Portugal's Greatest All-Time 23-member Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

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European Champion 2016

This is my all-time team for Portugal. If there were an All-Time World Cup, this would be the 23 players I would bring to the tournament.  

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Benfica, Porto, Sporting SP
Black Portuguese Players

Portugal has been blessed with two remarkable Golden Generations in their football history. The first emerged in the 1960s and earned the nickname "Os Magriços." They made a lasting impression by defeating Brazil and reaching the semifinals of the 1966 World Cup, where they were eventually eliminated by the eventual champions, England. This team was widely regarded as one of the most exciting and skillful squads of the tournament. Simultaneously, Benfica dominated European club football with legendary players such as Eusébio, Mário Coluna, Germano, José Augusto, and José Águas.

The second Golden Generation emerged in the 1990s, highlighted by their Under-20 team winning consecutive FIFA World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991. This success laid the foundation for their senior team's achievements. They reached the final of Euro 2004 and the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup, showcasing their talent and potential. Key players during this period included Victor Baía, Rui Costa, Luís Figo, and Fernando Couto, who played pivotal roles in their team's success.

Following this generation, Cristiano Ronaldo took the lead and guided Portugal to the semifinals of Euro 2012, displaying his exceptional skills and leadership. In a surprising turn of events, Portugal emerged as the victors of the Euro 2016 Championship, defying expectations and capturing the title.

Overall, Portugal has experienced two memorable Golden Generations, each leaving a lasting impact on the nation's football history.

Portugal World Cup 1966

Team
GK: Vitor Baia
Vitor Baia was Portugal's most decorated keeper. He was one of two keepers who had won all three UEFA main club competitions.  With Porto, he won 26 titles, including the Champions League in 2004.  He played briefly with Barcelona. For Portugal, he had 80 caps between 1990 and 2002.  He played in the Euro 1996 and 2000, and the World Cup finals in 2002.

GK: Manuel Bento
Bento won Portugal Goalkeeper of the Year for 8 times.  He represented Portugal at the European Championship in 1984 and the 1986 World Cup Finals, helping the national team reach the semifinals in the former tournament. He earned 63 caps between 1976 and 1986.  He played over 630 appearances for Benfica between 1972 and 1992. 

GK:  Costa Pereira 
Costa Pereira was the goalkeeper for both Benfica and Portugal during the golden years in the 1960's.  He played for Benfica between 1954 and 1967.  He won two consecutive European Cup with them in 1961 and 1962, with Mario Coluna, Eusebio, etc and lost two other finals in 1963 and 1965. Capped 22 times between 1955 and 1965.  He was not selected for the 1966 World Cup Finals.

RB: Joao Pinto
Bobby Robson said of him: "He has two hearts and four legs. It's extremely difficult to find a player like him."  He won the European Cup in 1987 with Porto.  He was one of Porto's greatest fullback.  He spent his entire professional career with Porto, winning nine leagues and the 1987 European Cup. He played 70 times for Portugal and was their captain 42 times. He went to the 1986 World Cup Finals as well as the European Championship in 1984.

Joao Pinto 

CB: Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho was the hero of Porto's Champions' League winning team in 2004.  He then played 6 seasons with Chelsea.  He also played for Real Madrid.  Jose Mourinho was his manager at the three clubs. He also played for Monaco and Shanghai SIPG. He was capped 76 times for Portugal. He helped Portugal to reach the Final of Euro 2004 at home and the semifinal of the World Cup Finals in 2006. He was a part of Portugal's Euro 2016 winning team.

CB: Humberto Coelho
Humberto Coelho was Portugal's cap record holder at one point.  He was known as the "Beckenbauer of Portugal".  He played with Benfica between 1968 and 1975 after making his debut as 18 years old.  He played Paris St. Germain between 1975 and 1977.  He also played in the United States. He play 64 times for Portugal.  He helped Portugal to qualify for the Euro 1984 in France, but he did not go due to an injury. He never appeared in a major tournament.

CB: Germano
Germano is probably one pf Portugal's greatest defensive players.  He was the captain for both Portugal and Benfica during the 1960's.  He played most of his career with Benfica, appearing in 131 official games and winning eight major titles, including two European Cups.  He went to the World Cup finals in 1966, but did not play well and lost his captaincy.

