Portugal

Portugal are currently ranked fifth in the FIFA rankings. The national team play their home games at the Estádio Nacional. The Portugal national football team played their first competitive match in the 1928 Olympic Games, when the team reached the quarter-finals, although it wasn't until the 1990s that Portugal became one of Europe's best sides. 

Their first World Cup appearance came in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, where the team reached the semi-final stages before losing 2-1 at Wembley to the eventual champions, England. Portugal have reached the semi-finals of the European Championships on four occasions, finishing runner-up in 2004 when they hosted the tournament. 

The emergence of stars such as Luis Figo, Nuno Gomes, Rui Costa, Deco, and more recently Ronaldo, saw Portugal begin to emerge as serious contenders at the start of the new millennium. In 2003, the Portuguese Football Federation hired Luiz Felipe Scolari, the former Brazilian World Cup winning head coach. Scolari led Portugal to the final of UEFA Euro 2004, where they suffered a shock loss to Greece in the final, following that up by reaching their second World Cup semi-final in the 2006 World Cup. 

After reaching the quarter-finals at Euro 2008, Portugal went one better in 2012, reaching the semi-finals for the fourth time, losing a penalty shootout to eventual champions Spain in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. 

Portugal have produced some of the most talented players to grace the game of football such as Fernando Peyroteo, José Aguas, Mário Coluna, Eusébio, Humberto Coelho, Paulo Futre, Luís Figo, Vitor Baia, Nuno Gomes, Rui Costa, Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet despite their record of producing world class players, Portugal have so far failed to win a major title, something Ronaldo and the rest of the current Portuguese side will be looking to put right in Brazil in the summer. 

The Real Madrid superstar is Portugal's leading goalscorer, taking himself to the top of his country's goalscoring charts with four goals against Sweden in the 2014 World Cup playoff. The Portugal captain will now be hoping he can lead his team to the title in the summer, and with Ronaldo's current form, it would be hard to rule out the Portuguese in Brazil. 

Luis Figo remains Portugal's most capped player with 127 international appearances during his stellar 15-year international career. Eusebio is widely regarded as one of Portugal's best ever players, scoring 41 goals in his 64 appearances for Portugal. 

For all the latest Portuguese Football Betting Tips place check out betting.betfair