Selection wants to repeat 2019 title

The Portuguese soccer team travels to Germany to compete in the Final Four of the League of Nations, facing the hosts of the last phase of the race in the semi-finals, with Spain and France to discuss another place of access to the decisive duel.

Despite the short time between the end of the club season and the League of Nations – in some cases no rest – and the Club World Cup for some athletes are still being held, a trophy is at stake.

The little preparation time for the Final Four is a contradiction that both the coach Roberto Martínez, and the other colleagues of the other selections in race, need to counteract, after a exhausting time for players.

Even though it is a competition impossible to compare a European or even more World Cup, the League of Nations has gained importance in the world of national teams and Portugal was the first winner of this tournament in 2019.

At the premiere of this new format, and when there were still many doubts and confusions about it, the team of the corners turned to the strongest, triumphing at home, as it received the final Four, at Dragon Stadium and D. Afonso Henriques Stadium.

Portugal began by eliminating Switzerland in the semi-finals 3-1, followed a duel with the Netherlands resolved with a lonely goal from Gonçalo Guedes, which allowed the second achievement of the selection A, after an unforgettable Euro2016.

Two final phases followed without the Portuguese presence, conquered by France in 2020/21, and Spain, in 2022/23, but now, to the fourth edition of the tournament, Portugal has again ensured the presence, after overcoming the group stage and the round of 16.

The Portuguese ended in the leadership of the group, with 14 points, against the eight of Croatia, the seven of Scotland and the four of Poland, and made a meeting with Denmark in the round of 16, where he needed the extension to qualify.

The Danish class won the first leg in Copenhagen 1-0, but in a duel played at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal operated the turnaround 5-2, after extension, with a Bis of Francisco Trincão being very central.

With a divided organization between the cities of Munich and Stuttar, Portugal goes to Allianz Arena to face, at 20h, hostess Germany, the only selection present in the final Four that has not yet won the competition and eliminated Italy in the round of 16.

Already Spain and France are in Estaggard a day after the duel between Portuguese and Germanic, on Thursday, after eliminating respectively Netherlands and Croatia, confirming the passage of all the first places of the groups.

The winners of the two games of the semi-finals are in Sunday final, at 7:45 pm (hours of Lisbon) in Munich, while the defeated will face the game for third and fourth places at 2 pm on the same day in Estaggard.

Spaniard Roberto Martínez began by publicizing a call composed of 27 footballers, knowing that he would have to dispense a player before the beginning of the League of Nations, as Uefa only allows 26 athletes on the squads.

The choice fell on the left back Nuno Tavares, which represents the Italians of Lazio, with only an internationalization for selection A, which could allow the absolute debut of the young man of FC Porto Rodrigo Mora, called for the first time.

At the age of 18 on May 5, the player excelled this time for the dragons, in a complicated time, and was recognized with the convening to the Portuguese team, a year after being present at the U17 European.

The team of the corners began preparation for the final Four on Sunday, in the city of Football, Oeiras, still without the presence of the quartet that operates in the French of Paris Saint-Germain and who won the Champions League the day before.

Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha and Gonçalo Ramos joined the group only this Monday and without any rest, to aim to join a new trophy to the curriculum, in a season where they won all competitions at the club.

Return to the squad to Roberto Martínez’s orders is also the sportinguista Pedro Gonçalves, who was many months away from the pitch, due to injury, and only returned in the final phase of the season, still in time to integrate this list.

On the other hand, Geovany has lost ownership in the lions in the last games and, therefore, also the place in the main national team, having downloaded to the U21, where he will play the European of the category, between June 11 and 28, in Slovakia.

At age 40, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to stone and lime in the national team and will be the team captain again at an important moment, supported by the already very experienced athletes Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Rúben Dias or Rúben Neves.

Sporting and Paris Saint-Germain are the most represented clubs in the Portuguese call, with four footballers each, and FC Porto, Manchester City, Manchester United, Wolverhampton, AC Milan and Juventus count two each.