Last World Cup: Round of 16
Nickname: A Seleção das Quinas
Coach: Paulo Bento
Star man: Cristiano Ronaldo
Tournament best: Third 1966

In Ronaldo Portugal possess a player worthy of gracing the game's biggest stage but therein lies their problem as they rely so heavily on the Real Madrid forward's unquestionable star quality. Frequently unstoppable but when the world's best defenders can isolate him he has few team-mates who can make the difference.

Strengths: Cristiano Ronaldo in full flow will cause problems for any team, and the set piece delivery which saw Portugal score from more corners than any other finalist is an obvious threat. Centre back Bruno Alves is the man to watch as the ball is whipped in: he's converted two thirds of his team's impressive corner haul. The persistence which saw them recover an impressive 61% of points from losing positions, coupled with the sheer number of late goals they scored, makes them difficult to write off.

Weaknesses: Only one of Portugal's qualifying goals came from outside the area, which could limit their ability to catch defences unawares. Their own defence was among the more vulnerable sides to set pieces, specifically corners.

Prospects: Portugal find themselves in one of the tougher groups and all three of their Group G opponents prefer to attack from the centre, which is where Portugal's defence has been the weakest. The wings are certainly their most promising source of goals against seeded Germany, while they should beware Ghana's strength from set pieces.