Portugal national under-21 football team

National association football team

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Portugal Under-21Nickname(s)| Esperanças (Hopes)

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Association| Federação Portuguesa
de Futebol
Head coach| Rui Jorge
Captain| Henrique Araújo
Most caps| Manuel Fernandes (30)
Top scorer| Hugo Almeida (16)

First colours

Second colours

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First international
Portugal 3–1 South Africa
(Lisbon, Portugal; 16 November 1958)
Biggest win
Portugal 11–0 Liechtenstein
(Vizela, Portugal; 7 October 2021)

Biggest defeat
Italy 6–0 Portugal
Piacenza, Italy; 2 December 1987

Records for competitive
matches only.

UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances| 10 (first in 1994)
Best result| Runners-up (1994, 2015, 2021)

The Portugal national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Portugal and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). They are nicknamed "Esperanças." Esperança means hope, thus they are Portugal's hopes for the future.

Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, the Portuguese under-21 team was formed. Until 1994, the team had a rather poor record, failing to qualify for each of the first eight UEFA under-21 Championships. Since 1994, the team has improved its record greatly, qualifying for five of the next seven tournaments, including the 2006 finals.

Having qualified for the 2006 tournament finals, UEFA announced that Portugal would host the finals in May and June. From 2007 onwards, host nations will be announced before the qualification stage and will not need to qualify.

## Competitive record

[edit]

### UEFA European Under-21 Championship

[edit]

Year  | Round  | Position  | Games  | Won  | Drawn  | Lost  | GF | GA

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1978 | did not qualify
1980
1982 | did not enter
1984 | did not qualify
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994 | Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2
1996 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2
1998 | did not qualify
2000
2002 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4
2004 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 11
2006 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3
2007 | Group stage | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2
2009 | did not qualify
2011
2013
2015 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1
2017 | Group stage |  | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5
2019 | did not qualify
2021 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4
2023 | Quarter-finals |  | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5
Total | Runners-up | 10/24 | 39 | 19 | 8 | 12 | 56 | 39

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.
***Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

## Player records

[edit]

### Top appearances

[edit]

As of 7 July 2023[1]
Rank  | Player  | Club(s)  | Year(s)  | U-21 Caps

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|
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1 | Manuel Fernandes | Benfica, Portsmouth, Everton, Valencia | 2004–2008 | 30
2 | João Pereira | Benfica, Gil Vicente, Braga | 2004–2008 | 28
Ricardo Quaresma | Sporting CP, Barcelona, Porto | 2002–2006
Silvestre Varela | Sporting CP, Casa Pia, Vitória Setúbal | 2004–2007
5 | Fernando Brassard | Marítimo, Gil Vicente, Vitória Guimarães | 1991–1994 | 27
Hugo Almeida | Porto, União Leiria, Boavista, Werder Bremen | 2002–2007
7 | Ednilson | Roma, Benfica | 2000–2003 | 26
Raul Meireles | Aves, Boavista, Porto | 2003–2006
9 | Cândido Costa | Porto, Vitória Setúbal, Derby County | 2000–2004 | 25
Fábio Vieira | Porto, Arsenal | 2019–2023

Note: Club(s) represents the clubs during the player's time in the Under-21s.

### Top goalscorers

[edit]

As of 26 March 2024[2]
Rank  | Player  | Club(s)  | Year(s)  | U-21 Goals

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|
|
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1 | Hugo Almeida | Porto, União Leiria, Boavista, Werder Bremen | 2002–2007 | 16
2 | Fábio Vieira | Porto, Arsenal | 2019–2023 | 14
Gonçalo Ramos | Benfica | 2020–2022
4 | Fábio Silva | Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven, Rangers | 2021– | 12
Hélder Postiga | Porto, Tottenham | 2001–2003
Toni | Porto, Braga | 1992–1994
7 | Henrique Araújo | Benfica, Watford, Famalicão | 2021– | 9
8 | Diogo Gonçalves | Benfica, Nottingham Forest | 2017–2018 | 8
Diogo Jota | Paços Ferreira, Atlético Madrid, Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2015–2018
Paulo Costa | Alverca, Inter Milan, Reggina, Porto | 2000–2002
Rui Fonte | Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Sporting CP, Vitória Setúbal, Espanyol | 2008–2012
Simão Sabrosa | Sporting CP, Barcelona | 1998–2001

Note: Club(s) represents the clubs during the player's time in the Under-21s.