CB: Pepe
Pepe moved to Portugal playing for Maritimo.  In 2004, he moved to Porto while he established himself as one of the best defender in Portugal.  In 2007, he earned a dream move to Real Madrid.  He won two Champions' league with them. Although born in Brazil, he chose to represent Portugal.  At Euro 2016, he emerged as one of Portugal's best player as Portugal won their first ever international trophy.  He earned the Man of the Match in the Final against France.

Pepe

CB:  Fernando Couto
Fernando Couto won the Double in every leagues he played in and in three different countries.  He started with Porto, and went to play in Spain and Italy. He was a member of Portugal's Golden Generation that won won the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship. He earned 110 caps for the senior national team. He went to the 2002 World Cup Finals, and three other European Championships.

LB: Hilario
Hilario was first noticed at Sporting de Lourenço Marques along with teammate Eusébio.  He joined Sporting CP while Eusebio went to Benfica. He played his entire professional career with Sporting CP, appearing in nearly 450 official games and winning seven major trophies.  He was the starting leftback of Portugal in 1960's.   He went to the 1966 World Cup finals in England.

LB: Alvaro 
Alvaro amassed Primeira Liga totals of 224 games and six goals over the course of 11 seasons, mainly with Benfica with which he spent nine seasons, winning ten major titles. At the international level, he had 20 caps between 1981 and 1988. He was Portugal's starting leftback for the 1984 European Championship in France, where Portugal reached the semifinal.  He also played in World Cup 1986 in Mexico.

CM: Mario Coluna
Mario Coluna is one of the greatest player ever for both Portugal and Benfica. He spent most of his career with Benfica, appearing in 525 official games and scoring 127 goals during 16 professional seasons. He was dubbed Monstro Sagrado (Sacred Monster).  He won 19 major titles with his main club, including ten national leagues. He won two European Cup with Benfica in 1961 and 1962.  He was the captain of Portugal in the 1966 World Cup. He was known to be Eusebio's greatest footballing partner and friend.

Mario Coluna 

CM: Paulo Sousa
Paulo Sousa won two straight Champions League titles with two different clubs.  He won his first one in 1995 with Juventus  and then, in 1996 with Borussia Dortmund. He was a member of Portugal's Golden Generation that won won the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship.  He appeared with the national team in one World Cup and two European Championships.

CM: Deco
Born in Brazil, he played for many clubs in both Brazil and Portugal before making it with Porto in 1999.  He was the star of Porto's Champions' League title in 2003-2004, and then, another one in 2005-2006 with Barcelona FC. Deco chose to represent Portugal internationally. He was capped 75 times for Portugal between 2003 and 2010. 
  
AM: Rui Costa
Rui Costa was one of the best players in the 1990's Portugal's Golden Generation. He was a part of the team that won the 1991 U-20 World Cup.  He starred for Benfica, Florentina and AC Milan. He won a Champions' League title with AC Milan in the 2003-2004 season.  He earned 94 caps fpr Portugal.  He represented the country in three UEFA European Championships and one FIFA World Cup. He led Portugal to the Final of European Championship at home, scoring a screamer against England.

Rui Costa

AM: José Travassos 
José Travassos was one of the first Portuguese players to earn international recognition. He scored against England while playing for a FIFA all-star team.  He was dubbed as "Europe's Joe" by the English press. He was also a member of Sporting CP's attacking line dubbed Cinco Violinos (Five Violins) of the late 1940's. He played 35 times for Portugal between 1947 and 1958.

RW: Jose Augusto
Jose Augusto was a part of  Benfica and Portugal's Golden Generation in the 1960s. He served as the right winger playing with Eusebio, Mario Coluna, etc. He started with  Barreirense.  He spent most of his career with Benfica where he won two European Cup titles and reached 3 other Finals in the 1960's.  He won 13 titles over there. He earned 45 caps between 1958 and 1968. He starred at the World Cup Finals 1966 with Portugal.

