Portugal National Football Game

The Portuguese national football team represents Portugal in international association football and is governed by the Portuguese Football Federation. Their first appearance in the 1966 FIFA World Cup saw them reach the semifinal, losing 2–1 at Wembley to the eventual world champions England. The next two times Portugal qualified for the World Cup were 1986 and 2002, with Portugal 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 decided to hire Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian who had led the Brazil national football team to win the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Scolari led Portugal to the final of UEFA Euro 2004, where they lost to Greece, and to their second World Cup semi-final in the 2006 World Cup. Scolari left after the UEFA 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.

World Cup 2010 Portugal participated in the qualifying stages with manager Carlos Queiroz for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which took place in South Africa. The team had a qualifying campaign that almost turned disastrous and just sneaked into second place by a single point over Sweden, a group where Denmark finished first, one point ahead from Portugal. Portugal was drawn to play against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European zone play-offs.

With two wins (1–0 in the first leg, in Lisbon; and 1–0, in Zenica), the team gained its right to participate in the World Cup. Having qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Selecção das Quinas had its most successful decade to date, having qualified for all the the World Cups and Euro Cups (Euro 2000, World Cup 2002, Euro 2004, World Cup 2006, Euro 2008, and World Cup 2010), along with Spain, Italy, Germany, and France, the only other four teams to have done so.

Portuguese players celebrating a goal against North Korea on 21 June 2010 In the final draw, on 4 December 2009, Portugal was drawn in one of the toughest groups, the so called Group of Death where the Selecção das Quinas faced 5-time champions Brazil, Africa's top contenders Côte d'Ivoire and 1966 opponents North Korea. Portugal faced Côte d'Ivoire in their opening match on 15 June 2010 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth and the game ended in a goalless draw.

Their next match was against North Korea on 21 June 2010 at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town in which Portugal won by 7–0. Their last match in the group stage against Brazil on 25 June 2010 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban ended in a goalless 0–0 while both teams advanced to the knockout stage. Portugal was on a 19 match undefeated streak, conceding only 3 goals.