Very few teams at Euro 2024 have more individual talent than Portugal. A Seleção famously lifted the 2016 European Championship trophy. Since then, they have made it to the Round of 16 or better of every tournament they’ve played in.
Here are the star players Portugal will be relying on this time around.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (FW, Al Nassr)
Love him or hate him, Ronaldo is still one of Portugal’s best players. Whether he’s the best fit for Roberto Martínez’s system is another question.
Ronaldo started just one of Portugal’s three pre-tournament friendlies. He scored two goals in his lone start against Ireland, playing as a part of a front two with AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.
The legendary striker also won the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot, scoring 35 goals in 31 matches.
He might not get the start in most matches for Portugal, but Ronaldo is a gamechanger who always has the potential to come on and score spectacular goals.
4. Ruben Dias (CB, Manchester City)
Portugal is stacked with world class talent all across the pitch. Nothing is more proof of that than Ruben Dias.
Despite being the best center back on maybe the best team in the world, the Manchester City man rarely gets a mention in most Portugal Euro 2024 previews.
Dias is one of the most resolute defenders in the world. As he’s shown playing in Pep Guardiola’s system, he’s also very comfortable with the ball at his feet.
His ability is often overshadowed by his leadership qualities. Along with his teammate Pepe and Premier League rival Virgil Van Dijk, Dias is one of the most experienced center backs at the tournament.
Dias is exactly the kind of player you’d want leading your back line into a major international tournament.
3. Rafael Leao (FW, AC Milan)
Serie A fans know how good Rafael Leao is. A lot of European soccer fans unfortunately don’t.
Primarily playing as a left winger, Leao was I Rossoneri’s best player, scoring 15 goals and dishing out 13 assists in all competitions for the Serie A runners-up.
For Portugal, Roberto Martinez has utilized Leao’s pace, playing him out wide on both wings. He’s also played a more central role alongside Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of João Félix, Bruno Fernandes, or Bernardo Silva in a playmaking role.
One knock on Leao’s game is consistency. Like his international teammate João Félix, Leao tends to drift in and out of games at times. If he stays locked in throughout, he has the talent to be one of the stars of Euro 2024.
2. Bruno Fernandes (MF, Manchester United)
Amid the mess that is Manchester United right now, Bruno Fernandes has quietly been one of the best players in the Premier League.
The Boavista academy product has had over 20 goal contributions in each of his five seasons at Manchester United so far. He scored 15 goals across all competitions for the Red Devils in 2023/24.
Fernandes plays a deeper playmaking role for Portugal than he does for Manchester United. When he first made this shift, many were worried about him out-muscled by more physical sides.
The exact opposite has happened. Fernandes’ aggression and strength made him well-suited to the role. He’s now one of Portugal’s best and most important players.
1. Bernardo Silva (MF, Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva often gets lost among all the stars at Manchester City, but he absolutely deserves to be mentioned as one of the best players in the world.
Silva had 11 goals and 10 assists for Man City this season. Looking beyond the basic stats, Silva’s presence on the field is overwhelming.
The 29-year-old is comfortable playing almost every position on the pitch. Just this season, Silva has played as a part of a double pivot alongside Rodri, a No. 10, right winger, left winger, and false nine. Thanks to his technical ability and coolness under pressure, Silva played each of these positions to a world class level.
Silva showed his world-class versatility for Portugal, starting nine out of their ten Euro Qualifying matches at various positions.
At the Euros, Silva will probably play at right wing as a part of a front three. If Martinez decides to shake things up and needs to put him elsewhere, Silva can do it. He’s that good.