## Players

[edit]

### Current squad

[edit]

Players born on or after 1 January 2002 are eligible for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

The following 23 players were called up for the UEFA Under-21 Euro 2025 qualifying matches against Faroe Islands and Croatia on 21 and 26 March 2024, respectively.[3]

Caps and goals correct as of: 26 March 2024, after the match against  Croatia

No. | Pos. | Player  | Date of birth (age)  | Caps  | Goals  | Club

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1  | 1GK | Samuel Soares |  (2002-06-15) 15 June 2002 (age 22) | 11  | 0  |  Benfica
12  | 1GK | João Carvalho |  (2004-04-09) 9 April 2004 (age 20) | 1  | 0  |  Braga
22  | 1GK | Diogo Pinto |  (2004-06-18) 18 June 2004 (age 20) | 0  | 0  |  Sporting CP

* * *

2  | 2DF | Tomás Esteves |  (2002-04-03) 3 April 2002 (age 22) | 5  | 0  |  Pisa
3  | 2DF | Renato Veiga |  (2003-07-29) 29 July 2003 (age 21) | 7  | 1  |  Chelsea
4  | 2DF | Tomás Araújo |  (2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 22) | 10  | 0  |  Benfica
5  | 2DF | Rafael Rodrigues |  (2002-01-27) 27 January 2002 (age 22) | 8  | 0  |  Benfica
13  | 2DF | Leonardo Buta |  (2002-06-05) 5 June 2002 (age 22) | 3  | 0  |  Gil Vicente
14  | 2DF | Eduardo Quaresma |  (2002-03-02) 2 March 2002 (age 22) | 10  | 0  |  Sporting CP
16  | 2DF | Tiago Santos |  (2002-07-23) 23 July 2002 (age 22) | 4  | 0  |  Lille

* * *

6  | 3MF | Mateus Fernandes |  (2004-07-10) 10 July 2004 (age 20) | 7  | 2  |  Estoril
7  | 3MF | Vasco Sousa |  (2003-04-03) 3 April 2003 (age 21) | 11  | 0  |  Porto
8  | 3MF | Paulo Bernardo (3rd captain) |  (2002-01-24) 24 January 2002 (age 22) | 23  | 7  |  Celtic
15  | 3MF | Bernardo Folha |  (2002-03-23) 23 March 2002 (age 22) | 2  | 0  |  Porto
18  | 3MF | João Marques |  (2002-02-13) 13 February 2002 (age 22) | 5  | 1  |  Estoril
20  | 3MF | Gustavo Sá |  (2004-11-11) 11 November 2004 (age 19) | 1  | 0  |  Famalicão
21  | 3MF | Martim Neto |  (2003-01-14) 14 January 2003 (age 21) | 2  | 0  |  Gil Vicente

* * *

9  | 4FW | Fábio Silva |  (2002-07-19) 19 July 2002 (age 22) | 22  | 12  |  Rangers
10  | 4FW | Pedro Santos |  (2003-02-10) 10 February 2003 (age 21) | 5  | 3  |  Benfica
11  | 4FW | Tiago Tomás |  (2002-06-16) 16 June 2002 (age 22) | 14  | 2  |  VfL Wolfsburg
17  | 4FW | Carlos Forbs |  (2004-03-19) 19 March 2004 (age 20) | 4  | 1  |  Ajax
19  | 4FW | Youssef Chermiti |  (2004-05-24) 24 May 2004 (age 20) | 2  | 1  |  Everton
23  | 4FW | Rodrigo Gomes |  (2003-07-07) 7 July 2003 (age 21) | 6  | 3  |  Estoril

### Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have previously been called up to the under-21 squad and remain eligible for selection.

