The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras (however, many recent games have been played at the Estádio da Luz), and their most recent head coach is Fernando Santos. Their first World Cup appearance, in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, saw them reach the semi-finals, losing 2–1 at Wembley to the eventual world champions, England, and defeating the Soviet Union 2–1 to claim a third-place finish. The next two times Portugal qualified for the World Cup were 1986 and 2002, going out in the first round both times. In the 1986 tournament, players went on strike over prize money and refused to train between their first and second games.
In 2003, the Portuguese Football Federation hired Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Portugal to the final of UEFA Euro 2004, a tournament hosted in Portugal, where they lost to Greece, and to their second World Cup semi-final in the 2006 World Cup finishing fourth place. Scolari left after Euro 2008 and was replaced by Carlos Queiroz. He led Portugal to the second round of the 2010 World Cup before they were defeated by the eventual champions Spain. Because of poor results in the games that would follow, Queiroz was fired and replaced by Paulo Bento, who led the national team to the semi-finals of Euro 2012, where they were defeated by eventual champions Spain in the penalty shootout after a 0–0 result during regular and extra time.
→ A Seleção
Portugal National Football Team Nickname
→ A Seleção das Quinas (National Team of the "Quinas")
In 2003, the Portuguese Football Federation hired Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Portugal to the final of UEFA Euro 2004, a tournament hosted in Portugal, where they lost to Greece, and to their second World Cup semi-final in the 2006 World Cup finishing fourth place. Scolari left after Euro 2008 and was replaced by Carlos Queiroz. He led Portugal to the second round of the 2010 World Cup before they were defeated by the eventual champions Spain. Because of poor results in the games that would follow, Queiroz was fired and replaced by Paulo Bento, who led the national team to the semi-finals of Euro 2012, where they were defeated by eventual champions Spain in the penalty shootout after a 0–0 result during regular and extra time.