Portugal will be heading into the European Championships as one of the heavyweights and the Selecao stand as good a chance as England and France of winning the competition.
After a shock quarter final exit at the World Cup and a disappointing round of 16 finish at the last Euros, Portugal will be highly motivated to put in a better performance in Germany.
Soccernet.football takes a look at some stars who could shine for the Selecao at the Euros.
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7. Joao Neves
The 19-year-old, widely regarded as one of the most talented young midfielders in football at the moment, established himself as a key player for Benfica and featured regularly for the Portuguese giants this past season.
Neves is still very young and is likely to have other more established names like Danilo Pereira, Joao Paulinha and Ruben Neves selected to start ahead of him in Germany.
However, if given an opportunity, the Benfica youngster certainly possesses the skill set needed to defend the colours of his nation at a major tournament.
6. Diogo Dalot
Dalot was one of Manchester United’s most important players in what was a difficult and injury plagued campaign for the Red Devils.
He featured heavily for United this past season, alternating between the left and right-back positions and performing at really high levels wherever he played.
The 25-year-old could feature in the left-back position for the Selecao to accommodate Joao Cancelo on the right. Portugal are sure to benefit from Dalot’s defensive astuteness and attacking prowess.
5. Diogo Jota
The 27-year-old winger impressed for Liverpool this past campaign despite seeing his game time limited as a result of two different spells on the sidelines.
Jota is an effective attacker who can play in the left-wing, center forward and second striker positions. If he manages to stay fit throughout the tournament, the Liverpool man will certainly play a key role for the Selecao.
4. Bernado Silva
Bernado enjoyed a great season with English champions Manchester City and he was a central feature for Guardiola’s side as they toppled Arsenal to win the Premier League.
Despite his diminutive figure, Bernardo is usually one of the hardest workers on the pitch, popping up in every position from attack, to the middle of the park, to defense.
The 29-year-old could provide an extra creative outlet for the Selecao in Germany and will certainly be instrumental for his nation.
3. Rafael Leao
Leao was arguably AC Milan’s best player this past season, helping the Rossoneri to a second place finish in the Serie A with 19 goal contributions across 34 matches.
The 24-year-old’s combination of strength, pace, and trickery makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders and a huge asset to his team.
Roberto Martinez will have to pick between Leao and Jota to occupy the left flank but it is expected that the AC Milan forward will get the nod.
2. Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has established himself as one of the most productive midfielders in football since joining Manchester United in 2020.
Fernandes’ place in Roberto Martinez’ setup is already guaranteed as he will be Portugal’s creator-in-chief when the tournament kicks off in Germany.
The 29-year-old attacking midfielder is as good at converting opportunities as he is at creating them, making him an indispensable player for the Selecao.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Arguably the greatest footballer to walk the planet earth, Ronaldo is showing no signs of slowing down at the age of 39 and he is set to lead Portugal’s attack at the Euros.
Roberto Martinez has decided to keep faith with the Selecao skipper who enjoyed a sensational season in the Saudi Pro League where he notched 35 goals and 11 assists in 31 matches for Al Nassr
It remains to be seen if this year’s Euros will be Ronaldo’s last major tournament with Portugal, regardless he will be looking to fire his nation to the summit of Europe.