Pos. | Player  | Date of birth (age)  | Caps  | Goals  | Club  | Latest call-up

|
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GK | Francisco Lemos |  (2002-09-13) 13 September 2002 (age 21) | 0  | 0  |  Atlético CP | v.  Greece, 20 November 2023
GK | Gonçalo Ribeiro |  (2006-01-15) 15 January 2006 (age 18) | 0  | 0  |  Porto | v.  Belarus, 12 September 2023

* * *

DF | Gabriel Brás |  (2004-03-25) 25 March 2004 (age 20) | 0  | 0  |  Porto | v.  Greece, 20 November 2023
DF | Rafael Fernandes |  (2002-06-28) 28 June 2002 (age 22) | 0  | 0  |  Lille | v.  Greece, 20 November 2023 INJ
DF | André Amaro |  (2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 22) | 4  | 0  |  Al-Rayyan | v.  Andorra, 8 September 2023 INJ

* * *

MF | Dário Essugo |  (2005-03-14) 14 March 2005 (age 19) | 3  | 0  |  Chaves | v.  Greece, 17 October 2023
MF | Hugo Félix |  (2004-03-03) 3 March 2004 (age 20) | 1  | 0  |  Benfica | v.  Greece, 17 October 2023
MF | João Neves |  (2004-09-27) 27 September 2004 (age 19) | 6  | 1  |  Benfica | v.  Belarus, 12 September 2023

* * *

FW | Henrique Araújo (Captain) |  (2002-01-19) 19 January 2002 (age 22) | 22  | 9  |  Famalicão | v.  Greece, 20 November 2023
FW | Francisco Conceição (Vice-captain) |  (2002-12-14) 14 December 2002 (age 21) | 23  | 6  |  Porto | v.  Greece, 20 November 2023
FW | Tiago Morais |  (2003-09-03) 3 September 2003 (age 21) | 3  | 0  |  Boavista | v.  Greece, 20 November 2023
FW | Diego Moreira |  (2004-08-06) 6 August 2004 (age 20) | 4  | 0  |  Strasbourg | v.  Belarus, 12 September 2023

* * *

INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
OTH Player withdrew from the squad due to other reasons.

## Head coaches

[edit]

As of 14 November 2017[4]
Manager  | Period  | Record

|
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G |  W |  D |  L |  GF |  GA |  GD |  Win %
José Alberto Costa | –1993  | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 10 | +12  | 066.67
Nelo Vingada | 1994–1996  | 22 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 33 | 14 | +19  | 063.64
Jesualdo Ferreira | 1996–2000  | 33 | 19 | 5 | 9 | 64 | 36 | +28  | 057.58
Agostinho Oliveira | 2000–2002  | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 39 | 21 | +18  | 050.00
Rui Caçador | 2002  | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1  | 066.67
José Romão | 2002–2004  | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 44 | 27 | +17  | 066.67
Rui Caçador | 2004  | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0  | 000.00
Agostinho Oliveira | 2004–2006  | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 9 | +27  | 077.78
José Couceiro | 2006–2007  | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 9 | +13  | 053.85
Rui Caçador | 2007–2009  | 27 | 15 | 4 | 8 | 54 | 22 | +32  | 055.56
Oceano Cruz | 2009–2010  | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 12 | +5  | 050.00
Rui Jorge | 2010–present | 69 | 47 | 14 | 8 | 154 | 54 | +100  | 068.12

Source: [5]

## Honours

[edit]

* UEFA Under-21 European Championship runners-up: 1994, 2015, 2021

## See also

[edit]

* Golden generation

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Jogadores" [Players]. FPF.pt. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
2. ^ "Jogadores" [Players]. FPF.pt. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
3. ^ "Convocados para encontros com as Ilhas Faroé e Croácia" (in Portuguese). Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
4. ^ "Portugal-Suíca" [Portugal - Switzerland]. FPF.pt. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
5. ^ "Portugal-Suíca" [Portugal - Switzerland]. FPF.pt. Retrieved 12 December 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Official site (in Portuguese)
* UEFA Under-21 website Contains full results archive
* The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Contains full record of U-21/U-23 Championships.

* v
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Football in Portugal

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