The greatest Portuguese footballers of all time

It may only be a small nation, but Portugal has produced some of the most talented and iconic footballers the world has ever seen.

Who were and are the best Portuguese football players ever, and what did their career look like? Read on and discover for yourself.

Without a doubt Portugal's greatest football player ever, Cristiano Ronaldo is a true legend. He is the most-capped Portuguese player of all time and guided his country to European glory in 2016. At club level, he amazed the world at Real Madrid, scoring no less than 451 goals for Los Merengues. Boasting an impressive trophy cabinet, Ronaldo is also a five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

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Eusébio is regarded one of Portugal's football greats. 'The Black Panther' and 1965 Ballon d'Or winner helped his country to reach third place at the 1966 FIFA World Cup and scored 733 goals for Benfica, making him the club's all-time top scorer.

In his prime, Luís Figo was one of the best players in the world. The 127-time Portuguese international excelled at FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, while also serving his country for many years and winning the 2002 Ballon d'Or.

A player with incredible technical skills, Ricardo Quaresma played for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, FC Porto, Internazionale and Chelsea, amongst other clubs. The winger represented his country on 80 occasions, scoring 10 goals.

A midfielder as gracious as they come, Rui Costa was one of the best footballers of his generation, with a successful five-year spell at AC Milan.

Deco was a midfielder of exceptional quality, who first presented himself to the world in José Mourinho's trophy-winning FC Porto side. The Brazil-born earned himself at transfer to FC Barcelona, where he would go on to bag countless trophies, while also being a key regular in the Portuguese national team.

A Real Madrid legend, winning three Champions Leagues with Los Merengues, Pepe was a tough defender who is not afraid to cross the line when needed. After a recent spell at FC Porto, the 133-cap defender (eight goals) hung up his boots after the conclusion of Euro 2024 at the age of 41.

Just like Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani is a Sporting CP academy product who made a name for himself at Manchester United and won countless prizes at Old Trafford. The winger was also a part of Portugal's 2016 Euro winning team.

The only goalkeeper in this list, Vito Baía passed through FC Porto and FC Barcelona. With the Portuguese side, he won the UEFA Cup and the Champions League.

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Considered a legend of Benfica, Mario Coluna not only won ten league titles with the Eagles, but also two European Cups and six Portuguese Cups. At the 1966 FIFA World Cup, he captained Portugal to a historical third place.

FC Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, AS Monaco... Ricardo Carvalho played for some big clubs throughout his career, celebrating domestic and European successes. His biggest feat probably came in the 2003-04 season, when he surprised the whole of Europe by winning the Champions League with FC Porto.

544. That's the impressive number of goals that makes Fernando Peyroteo Sporting CP's leading all-time top scorer. The striker was as deadly as they come, scoring 14 goals in 20 games for Portugal. On the picture above, we see Peyroteo (in the black coat) as a manager of Portugal.

Bernardo Silva is one of Portugal’s most gifted playmakers. A key figure for Manchester City since joining in 2017, Bernardo has won multiple Premier League titles and played a pivotal role in the club’s historic treble-winning season in 2023, which included their first Champions League triumph.

With his great technique, Paulo Futre was possibly one of the most gifted players Portugal ever produced. The winger impressed at Atlético Madrid and FC Porto, winning the 1987 European Cup with the latter club.

A striker as clinical as they come, Pauleta scored 109 goals for Paris Saint-Germain, while finding the back of the net on 47 occasions for Portugal. An impressive figure for the 88-time Portuguese international.

Scoring most of his goals for Benfica, Nuno Gomes was a driving force behind many of the Portuguese club's successes at the end of the 90s and the first decade of this millennium.

Playing at top level for many years, João Moutinho deserves to be in this list. The technically gifted midfielder forced a breakthrough at Sporting CP, before heading to FC Porto and AS Monaco. Currently playing for SC Braga, Moutinho won 146 caps for Portugal so far.

Another Benfica legend, Nené (front row, left) was one of the best strikers in the club's history, scoring 262 goals for the Eagles. His trophy cabinet is impressive, with ten league titles and seven Portuguese Cups.

With amazing dribbling and technical skills, Fernando Chalana was a spectacle to watch. The winger amassed trophies with Benfica and Girondins Bordeaux, winning six league titles with the first club.

A winger with heaps of talent, Simão Sabrosa played for big clubs, such as Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and FC Porto. He was known for his dribbling skills, and collected 85 caps for Portugal.

Scoring 219 goals in the Portuguese league, there is no doubt about what Matateu's biggest quality was. The striker made a name for himself at Belenenses, where he became Portugal's top scorer on two occasions.

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With spells at several European top clubs, Fernando Couto was one of Portugal's best defenders ever. The 110-time international enjoyed a highly successful career, winning 22 trophies.