For those brand new to the sport, Portugal is very much a household name in the footballing realm. The Euros of the new millennium, the knockouts of the World Cup, not to mention the household names – a couple of wingers who’ve enjoyed Real Madrid paychecks at one time or another in particular.
But it wasn’t always so rosy. Or any color at all – before 2010 they’d only made four World Cups in their history, attempting to qualify for seventeen. But for their short history, they’ve provided enough drama to fill a thousand World Cups.
World Cup 1966 – England
Before there was Cristiano Ronaldo and before there was Luis Figo there was one man: Eusebio. Well, there were many, but the man from Mozambique is easily Portugal’s greatest ever player, one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots, and when Portugal finally made their first World Cup in ‘66, he threw them on his back with some of his teammates from Benfica’s Dream Team.
It was to be the most brilliant of starts, a first minute goal from Jose Augusto; his second would win the game, and they would beat Hungary in their first ever World Cup game, 3-1. The second game was against Bulgaria: 3-0, with Eusebio getting his first of many. That meant a third group date with Brazil – Pele’s Brazil. However, the greatest of all-time was injured, and would leave even more injured – he’d take an absolute beating – as the game would descend into infamy.
But for all its infamy, Brazil would concede a header to a man 158cm tall, Simoes, while Eusebio was extraordinary, scoring twice, and Portugal ran out group winners with a perfect record. Brazil, on the other hand, went home.
They’d get North Korea, the great giant slayers of Italy, and if Eusebio was extraordinary against Brazil, he was on another planet against North Korea, and largely because the defense wasn’t. By the 25th, it was 3-0 North Korea. Then Eusebio took over. One of the great individual games in World Cup history.
Five to three, and to the semifinals they’d go. Watching that first Eusebio goal, you really get a glimpse of his legendary speed – the way he closed the gap within three steps on a ball seemingly too strong is just incredible. The fourth, the penalty he wins then converts, simply confirms his blazing pace.
In the semifinals, they’d meet England. Historians will remember that in ‘66, this clearly couldn’t have gone well. England hadn’t scored a goal yet, and they had the advantage of playing at home. Liverpool – Goodison Park – was the venue, until it wasn’t, because English officials preferred Wembley, obviously, so it was moved to Wembley. Controversial move one. Eusebio also had four goals chalked off for offside – but there’s no video available to determine the merits.
Eusebio would eventually get his good goal, in the 82nd via a penalty, but it was too little, too late: England 2 – Portugal 1. The Portuguese would then win the third-placed game including, yes, a Eusebio penalty. And with that, Eusebio would have nine goals off four penalties – the former led the tournament, the latter set a record. A bittersweet World Cup debut for Portugal; the rise of a superstar in Eusebio.
World Cup 1986 – Mexico
And the disappointment would have to linger for 20 years, because that’s how long it took for Portugal to make another World Cup. All those years of the great Eusebio and just one World Cup.
Their return would descend into madness: the Saltillo Affair.
Due to insufficient bonuses and “poor conditions” to paraphrase – a more elaborate explanation here – the players threatened a strike before the tournament, this after Antonio Veloso had failed a drug test. It was a horrendous start before their first game against old nemesis England. The wheels had fallen off and expectations had followed in suit. And then came revenge: 1-0 to Portugal. After all the drama, they’d won the first game.
Then the wheels would come off again – on the pitch this time. They’d fall 1-0 to Poland, which brought forth the all-important final game against Morocco. A game they probably should’ve won, but succumbed to victory, and then got to leave Mexico for real. The loss to Morocco might’ve been preferable to the treatment they got at home though.
World Cup 2002 – South Korea/Japan
It wasn’t quite 20 years, but it was close enough – and this one was damn near a repeat. With some of the Golden Generation in tow, they again failed to match lofty expectations after pre-tourney drama involving matters unrelated to football.
The first game was against the US; a game which they were expected to win. They didn’t: 3-2 US, the game a Himalayan climb at 3-0 in the 36th. The second game, against Poland, couldn’t have been more different. Pauleta flew left, right and all over the place with a hat-trick in a 4-0 thumping.
The hosts – well, one of them, South Korea – then beckoned in the final match, a decider, just as in ‘86 – and ‘86 would be repeated. Within a half hour Joao Pinto would be sent off; by the seventieth, it was down to nine; and at the final whistle, 1-0 South Korea. Dashed expectations once again.
World Cup 2006 – Germany
For the first time, back-to-back World Cups. For the fourth time in four, it was engulfed by drama. Figo was still around and his heir, Cristiano Ronaldo, was making his World Cup debut along with Deco, one of the best playmakers in the game, as Portugal had finally entered the internationally footballing big time, making the Euro 2004 final at home and having participated in three straight major tournaments.
This time, there would be no first round exit – they drew a rather easy group and dispatched of it as such: 1-0 Angola; 2-0 Iran; 2-1 Mexico. And then the fun began.
If not for the controversy surrounding their next game, you could be excused for forgetting just who won the card fest known as the Battle of Nuremberg: 16 cards, 9 yellows for Portugal – both records. It earned four eventual reds and ref Valentin Ivanov World Cup infamy.
Maniche scored, Portugal won, but the lasting images from the game, and partially the tournament, are all those pretty colors running wild.
The quarterfinal against England was defined by two things: The Wink and keeper Ricardo. One hour on, Wayne Rooney was sent off for a stamp, the ref perhaps aided by club teammate Cristiano Ronaldo’s convincing, who then infamously winked to the bench after Rooney had gone. All drama, all the time. And then it went to penalty kicks where Ricardo was simply heroic, saving 3 of 4 and putting Portugal into the semis.
Forty years on, a semifinal.
There the heroics would end, and so too would advancement in the tournament: a 1-0 loss to France in the semifinal on a penalty and a loss to hosts Germany, 3-1, put them into fourth. A semifinal loss always crushing, but a far cry from two straight disappointing first round exits.