RW: Luis Figo
Figo is one of Portugal's greatest players.  He was the 2000 European Footballer of the Year and the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year. He is one of the few football players to have played for both Spanish rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. His controversial 2000 transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid set a world record fee of €62 million.  With Real Madrid, he was the first member of the Galacticos. He won the Champions' League title in 2002.

Luis Figo

LW:  Paulo Futre
Paulo Futre won a European Cup with Porto in 1987. He was the best Portuguese player in the 1980's. He gained more than 40 caps for his country, representing it at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.  He played in Spain, France, Italy and Japan, most notably with Atlético Madrid and Porto.  With Porto, he won the European Cup in 1987, putting on a Man of the match performance in the final against FC Bayern Munich.

FW: Pinga
Liked Cristano Ronaldo, Pinga came from Madeira.  He was one of the first major star players from Portugal and Porto during the 1930's.  He started with Martimo in 1929.  He joined Porto in 1930 and played until 1946. He is considered to be among Porto's greatest players.  He became the key player of the victories in the 31–32 and 36–37 Campeonato de Portugal.  For Portugal, he made his debut while playing for Martimo. He had 21 caps from 1930 and 1942.

FW/LW: Cristano Ronaldo
Cristano Ronaldo is one of the greatest player in history.  He is the most expensive players in history from 2009-2013 when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid.  At the time of writing, he won the Ballon d'Or winner four times and won Champions' League titles with both Manchester United and Real Madrid.  He helped Portugal to reach the Final of European Championship in 2004 and 2016, winning it in 2016.  After the World Cup Finals in 2018, he moved to Juventus in Italy.

Ronaldo

ST: Fernando Peyroteo
Fernando Peyroteo was born in Portuguese Angola. He played his entire career with Sporting CP, between 1937 and 1949, scoring 544 goals for them.  He was the star of the forward line known as  Cinco Violino(Five Violins).  He was the league top scorer 6 times.  His goals-per-game ratio was arguably the best in the history of football, at 1.6 successful strikes per game. He played 20 times for Portugal during nearly 11 years between 1938 and 1949, scoring 14 goals.

ST: Eusebio 
Along with Pele, Eusebio was considered to be the best player in the world during the 1960's.  He helped Portugal reach third place at the 1966 World Cup, being the top goalscorer of the tournament with 9 goals (including four in one match against North Korea) and received the Bronze Ball award. He won the Ballon d'Or award for European footballer of the year in 1965. He played for Benfica 15 out of his 22 years as a footballer.  He won the European Cup in 1961.

Eusebio 

Honorable Mention 
Artur Correia, José Travassos, Jose Aguas, Vicente Lucas, Fernando Chalana, Nene, Matateu, António Simões, Nani, Jose Pereira, Frederico Barrigana, Danilo Pereira, Vítor Damas, Rui Patrício, Simão Sabrosa, João Vieira Pinto, Maniche, Nuno Gomes, Pauleta, Ricardo (goalkeeper), Nuno Gomes, Ricardo Quaresma, Domiciano Cavém, Paulo Ferreira, Jorge Costa, Fernando Gomes, Antonio Oliveira, Jose Fonte, Bruno Alves, Augustio Inaico, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, João Moutinho, Pauleta, João Cancelo, António Veloso, Jose Bosingawa, Miguel Monteiro, Raphael Guerreiro, Jordao, Augusto Silva, Rogerio Pipi.

Squad Explanation  

-- The original team was created in 2014. Between 2021 and April, 2022, I worked on this team many times. I edited a few things and expanded this "explanation" section.

-- Eusebio, Mario Coluna, Cristano Ronaldo and Luis Figo were the greatest players ever from Portugal.  They were automatic selections. No need to explain their selections.  Additionally, Fernando Peyroteo's remarkable abilities place him in close contention for an undisputed position among the country's football elite.
-- Portugal is a smaller country.  So I focused a lot on their two Golden Generations of Portugal, the 1960's and the period between 1994 and 2006.  Of course, I studied the Euro 2016 winning team. 
-- Portugal's football prominence began to take shape in the early 1960s, coinciding with Benfica's impressive back-to-back victories in the European Cup. This success laid the foundation for the national team's remarkable journey when they captured the world's attention by reaching the semifinals of the 1966 World Cup Finals. From the 1960s era, I have chosen a talented lineup that includes Costa Pereira, Eusébio, Mário Coluna, Hilário, Germano, and José Augusto. While Costa Pereira did not participate in the 1966 World Cup Finals, as Portugal opted for Joaquim Carvalho and José Pereira as their goalkeepers, I have still selected Costa Pereira for this all-time team. This decision is based on his decade-long tenure as the starting goalkeeper for both Portugal and Benfica.

