Top 10 Portuguese Football (Soccer) Players of All Time
Portugal might be a small country, but when it comes to football, it has produced some of the biggest names the sport has ever seen. From dazzling dribblers to clinical finishers, Portuguese players have dominated pitches across Europe and beyond, delivering unforgettable moments that fans still talk about decades later. Whether it's international tournaments, club rivalries, or last-minute winners, these players have given you plenty of reasons to cheer, celebrate, and maybe even shed a few tears.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team. Over the past 20 years, CR7 has proved that he is among the best in football. When he started off, people thought nothing of him but step-overs and scissors. But one man, whom he called his football father, Sir Alex Ferguson, changed that by giving him the number 7. You might think of me as silly. Why would a mere number determine his worth? The answer is that this number became his legacy. When people think of number 7's, eventually they will think of CR7 and his feats.
How did a skinny poor boy become one of the best? How did he become the top goalscorer of all time? How did he win five Ballon d'Ors and five Golden Boots and five Champions? He is hardworking. He is determined. He is one of the best.
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. Eusébio is considered by many as one of the greatest footballers of all time. During his professional career, he scored 733 goals in 745 matches. The real Portugal GOAT. He led his country to their best World Cup appearance, finishing in third place in 1966.
He was also the tournament's top scorer, with nine goals.
Everyone who thinks Ronaldo should be voted as the best Portuguese football player of all time is part of the mind-numbingly, stupidly narcissistic selfie generation, who doesn't even measure up to the last two heel studs of Eusébio's boot. Just compare Eusébio's performance on the big stages... he shined brightest when it mattered. Ronaldo underperformed at every World Cup he has played because he is just gas and plays for attention... a symptom of this selfie generation. Eusébio's legacy is on a world level, whereas Ronaldo's is limited to a glitzy media-pumped local club level.
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, (born 4 November 1972) is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He won 127 caps for the Portugal national team, a record at the time but later broken by Cristiano Ronaldo. He... read more Figo put the 'F' in fantastic. His skill with the ball is nearly flawless. His dedication and determination are just incredible.
He is not just one of the best Portuguese players of all time. He is one of the best football players of all time.
There is no other that has it all - endless talent, class, tact, maturity, dedication (for the game, family, his nation). Not a sore loser when he doesn't win.
No wonder he gets along with Messi and so many other greats. You won't find him crying like a baby like Ronaldo. But mostly, did I mention he's incredibly talented?
Great midfielder. Nowadays, he's only limited to FIFA Icon cards, but as a player, he's among the top names in Portuguese history.
Rui Costa's technique, vision, and passing made him one of the best midfielders Portugal ever produced.
Great technique and a very intelligent player.
Nani is my idol. He is underrated, my favorite player to watch. I only say he is underrated because he has been compared to Ronaldo.
If Ronaldo were not playing in the same era as Nani, I have no doubt Nani would have been seen as a better Portuguese soccer player comparably. At the peak of his health and top of his form, he is one of the greatest players in Portuguese history.
One of the best companions for Cristiano. I wouldn't have ranked him seventh if Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva were available. Nevertheless, he definitely deserves to be in the top 10.
Controversially, he was robbed of one of the best individual goals ever scored in terms of raw skill, but what he has given to the national team will far outdo that over and over again.
Classy defender. Could sniff out trouble way before anyone else.
The best defender in the world!
A very good midfielder. His Trivela and Rabona are mind-blowing. You can say he is the X-factor of the team.
Amazing player, really unique.
Top 3 most talented football player of all time in football history. He could have been ahead of Ronaldo if he had taken football more seriously. Yet, with his goals and technique, he is still one of the best.
José Manuel "Pepe" Reina Páez is a Spanish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian club S.S.C. He's been everything Portugal ever wanted from a defender. Sometimes it is easy to criticize players like him and Ramos, but they are absolutely necessary to build a dynasty.
I love the way he keeps doing a fabulous job even at 37. If Ronaldo leads the team in goals, he ensures that the team doesn't fall back again.
Pepe is raw. I went to an international game, and he was the only player who signed autographs.
A proper 'nasty' centre-back and master of the dark arts. Very effective. Okay on the ball.
He should be number 3! Cristiano Ronaldo? He's not as good.
In my opinion, he is Atletico Madrid's best player ever.
One of the best FC Porto, and of course, Portuguese players I've seen. Great technique.
This guy is criminally underrated. He deserves the fourth spot behind CR7, Eusebio, and Figo.
There may not have been something truly magical about his gameplay, but his commitment to his teams, even when he is deemed surplus, is commendable. He was one of the reasons for Porto winning the Champions League.
One of the best "10s" of all time, and the best to reach Portuguese football, the best Porto player ever.
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Great player. A pure engine on the field with 5-star passing skills.
He is the best player in the world. I don't know who Cristiano Ronaldo is and why he is in the top spot.
What a goal scorer he was. 47 international goals! Just a natural finisher.
Fernando Peyroteo was a great goal-getter, born in Angola. He played for Sporting L., and according to official stats, he's the most prolific scorer in football history with 544 goals in 344 official matches, according to RSSSF, boasting the highest goal-scoring rate of players with more than 300 matches. However, his career was in the 40s, a time without international tournaments. He also preferred to remain in his country instead of playing abroad, despite having the opportunity to do so.
Fernando Peyroteo is the most prolific scorer in football history, for players with more than 300 goals. His successful career in the 1940s is a little known due to WWII.
He was the national team coach in the 1960s. Eusébio had the best teacher to learn scoring from.
I don't think that Chalana was the best, but he was great. He could get past an opponent without dribbling (literally speaking). He should be in the Top 5.
The best Portuguese midfielder with great stamina and power, capable of scoring goals.
Maniche was a beast in midfield for Portugal in the 2000s. Those wonder goals he scored against the Netherlands in Euro 2004 and then in the World Cup 2006 are unforgettable.
He is the best true center forward Portugal ever had. Portugal has good players in every position, but he is the only Portuguese player that is a center forward who is great at heading, receiving passes, and finishing.
Nuno Gomes always scores in decisive matches. He is the most recognizable striker of Portugal with great heading and shooting capacity, and a good pace with nice movement off the ball.
Nuno Gomes was our best striker in the 90s/2000s, scoring many important goals in various big tournaments (U20 World Cup 1995, Atlanta Olympics 1996, Euro 2000, 2004, 2008, World Cup 2006).
He was another one of the greats! He played with Eusébio and was from the Portuguese Colony of Mozambique too. He has been overlooked.
Fernando Mendes Soares Gomes is a great striker in the history of FC Porto, where he played between 1974-1980 and 1982-1989. His nickname, "Bi-bota," was given after the two European Golden Boot awards he received in 1983 and 1985 as the top scorer of all European Championships. Gomes retired with Portuguese League totals of 404 matches and 320 goals. His tally in official games is 425, including him in the best 100 in football history.
He's passionate about what he does, and he does it the best. His skills are incomparable to those of modern football players. Some might say he's just selfish, but doing what he does best without the help of teammates and providing teammates with quality passes is not what should be called selfish. He's magnificent and a complete football player, and most of all, he's a true footballing icon and the one that can never be forgotten. A true legend.