Portugal has previously been a country that is more known for its gorgeous scenery, hot climate and sandy beaches than for its sporting prowess in the past! However, recent football results have largely dispelled that image and more and more people have began to look at the country in a different light. That is not to say that Portugal is not a fantastically beautiful country because it is. It is still a spot for holidaymakers and enjoys some of the grandest cultural heritage in the world. With a proud adventuring background, Portugal today has a population of just fewer than 11 million, the majority of which live in the capital of Lisbon. The people commonly speak Portuguese and come under European Union guidelines, using the Euro as the major currency. In recent years, the country has experienced more sporting success than ever in its history.

The Portugal national football team has really made an impact on the world stage in recent years. Ranked 8th in the FIFA World Rankings at the moment, the highest and lowest rankings came within three years of each other and sparked an upturn in Portuguese fortunes. The lowest came in August 1999 when they sat at 43rd, with the high of 4th coming in March 2001.

Still a fairly young footballing nation in terms of appearances on a national stage, Portugal has only played in the World Cup four times, beginning in 1966, which was the year in which they placed highest in 3rd place. They have played in the World Cup a subsequent three times. However, they did not debut in the European Championship until 1984. They have played in the European Championship four times in total, with their best finish being 2nd in 2004.

The Portuguese Liga is relatively unknown on the world stage but has been in existence since 1934. 16 teams participate every season (reduced from 18 in 2006) with the big three clubs being Benfica, Porto Lisbon and Sporting C.P. In full the league is known as the Campeonato Nacional da Primeira Liga, but it is often shortened to simply Pimeira Liga. The big three clubs are so dominating that the other clubs involved barely get a look in, which is porbably why the Cup of Portugal, or the Taca de Portugal, is so popular. The cup competition has always attracted big crowds right from the inaugural cup in 1912. All clubs are allowed to participate in the cup compeition and, depsite the fact that the big three also dominate that evry year this excites the fans far more than the cut and dried league competition.