-- Portugal reached the semifinal of Euro 1984, and came incredibly close to upsetting the eventual champions and host nation, France, in a thrilling encounter.  It is clear that this team was underrepresented. Goalkeeper Manuel Bento and Alvaro were the only two players presented here. Nene, Jordao and Chalana were some of the star players from that team.

Euro 1984 

-- Portugal's consecutive victories in the World Youth Championship in 1989 and 1991 marked the beginning of what would later be recognized as a Golden Generation. Paulo Sousa and Fernando Couto were on the 1989 team while Luis Figo and Rui Costa came from the 1991 team.  Thus, four players selected here were part of those memorable tournaments.  Most of the other players did not have much of a career with the senior national team.  João Vieira Pinto, Jorge Costa and Abel Xavier were one of the few players who played numerous times for Portugal's senior side. It is worth noting that Emílio Peixe, who won the Golden Ball in 1991, had a limited number of senior caps, earning only 12 throughout his career. His last appearance for the national team occurred when he was just 20 years old.  From 1994 to 2006, Portugal had several notable achievements, including reaching the final of Euro 2004 and the semifinals of Euro 2000 and the 2006 World Cup Finals. I have selected a group of distinguished players who contributed significantly during this period, namely Vítor Baía, Rui Costa, Luís Figo, Ricardo Carvalho, Fernando Couto, Paulo Sousa, and Deco. Additionally, Cristiano Ronaldo, although very young in 2006, participated in both the Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup Finals. 

-- The crowning moment for Portuguese football came with their triumph at the 2016 European Championship, but that team was underrepresented here. I only took Cristano Ronaldo, Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho. Ricardo Carvalho, although playing a minor role at Euro 2016, was selected for his overall contributions throughout his career.  Ricardo Quaresma, Nani and Rui Patrício became honourable mentions after helping Portugal to win the Euro 2016. Both Ricardo Quaresma and Nani entered Euro 2016 with some doubts surrounding their reputations, but their contributions on the field were crucial for Portugal's success. The trophy was so historical significant for Portugal that they deserved a place somewhere. 

-- Two players Pepe and Deco were born in Brazil.  Both came to Portugal as footballers, but they spent limited time playing professional football in Brazil.

Goalkeepers

-- Vítor Baía is widely regarded as one of Portugal's best-ever goalkeepers, and his inclusion in the lineup is well-founded. Baía's remarkable achievements, such as winning the Best European Goalkeeper award in 2004 and being named Portugal's Footballer of the Year in 1989 and 1991, highlight his individual excellence.

-- Costa Pereira and Manuel Bento also merit inclusion. Manuel Bento's determination and resilience were evident when he played with a broken foot in the 1986 World Cup Finals and represented Portugal in Euro 1984. Costa Pereira's accomplishments, including winning two consecutive European Cups with Benfica in 1961 and 1962, along with reaching two finals in 1963 and 1965, contribute to his significance. It is worth noting that Costa Pereira was unfortunately overlooked for the 1966 World Cup Finals, despite his remarkable performances.

-- Ricardo's memorable penalty shootout performance against England in Euro 2004 adds weight to his selection.  Rui Patrício, the hero of the 2016 European Championship, also deserves recognition for his crucial contributions during that historic campaign. I also looked into Jose Pereira, Frederico Barrigana and Vitor Damas.

Defenders

-- To the old timers, Humberto Coelho was their greatest defender alongside Germano.  Coelho received 60 caps, a record at the time. Germano did not have a good World Cup Finals in 1966.  He was benched after a poor showing in the first round against Bulgaria. Nevertheless, he had a remarkable career with Benfica. Ricardo Carvalho had a distinguished club career with Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid, but I left off his Porto teammate Jorge Costa. Then, I selected Fernando Couto who was also an undisputed choices due to his club career in Italy.  He won a Double in every country he played in. They kept Alvaro Cardoso and Vicente Lucas off the team.

