Portugal in the Euro 2016 Final
July 08, 2016
The European Cup final is Sunday… France/Portugal!
And one place to see world-class soccer is Portugal.
Soccer (futebol) is the most popular sport in Portugal today - and despite a population of just 10 million people, Portugal ranks 8th in the world on the FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking. In fact, there are 135,000 professional players in Portugal, and its top teams are some of the best in Europe!
The Selecção, the Portuguese national team – that will compete this summer in Brazil – placed 3rd in the 1966 World Cup, and fourth in 2006. They were in the semi-finals or finals in the Euro in 1984, 2000, 2004, and 2012.
Soccer has been played in Portugal since 1875. The nation’s top major league – the Primeira Liga, was founded in 1934. Teams like SL Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting are powerhouses, playing in state of the art stadiums. In fact, Portuguese teams have won the prestigious European Cup four times and the UEFA Cup twice.
As for players, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best in the world today, and names like Pauleta, Eusebio, Figo and others are legends in the game.
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