Fernando Santos was yesterday nominated in a shortlist for the FIFA coach of the year award.

The Portuguese tactician must be considered a serious candidate to win the prestigious prize, having led Portugal to its first ever major tournament victory, winning Euro 2016 in the summer, beating hosts France in the final.

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, who oversaw the English club’s miraculous EPL victory, and Real Madrid’s Champions League winning coach Zinedine Zidane are other frontrunners to pick up the award, the winner of which will be announced on 9 January in Zurich.

PortuGOAL profiles Fernando Santos, the mastermind behind the Seleção’s greatest moment in international football.

Romania 1-1 Portugal (agg: 1-1, Portugal win on away goals)

Portugal’s women’s team made history today by qualifying for Euro 2017 after a 1-1 draw in Romania to book their place at a major tournament for the first time.

Following the goalless draw in the first leg of the playoff in Lisbon last week, an extra time goal by Andreia Norton proved decisive as the Seleção won through on away goals.

Portugal take their place alongside another 15 nations at next summer’s European Championship to be staged in the Netherlands.

Even before the summer's Euro 2016 triumph, Seleção fans had been getting more and more excited as a seemingly endless flow of extravagantly talented players steadily progressed from the Portugal youth ranks all the way up to the senior team.

Seven players who featured in the destruction of Andorra and the Faroe Islands in this weekend's World Cup qualifiers are aged 23 or under: João Cancelo (22), Raphael Guerreiro (22), André Gomes (23), Bernardo Silva (22), João Mário (23), André Silva (20) and Gelson Martins (21).

How has this happened? In an article written for ESPN, Tom Kundert explains why a prodigious number of outstanding young footballers are now emerging in Portugal and argues that it is a trend that is set to continue and augurs well for a glorious epoch for Portuguese football.

Faroe Islands 0-6 Portugal 

The Seleção rounded off the international break with another straightforward victory over the Faroe Islands tonight in Tórshavn. André Silva continued his blistering start to life with the senior side, scoring three first half goals as Portugal climbed to 2nd place in their World Cup qualifying group. 

Fernando Santos was forced to make a change at left back with Vitorino Antunes deputizing for the injured Raphael Guerreiro, but he also added a bit more steel in midfield with Bernardo Silva and Moutinho making way for William Carvalho and João Mário.