-- Ricardo Carvalho made the Team of the Tournament for Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup Finals.  The two tournaments were Portugal's greatest achievements between the 1966 World Cup Finals and 2016 European Championship. 

Ricardo Carvalho

-- Artur Correia was originally on the squad, but I dropped the rightback for Pepe after Euro 2016.  Pepe had been sensational throughout Euro 2016.  He was perhaps the best Portuguese player in the Finals as Portugal won their first major international tournament. He now holds the record of caps for a Portuguese defender. After his selection, this team had 5 central defenders. In 2022, I thought about dropping one, but which one? I was also carrying a single rightback and Portugal had so many great rightbacks.  This was the main dilemma on this team when I did the review in April, 2022.

-- In 2021, Ruben Dias was also named FWA Footballer of the Year. At the time of writing, he is only 24 years old.  I would look into his career later when he reached his peak.

-- Bobby Robson was a big fan of fullback Joao Pinto and I trusted his opinion.  He said this about him: "He has two hearts and four legs. It's extremely difficult to find a player like him." I took Joao Pinto over Artur and Domiciano Cavém. Artur had some injury issues while Domiciano Cavém's missing from the 1966 World Cup team affected his status.  Jose Bosingawa, Miguel Monteiro, Paulo Ferreira and António Veloso also deserved a mention. 

-- In 2022, I also added rightback João Cancelo to honorable mention.  He was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for the 2020-2021 season.  He also made Serie A Team of the Year twice.  Let's see where he ends up at the end of his career.

-- On the left side, Alvaro and Hilario were very obvious choices. Auguesto Inacio was also mentioned frequently.  Raphael Guerreiro also made honorable mention. He made the Euro 2016 Team of the Tournament.

-- In the 1950's, Hilario came to Portugal from the Sporting de Lourenco Marques in Mozambique with Eusebio. He joined Sporting CP while Eusebio joined city rivals S.L. Benfica.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- Mario Coluna was considered one of the best midfielders of his generation, also being viewed as one of the most talented Portuguese players of all time.  During his 16 years with Benfica, Coluna played in 525 games and amassed 10 Primeira Liga titles, 7 cups, and 2 European Cups, breaking Real Madrid's dominance in the last tournament.  One of the European Cups was won before Eusebio joined Benfica.

-- Paulo Sousa's surprising inclusion filled the need for a defensive midfielder. Mario Coluna's role as a box-to-box midfielder added versatility to the team. Considering Maniche's potential addition, decisions on player exclusions arise, given his similar box-to-box profile. In 2021, I considered Bruno Fernandes, but he was also a box-to-box midfielder. Similarly, Bernardo Silva shows promise and will be an intriguing prospect. Silva's ability to play as a central midfielder and compete with attacking midfielders and wingers complicates his inclusion.

 Paulo Sousa 

-- Paulo Sousa won back-to-back Champions' League in 1996 and 1997 with two different clubs, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.  He started in both finals. In the 1997 Final, his club Borussia Dortmund beat defending champion and his former club Juventus in the Final.

--  Deco and Rui Costa, two legendary attack midfielders of their time, showcased their immense talent throughout their club careers. Deco's achievements include being the first player to win the UEFA Best Midfielder Award with two clubs, Porto and Barcelona, as well as winning the Champions League with both teams. He was also awarded the Ballon d'Or Silver Ball in 2004. Rui Costa made significant contributions to Portugal, earning spots in the Team of the Tournament for Euro 1996 and 2000, and playing a pivotal role in Euro 2004. He was honored with inductions into the AC Milan Hall of Flame and the Fiorentina All-time XI. Additionally, José Travassos, who played alongside Fernando Peyroteo at Porto, holds the distinction of being the first Portuguese player to participate in a FIFA All-Star game. With 35 caps, he became Portugal's appearance leader at the time on his 26th cap.  João Moutinho is the second most capped player for Portugal, but he is not going to beat out the three players I just mentioned. 

