The regular football season is coming to an end in most countries, and so the focus is slowly shifting to next month: the European Championship 2024 in Germany. The selections of all participating countries will be announced in the coming weeks, something they have until June 7 at the latest. Which 26 players will the national coaches take with them to the final tournament, and who will stay at home? Football zone zooms in on the options that the national coaches of the most important countries have. In this edition: Portugal.

Portugal can be seen as one of the bigger contenders to win the European Championship this summer, provided all the star players are present. It starts in a group with the Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia. The last two major final tournaments for the Southern European country went poorly. At the previous European Championship, in 2021, Portugal was already eliminated by Belgium in the eighth finals. Eighteen months later, during the 2022 World Cup, Morocco was surprisingly too strong in the quarter-finals. That is precisely why Portugal will be extra motivated to do better this year.

The surprising elimination at the last World Cup led to the departure of national coach Fernando Santos. He was replaced by Roberto Martínez. The former Belgian national coach was not overly popular when he was appointed, but has done an excellent job so far: eleven of the twelve international matches under his leadership were won. It should be noted that Portugal has not once played against a European superpower.

Martínez has a group full of talents, although there is also the necessary experience. Consider, for example, Cristiano Ronaldo, who will probably play his very last final tournament ever with Portugal this summer. With which players will Martínez try to win the European Cup, just like in 2016? That will be announced on Tuesday, but Football zone is now looking ahead.

Goalkeepers

Martínez has a number of excellent goalkeepers to choose from. Diogo Costa, the 24-year-old goalkeeper of FC Porto, is seen as the number one under the Portuguese bar. If he is unexpectedly unavailable, there are two excellent alternatives available in Rui Patrício and José Sá.

It is expected that those three goalkeepers will go to Germany. If one of them falls away, there appear to be three candidates who can still board the plane: Anthony Lopes, Rui Silva or Samuel Soares. However, the first two had not been in the selection for a few years. And Soares, who was on the bench for the first time against Sweden in March (5-2 win), has to make do with a reserve role at his club Benfica.

Options: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Rui Patrício (AS Roma), José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Real Betis), Samuel Soares (Benfica).

Diogo Costa, the undisputed number one in Portugal.

Defenders

The Portugal national coach also has quite a few options in defense. Rúben Dias and João Cancelo can at least count on a starting position in the back line. Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot, a natural right back, could also play as a left back.

It is still unclear who will form the heart of the defense with Dias. Martínez has tested a number of different players there over the past year, including the talented Gonçalo Inácio and António Silva. Yet they face stiff competition, including Tote Gomes and the now 41-year-old Pepe. In the meantime, Diogo Leite also has a chance of being selected: the FC Union Berlin defender was in the Portuguese selection for the first time in a year in March, but did not play.

On the wings, in addition to Cancelo and Dalot, Raphaël Guerreiro and Nuno Mendes are also two players who are normally selected. Yet the question is whether they will also be able to achieve a starting position. Guerreiro is currently injured in his ankle, so a European Championship call-up is not yet entirely certain. It seems to be a difficult story for João Mário, right back of FC Porto.

Options: João Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Tote Gomes (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Raphaël Guerreiro (Bayern Munich), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting Portugal), Diogo Leite (FC Union Berlin), João Mário (FC Porto), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Pepe (FC Porto), Nélson Semedo (Wolverhampton Wanderers), António Silva (Benfica).

Rúben Dias, here in a duel with the Icelandic Andri Gudjohnsen, is certain of a starting place this summer.

Midfielders

Bruno Fernandes can so far count on a starting place under Martínez, and it is actually certain that that will also be the case next month. There is a little more uncertainty about the other players in midfield. The choices of Rúben Neves and Otávio to move to Saudi Arabia last summer have not yet had any influence on their international career; although a starting place next summer does not seem likely for the pair.

Meanwhile, former Roda JC Kerkrade player Danilo Pereira and João Palhinha are also almost certain of a place in Portugal's European Championship selection. The same applies to players like Vitinha, Matheus Nunes and Benfica talent João Neves. Renato Sanches is having a very difficult season at AS Roma, partly due to injuries, and so the chance that he will go to Germany next summer is very small.

Options: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), João Neves (Benfica), Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal), Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Otávio (Al-Nassr), João Palhinha (Fulham), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain), Renato Sanches (AS Roma), Vitinha (Paris Saint Germain).

Bruno Fernandes celebrates his goal against Sweden (final score: 5-2).

Attackers

When Martínez became coach of Portugal, the big question was what he would do with Ronaldo. The Spaniard decided to 'just' play the superstar, and Ronaldo has repaid that trust: in the ten international matches he played under Martínez, he also scored ten times.

Bernardo Silva is another player who is of great value to the Portuguese attack, while João Félix and Rafael Leão are also regularly important. Diogo Jota missed the last international matches due to an injury, but has now recovered and seems to be able to go to Germany. Gonçalo Ramos will compete with Ronaldo in the striker position.

In addition, there are a number of attackers from the Portuguese league who hope to be in the spotlight for Martínez. Examples are former Ajax player Francisco Conceição, who made his international debut in March, ex-PSV player Bruma and Sporting Braga captain Ricardo Horta.

A player who has not been in the selection for three years, but is currently doing excellently, is Pedro Gonçalves. The midfielder and attacker of Sporting Portugal has been one of the trendsetters of the Portuguese competition for a few seasons, but has not been part of the national team selection for a long time. “Gonçalves' bad luck is that the competition in his position is very high,” Martínez said late last year in an interview with Oh Jogo. Yet the national coach doesn't seem to be able to ignore him anymore.

Options: Bruma (Sporting Braga), Francisco Conceição (FC Porto), João Félix (FC Barcelona), Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting Portugal), Ricardo Horta (Sporting Braga), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Dany Mota ( AC Monza), Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Gonçalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Jota Silva (Vitória Guimarães).

Will the 2024 European Championship be the last final tournament for Cristiano Ronaldo as a Portugal player?

Probable setup

Diogo Costa is therefore almost certain of a place under the bar in Germany. In defense the question is who will take a seat next to 'certainties' Dias, Dalot and Cancelo. It is quite possible that Pepe's experience will ultimately be the deciding factor for Martínez.

Palhinha seems to be the defensive midfielder in the Portuguese team next summer, with Bruno Fernandes next to him. The third midfielder will probably be Matheus Nunes, Otávio or Vitinha. Bernardo Silva and Ronaldo are also assured of a starting place up front. The only question remains who will be the left winger, but Leão seems to be the favorite.

Possible European Championship line-up Portugal: Diogo Costa; Dalot, Pepe, Dias, Cancelo; Vitinha, Palhinha, Fernandes; Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Leao.

Important absentees

Arsenal midfielder Fábio Vieira seems to be able to forget the European Championship due to a lack of playing time at his club. 32-time international Gonçalo Guedes and 53-time international André Silva also seem to be missing out on a place in the European Championship selection, due to their mediocre season at club level. Finally, Guerreiro injured his ankle at the beginning of May, so it is not yet entirely certain whether he will be fit in time for the European Championship.

Absent: Gonçalo Guedes (Villarreal), André Silva (Real Sociedad), Fábio Vieira (Arsenal).

This article is an update of an earlier news item. The comments below the message may therefore be less current.

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