Hockey when they want a break from football. Nevertheless, football remains the most popular sport there. 

Top 10 best Portuguese footballers

The Primeira Liga might not be as famous worldwide as the English Premier League, but fans still flock to the stadiums in record numbers. For instance, the match between Porto and Benfica in 1987 registered 135,000 attendees, one of the largest attendances in history. 

Eusébio

Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t the first Portuguese player to reach the top of the world. Eusebio’s career started in 1957 and ended in 1979. He won the Ballon d’Or equivalent of his time in 1965. He was also decisive during the 1966 FIFA World Cup when Portugal finished third. Eusébio may not have won the title, but he wrote his name in the history of the World Cup, scoring nine goals in only six matches.

Fernando Peyroteo

Fernando Peyroteo (1918-1978) is the greatest scorer in the history of the Primeira Liga, having even more goals than Eusébio. Sadly, Peyroteo’s international career was cut short by World War II. Still, it’s possible to fathom Peyroteo’s potential for his records at home. During his 12-year career, he scored 1.53 goals per game on average. While playing for Sporting Clube de Portugal, Peyroteo won five domestic cups and five league titles and was also six times the top scorer. 

Luís Figo

Luís Figo is one of the greatest talents in modern Portuguese football. His career started in 1989 and ended in 2006 with a Ballon d’Or under his belt, and winning the Portuguese Footballer of the Year for six years straight. Figo played in Spanish football for 10 years, dividing his time among the top two clubs in Spain: Real Madrid and Barcelona. 

Rui Costa

Rui Costa is from the same generation as Luís Figo, and he’s also similarly talented. Rui Costa was one of the three Portuguese players listed by Pelé among the greatest players of all time, the other two being Figo and Eusébio. Costa’s flawless technique rendered him the nickname of “The Maestro”. Rui Costa spent seven seasons in Italian football with Fiorentina and AC Milan. During this period, he won the Champions League, two domestic titles, and a league title.

Pepe

Pepe’s long career started in 2002 and ended last August at the age of 41. The Brazilian-born defender delivered a consistently brilliant level of football defending, especially at the highest level in the Champions League and international tournaments. He was one of Portugal’s main players in the Euro 2016 triumph, playing nearly all games from the beginning to the end. Pepe’s bright career was mainly played out at FC Porto and Real Madrid at club level, and countless games for the national team. 

Mário Coluna

Midfielder Mário Coluna was Portugal’s captain when the squad qualified for its first FIFA World Cup in 1966. Mário Coluna was also included in the All-Star team of that edition. Coluna’s strongest points included shooting from a distance, passing, and creativity. In his club career, Coluna defended Benfica, bagging two European Cups in a row, in 1961 and 1962, beating Real Madrid at its best. The nickname “The Sacred Monster” at Benfica comes from his magnificent service for the club, winning six domestic cups and ten league titles in 16 seasons.  

Deco

Deco is another Brazilian-born star of Portuguese football. He played from 1996 to 2013 and nearly won the Ballon d’Or in 2004, named as the second-best player that year. Also, in 2004, he was named the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. During his club career, Deco played with the best players and coaches of his generation. He played for Porto under the guidance of José Mourinho in one of the strongest squads the club ever had. He also defended Barcelona along with a young Messi, Xavi Hernandez, and Ronaldinho. 

Paulo Futre

Paulo Futre was an absolute star in the 1980s and 90s, winning the Portuguese Footballer of the Year twice (1986-87) and second place at the Ballon d’Or. He played for Sporting, Benfica and Porto and lifted the Spanish Cup twice in a row in the 90s with Atletico Madrid. Unfortunately, his career was also plagued by injuries.

Nani

Nani’s career started in 2005 and it keeps on giving. During Euro 2016, Nani was among the most effective forwards in the Portuguese squad, seconded by Cristiano Ronaldo. Nani started his career at Sporting, but the winger earned fame defending Manchester Utd. While playing for The Reds, Nani scored in winning campaigns in the Champions League (2008), domestic cups, and four Premier Leagues. The two-footed winger is known for his fantastic dribbling technique, speed and audacious acrobatic goal celebration.  

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t only the best Portuguese player still kicking, but the most accomplished footballer the country has ever seen. Among his many achievements, Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or five times, and he’s the greatest scorer in the history of football, with over 900 goals officially registered. He also won the Champions League five times.