-- On the right, Jose Augusto and Luis Figo stood out.  Figo, of course, won the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2000 Ballon d’Or. No other right-side attackers came close to the pair.  Ricardo Quaresma made honorable mention.

-- Ricardo Quaresma was often portrayed as a bust.  He was unfairly being compared with Cristano Ronaldo who came from Sporting CP academy around the same time and was considered less talented of the two.  However, Quaresma redempted himself for Portugal when he was an important player as Portugal won the Euro 2016.  For the same reason, Nani also got into honorable mention.  His club career at the highest level was also just fair.

-- Paulo Futre was the best Portuguese player between the two Golden Generations.  His selection was based upon his club career.  With Porto, he won the European Cup in 1987 by beating Bayern Munich. He was also an all-time great with Atletico Madrid.

Paulo Futre 

-- Since I already have Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Futre as left-sided players, there was no need for Fernando Chalana and António Simões. However, both players undoubtedly deserved a chance. Chalana played a crucial role as Portugal reached the semi-finals of Euro 1984, pushing the eventual winner, France, to their limits. Unfortunately, injuries hindered his career after 1984. He is often regarded as one of the top 10 players in Portugal's history and can be considered the best player not included in this team. Meanwhile, António Simões shone for Benfica during the 1960s.

Forwards

-- Eusébio and Cristiano Ronaldo are iconic figures who require no introduction. Moreover, the presence of Fernando Peyroteo and Pinga in Portugal's lineup makes it nearly impossible to consider any other players. The statistics achieved by Peyroteo and Ronaldo are truly remarkable, etching their names in the annals of football history.

-- Cristano Ronaldo is the all-time highest international goalscorer. as well as the highest goal scorers of all-time. He is also the most capped UEFA player.  He is probably the greatest ever Portuguese player.

-- Eusébio's immense impact on Portuguese football is undeniable. He was recognized as the ninth-best footballer of the 20th century by the IFFHS and the tenth-best footballer by World Soccer magazine. His pivotal role in the 1966 World Cup is particularly noteworthy, as Portugal might not have advanced past North Korea without his contributions. The journey to the semi-finals of the tournament transformed Portugal's football history and how it is perceived on the global stage. Eusébio's influence on the team's success cannot be understated.

-- Pinga was also considered one of the greatest players in the pre-War era.  He helped Porto to win their first league title.  Fernando Peyroteo emerged around the time when Pinga was ready to retire.  They played together for Portugal.  Fernando Peyroteo quickly took the barton from Pinga as Portugal's greatest.

-- Fernando Peyroteo has established himself as the greatest scorer football has ever seen. He scored 331 times in just 197 games for Sporting, giving him a goal-to-game ratio of 1.68, the highest in football history.    

Fernando Peyroteo

-- In 2014, when I initially formed my team, I made the surprising decision to include José Águas over Nené and Fernando Gomes. Águas, known for his association with Benfica in the 1960s, boasted an impressive record of 379 goals in 384 games during his 13-year tenure with the club. His name resonated with football fans worldwide. However, in 2022, I reconsidered my choice and opted to drop Águas. Instead, I explored the options of Artur Correia, Nené, Fernando Chalana, and ultimately selected José Travassos, as he was the most renowned player not included in the 2014 team. Furthermore, I determined that Fernando Gomes deserved to be ahead of José Águas in the updated lineup.

-- Matateu probably should be on the team.  He was an all-timer with Belenenses.  He played professional football until after 50 years old. He was a top European player at his time.  However, he never won a league title in Portugal. Pauleta is Portugal's second all-time leading scorer.  That was why he made honorable mention, but he would not get into this team because of the names mentioned above.

European Nations League  2019

Starting lineup 

Formation: 4-2-1-3

The starting lineup is built around the two Golden Generations with Cristano Ronaldo. Victor Baia is the starter because he is the more decorated than the other keepers. I start Deco as one of the central midfielders.  So no one protects the midfield. Mario Coluna is the box-to-box mdfielder/runner on the team.  Rui Costa is the main creative force. The big three played upfront.  Ronaldo played as a left wing/forward, Eusebio the striker and Figo the right wing. In 2019, I promoted Pepe to the starting lineup.  His performance at Euro 2016 put him among the greatest ever performance in a tournament for a defender.