{"id":4203,"date":"2023-12-08T16:46:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T16:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.football-stadiums.co.uk\/?post_type=countries&p=4203"},"modified":"2024-03-04T14:45:38","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T14:45:38","slug":"portugal","status":"publish","type":"countries","link":"https:\/\/www.football-stadiums.co.uk\/grounds\/portugal\/","title":{"rendered":"Portuguese Football Stadiums"},"content":{"rendered":"
In footballing terms modern-day Portugal are an odd country. They should theoretically offer the flair and excitement of their Iberian neighbours Spain, but instead tend to be more industrious and organised like a less talented version of a German side.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the 2016 European Championship victory that gave the Sele\u00e7\u00e3o their first major trophy was achieved with just one victory within normal time, which didn\u2019t occur until the semi-final stage.<\/p>\n
That industrial style of football is a far cry from the more exciting game played by Portugal teams of the past. In 1966 Portugal reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, with Eus\u00e9bio making himself a household name by finishing the tournament as the top-scorer. He scored nine goals in total, including one in the semi-final match that Portugal lost to eventual champions England.<\/p>\n
From 1994 until 2006 the so called \u2018Golden Generation\u2019 of Portuguese football also lit up the international stage with a thrilling style of football more common with Mediterranean teams.<\/p>\n
On a domestic front Portuguese football is dominated by three teams. Known as \u2018The Big Three\u2019, the Primeira Liga has been won by one of Sporting Lisbon, Porto or Benfica on every single occasion since its inception with the exception of 1945-1946 when Belenenses won it and 2000-2001 when Boavista were victorious.<\/p>\n
If that suggests a lack of competitiveness then it\u2019s because the Portuguese league isn\u2019t very competitive. As well as the league continually being won by one of The Big Three, one of the other big three teams has also finished second every year apart from on three occasions. The lack of diversity at the top of the Portuguese footballing pyramid might also explain why Portuguese clubs have struggled in Europe over the years.<\/p>\n
The UEFA Champions League, previously known as the European Cup before it was rebranded, has been won by Portuguese sides just four times, whilst the UEFA Cup, now known as the UEFA Europa League, has gone to a team from Portugal twice. Between them, The Big Three have won the UEFA Cup Winners\u2019 Cup, the UEFA Intertoto Cup and the UEFA Super Cup just once for each competition. The Intercontinental Cup has been won by a Portuguese team twice.<\/p>\n