00:06Portugal's best footballers are among the greatest of all time.
00:10From Eusebio to Luis Figo and the incomparable Cristiano Ronaldo.
00:19But for all the talent, the World Cup has rarely proved a happy hunting ground.
00:27Maiden qualification didn't arrive until 1966.
00:31And there was only one further appearance in the 20th century.
00:37Since 2002 and the arrival of Portugal as a footballing powerhouse, participation has been assured.
00:44But only twice has the round of 16 been breached.
00:49Most of this era has focused on Ronaldo.
00:52But the living legend has yet to enjoy a defining World Cup campaign.
00:5841 in North America.
01:00This will be his final opportunity to compete on the game's greatest stage.
01:06And it should also be his best.
01:09Portugal have never sent a deeper squad to a major tournament.
01:16There's the quartet that made Paris Saint-Germain European champions.
01:20The trio of Manchester City stars hand-picked by Pep Guardiola.
01:25And the standout performers for both Manchester United and AC Milan.
01:32All the while, the production line of talent keeps delivering, with the likes of Giovanni Quenda and Rodrigo Mora waiting
01:40to add an element of surprise.
01:45As well as excelling at club level, this group has international pedigree.
01:50Celebrating victory in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final.
01:56And topping an awkward World Cup qualification group.
02:01If there is any doubt over Portugal's fortunes, it is in the dugout.
02:10Roboto Martinez was a surprise replacement for the long-serving Fernando Santos in 2023.
02:17The Spaniard had a modest managerial career in England before assuming control of the greatest collection of talent in Belgium's
02:24history.
02:25But failed to secure any silverware during his six-year tenure.
02:32His bosses at the Portuguese Football Federation will be hoping history does not repeat.
02:40We need to prepare well for the World Cup.
02:43As for expectations, we will give our all to reflect the values of the Portuguese people.
02:48And our national team does that with a lot of talent, a lot of desire, and by giving their all.
02:53We will try to win the World Cup, but it has never been done before.
02:58So it's not easy. There are many teams and the best players in the world.
03:09Diego Costa is Portugal's undisputed number one.
03:13Earmarked for greatness since his teens, the 26-year-old is now captain of boyhood side Porto.
03:21Rui Silva and Jose Saar are experienced understudies.
03:32The rock at the heart of the Portuguese defence is Manchester City linchpin Ruben Diaz.
03:41Gonzalo Inacio is his usual partner, but Renato Vega has also been trusted with that responsibility.
03:50Joao Cancelo and Nuna Mendes occupy the full-back roles with Nelson Semedo and Diogo Dallo providing excellent strength in
04:00depth.
04:06Vichinha, who came third in the 2025 Ballon d'Or, is the man around whom Portugal will base their midfield.
04:14He will be joined in a double pivot by either clubmate Joao Neves or the more experienced Ruben Neves.
04:22Head of them is the creative energy and fierce drive of Bruno Fernandes.
04:33The three-man attack is built around the totemic Ronaldo.
04:37Despite his advancing age, he found the back of the net five times during qualification to push his record of
04:44international goals into the 140s.
04:47The deeper Portugal venture in North America, the more will be made of Ronaldo's opportunity to emulate long-standing rival
04:55Lionel Messi,
04:56who kept his brilliant career with a winner's medal at Qatar 2022.
05:03He's a unique player. There's no other player with more than 200 international caps for his country.
05:10So I think we can all see his passion and understand what it means to him to wear the shirt.
05:16He's an example.
05:20To Ronaldo's left will be the craft and subtlety of Bernardo Silva, and to his right, the trickery of Pedro
05:28Neto.
05:30Joao Félix, Rafael Leão and Francisco Concezão will all be determined to make an impact off the bench,
05:39while Gonzalo Ramos will be ready to deputize for Ronaldo should the moment come.
05:45The Portuguese squad will be one of the most feared at the World Cup, packed full of experience, character and
05:52creativity,
05:53and fuelled by the desire to send captain Cristiano Ronaldo into retirement with the greatest honour in the game.
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