Euro 2008 Qualifying:
Portugal lost only one game in Group A, the only section with eight teams, but had to endure a nervous finale before claiming their place in the finals as runners-up to Poland. After clinging on for a 1-1 draw with Finland with ten men in their opening game, Portugal won 3-0 against Azerbaijan but then lost 2-1 in Poland. Progress was to be sporadic thereafter, despite winger Cristiano Ronaldo contributing eight goals. Portugal dropped some unexpected points, drawing 1-1 home and away against Serbia, 2-2 at home against Poland and – worst of all – 1-1 away against a surprisingly troublesome Armenia. Incidents following the 1-1 home draw with Serbia led coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to be banned from the touchline for three games, but Portugal won all three matches with his assistant Flávio Teixeira on the bench, meaning they needed only to avoid defeat in their final game against Finland in Porto to progress. With Finland knowing a win would likely see them qualify in Portugal's place, it was a tense affair, but a 0-0 draw sufficed for the home side, with Scolari saying: "I know we have to improve for the finals."

Best Euro Championship:
Portugal's best performance to date in the competition came in 2004 when they lost in the final to Greece. Prior to that, Portugal had appeared in two semi-finals where they lost on both occasions to France. The two sides met in 1984 where France won 3-2 in an extra-time thriller at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille before defeating Spain in the final. Sixteen years later, on this occasion at Brussels’ Roi Baudouin stadium, France prevailed 2-1 against Portugal, again after extra time, before defeating Italy in the final four days later.