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Goalkeepers
Ricardo (Sporting Lisbon)
Moreira (Benfica)
Quim (Braga)
Defenders
Jorge Andrade (Deportivo La Coruna)
Beto (Sporting Lisbon)
Ricardo Carvalho (Porto)
Fernando Couto (Lazio)
Rui Jorge (Sporting Lisbon)
Paulo Ferreira (Porto)
Miguel (Benfica)
Nuno Valente (Porto)
Midfielders
Costinha (Porto)
Deco (Porto)
Maniche (Porto)
Luis Figo (Real Madrid)
Petit (Benfica)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Rui Costa (AC Milan)
Simao Sabrosa (Benfica)
Tiago (Benfica)
Forwards
Pauleta (Paris St Germain)
Helder Postiga (Tottenham Hotspurs)
Nuno Gomes (Benfica)
 

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With Lisbon officially being viewed as the cheapest capital city in the EU, the days of Portugal’s golden past seem distant; when explorers like, Vasco Da Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan sailed the old world in search of land, fame and gold. Some five hundred years later a nation must still look abroad to find the streets paved with gold!

 The modern gold and glory hunters are still to be found though; only now they ply their trade with an elite group of Europe’s richest and most prestigious football clubs.  Footballing superstars, who now represent the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan and Manchester United, have replaced the legends that made Portugal’s golden era of exploration.
Winners 
Portugal’s lack of success at International level is a national debate; time and again football critics the World over have reasoned that this generation of unquestionable individual talent is not a team of winners. With recent Champions League victory still fresh in the memory of Milan’s Rui Costa and the continued glory for los galácticos of Real Madrid including Luis Figo, one hopes that club form and, more importantly, winning mentality can be used to benefit the national team and produce what could be Portugal’s finest hour.
A helping hand from Brazil       
With ex-Brazilian manager Luiz Felipe Scolari installed as the new manager, never before has Portugal had such a set of winners working towards victory. The World Cup Winner goes into Euro 2004 with not only the experience of the thirty-something stars, but also the much touted and supremely gifted Deco of Porto- he who famously chose to play for Portugal over his birth land Brazil, against whom he made his debut in a feisty 2-1 victory, aptly scoring the winner. With Manchester United’s eighteen year-old Christian Ronaldo and Sergio Conceicao, surely no manager at the tournament will have as much creativity as the Portuguese.
With the useful Pauleta and Nuno Gomes, two forwards, both capable of converting the chances which will surely be plentiful, the only problem that may occur could be self- inflicted, ala Portugal’s disastrous World Cup in Korea/ Japan in 2002, which ultimately became an exercise in how to underestimate the opposition! Defeats to the USA and South Korea were the key to the exit door. Portugal will have learnt from this and with home advantage expect them to be less complacent, and one of the most watchable teams of Euro 2004.
The pressure of expectation
Portugal’s problem has been the decade of expectant glory, the winning of the World Youth Cup in 1991 and the under sixteen in 1989 left fans and experts alike of the opinion that a first senior victory was imminent. It will be with heavy hearts that Portugal say farewell to this generation of players if they don’t convert their untold flair and stunning technical ability into some much sought after silverware.