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. In sports, "Esperança" comes before "Senior".
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.
Since the under-21 competition rules insist that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two year competition, technically it is an under-23 competition. For this reason, Portugal's record in the preceding under-23 competitions is also shown.
[edit] UEFA under-23 Championship Record
- 1972: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 2 in qualification 'group'.
- 1974: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 2 in qualification 'group'.
- 1976: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification 'group'.
[edit] UEFA under-21 Championship Record
- 1978: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification group.
- 1980: Did not qualify. Finished 4th of 4 in qualification group.
- 1982: Did not enter.
- 1984: Did not qualify. Finished 4th of 4 in qualification group.
- 1986: Did not qualify. Finished 4th of 4 in qualification group.
- 1988: Did not qualify. Finished 4th of 4 in qualification group.
- 1990: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 4 in qualification group.
- 1992: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 4 in qualification group.
- 1994: Runners-up.
- 1996: Losing quarter-finalists.
- 1998: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 5 in qualification group.
- 2000: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 5 in qualification group.
- 2002: Finished 3rd of 4 in finals group.
- 2004: Third place.
- 2006: Finished 4th of 4 in finals group. Hosts.
- 2007: Losing in fifth place match (Olympic playoff), therefore missing the 2008 Olympics.
- 2009: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 5 in qualification group.
[edit] Current Squad
Squad called up for the mini-tournament in Skåne, Sweden against Sweden, France, and the Netherlands.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB (Age) | Caps | Goals | Club | | GK | Rui Patrício | February 15, 1988 (1988-02-15) (age 21) | 0 | 0 |  Sporting CP | | GK | Ricardo Batista | November 19, 1986 (1986-11-19) (age 22) | 15 | 0 | Sporting CP | | DF | Gonçalo Brandão | October 9, 1986 (1986-10-09) (age 23) | 8 | 0 |  Siena | | DF | Henrique Sereno* | May 18, 1985 (1985-05-18) (age 24) | 0 | 0 | Vitória de Guimarães | | DF | João Pereira* | February 25, 1984 (1984-02-25) (age 25) | 25 | 0 | Braga | | DF | Manuel da Costa | May 6, 1986 (1986-05-06) (age 23) | 14 | 0 |  West Ham United F.C. | | DF | Nuno André Coelho | January 7, 1986 (1986-01-07) (age 23) | 21 | 0 | Porto | | DF | Tiago Gomes | July 29, 1986 (1986-07-29) (age 23) | 13 | 0 | Belenenses | | DF | Yago | February 4, 1987 (1987-02-04) (age 22) | 2 | 0 |  Espanyol B | | DF | Vitorino Antunes | April 1, 1987 (1987-04-01) (age 22) | 21 | 0 | Roma | | MF | Amaury Bischoff | March 31, 1987 (1987-03-31) (age 22) | 0 | 0 | Académica de Coimbra | | MF | Miguel Lopes | December 19, 1986 (1986-12-19) (age 22) | 1 | 0 | Porto | | MF | Manuel Fernandes | February 5, 1986 (1986-02-05) (age 23) | 25 | 0 | Valencia | | MF | Nuno Coelho | November 23, 1987 (1987-11-23) (age 21) | 16 | 0 | Porto | | MF | Paulo Machado | March 31, 1986 (1986-03-31) (age 23) | 27 | 0 |  Toulouse | | MF | Ruben Amorim* | January 27, 1985 (1985-01-27) (age 24) | 23 | 0 | Benfica | | MF | Pelé | September 14, 1987 (1987-09-14) (age 22) | 20 | 0 | Real Valladolid (on loan from Porto) | | FW | Vieirinha | January 24, 1986 (1986-01-24) (age 23) | 25 | 0 |  PAOK | | FW | Edinho* | July 7, 1982 (1982-07-07) (age 27) | 0 | 0 | AEK Athens | | FW | Bruno Gama | November 15, 1987 (1987-11-15) (age 21) | 15 | 0 | Rio Ave | | FW | Carlos Saleiro | February 25, 1986 (1986-02-25) (age 23) | 7 | 0 | Sporting CP | | FW | Hélder Barbosa | May 25, 1987 (1987-05-25) (age 22) | 10 | 0 | Vitória de Setúbal (on loan from Porto) | | FW | João Moreira | February 7, 1986 (1986-02-07) (age 23) | 29 | 0 | Valencia | | FW | Ricardo Vaz Tê | October 1, 1986 (1986-10-01) (age 23) | 4 | 1 | Bolton Wanderers | | FW | Yannick Djaló | May 5, 1986 (1986-05-05) (age 23) | 19 | 0 | Sporting CP | |
* = Over age but have been allowed to participate
[edit] Notable Players
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources/External links
| National sports teams of Portugal | | A1 GP · Baseball · Basketball ( M, W) · Beach handball · Beach soccer · Cricket · Field hockey ( M, W) · Football association (Soccer) ( M, W, Olympic, M-21, M-20, M-19, M-18, M-17, M-16) · Futsal · Handball ( M, W) · Ice hockey · Korfball · Roller hockey (quad) ( M, W) · Rugby league · Rugby union ( M, W, M7's) · Tennis ( M, W) · Volleyball ( M, W) · Water polo · Olympic Games | |
