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The Most Famous

SOCCER PLAYERS from Portugal

This page contains a list of the greatest Portuguese Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 16,880 Soccer Players, 184 of which were born in Portugal. This makes Portugal the birth place of the 17th most number of Soccer Players behind United States and Croatia.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Portuguese Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Portuguese Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Portuguese Soccer Players.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (1985 - )

With an HPI of 70.37, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 148 different languages on wikipedia.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɾiʃˈtjɐnu ʁɔˈnaldu]; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo holds the records for most appearances (183), goals (140) and assists (42) in the Champions League, goals in the European Championship (14), international goals (128) and international appearances (206). He is one of the few players to have made over 1,200 professional career appearances, the most by an outfield player, and has scored over 880 official senior career goals for club and country, making him the top goalscorer of all time. Ronaldo began his senior career with Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United in 2003, winning the FA Cup in his first season. He would also go on to win three consecutive Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup; at age 23, he won his first Ballon d'Or. Ronaldo was the subject of the then-most expensive association football transfer when he signed for Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth €94 million (£80 million). He became a key contributor and formed an attacking trio with Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which was integral to the team winning four Champions Leagues from 2014 to 2018, including La Décima. During this period, he won back-to-back Ballons d'Or in 2013 and 2014, and again in 2016 and 2017, and was runner-up three times behind Lionel Messi, his perceived career rival. He also became the club's all-time top goalscorer and the all-time top scorer in the Champions League, and finished as the competition's top scorer for six consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2018. With Real, Ronaldo won four Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles, two Copas del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups and three Club World Cups. In 2018, he signed for Juventus in a transfer worth an initial €100 million (£88 million), the most expensive transfer for an Italian club and for a player over 30 years old. He won two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana trophies and a Coppa Italia, became the inaugural Serie A Most Valuable Player and became the first footballer to finish as top scorer in the English, Spanish and Italian leagues. He returned to Manchester United in 2021, finishing his only full season as the club's top scorer, before his contract was terminated in 2022. In 2023, he signed for Al Nassr. Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in 2003 at the age of 18 and has since earned more than 200 caps, making him both the country and history's most-capped player of all time, recognised by the Guinness World Records. With more than 100 goals at international level, he is also the sports all-time top goalscorer. Ronaldo has played in and scored at eleven major tournaments; he scored his first international goal at Euro 2004, where he helped Portugal reach the final. He assumed captaincy of the national team in July 2008. In 2015, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation. The following year, he led Portugal to their first major tournament title at Euro 2016, and received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer of the tournament. This achievement would see him receive his fourth Ballon d'Or. He also led them to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, receiving the top scorer award in the finals, and later received the Golden Boot as top scorer of Euro 2020. One of the world's most marketable and famous athletes, Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016, 2017, and 2023, and the world's most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019. Time included him on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. He is the first footballer and the third sportsman to earn US$1 billion in his career.

2. Fernando Santos (1954 - )

With an HPI of 62.44, Fernando Santos is the 2nd most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 45 different languages.

Fernando Manuel Fernandes da Costa Santos (born 10 October 1954) is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who played as a left-back. He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 161 games and two goals over eight seasons, almost always with Estoril. After retiring, he worked as a coach for several decades, starting out at his main club in 1988. Santos managed Portugal's Big Three, winning five major titles with Porto. For the better part of the 2000s he worked in Greece, mainly with AEK Athens and PAOK. In 2010, he was appointed at the helm of the Greece national team, coaching them in a World Cup and one European Championship. Subsequently, he led Portugal to victory in the Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League, which were the first two major titles in the nation's history, before leaving in 2022. The following year, he took over as manager of Poland, being dismissed in September.

3. Luís Figo (1972 - )

With an HPI of 60.55, Luís Figo is the 3rd most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 70 different languages.

Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo (Portuguese pronunciation: [luˈiʃ ˈfiɣu]; born 4 November 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He won 127 caps for the Portugal national team, a one-time record, and is considered one of the greatest players of his generation. He won the 2000 Ballon d'Or, 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year, and in 2004 Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Figo is one of the few football players to have played for both Spanish rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. His controversial transfer in 2000 from Barcelona to Real Madrid set a world record fee of €62 million. Figo, who was widely regarded as the face of FC Barcelona along with Rivaldo at that time, had signed a conditional agreement with Florentino Perez, who at the time was running to become the president of Real Madrid. In short, the agreement stated that if Perez became the president of the club, Luis Figo would sign for them. If Figo refused to leave Barcelona, he would have to pay a penalty fee of 5 billion pesetas (around £22 million or $34 million). If Perez lost the election, Figo would keep 400 million pesetas (around £1.7 million) Figo had a successful career highlighted by several trophy wins, including the Portuguese Cup, four La Liga titles, two Spanish Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, one UEFA Champions League title, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, four Serie A titles, one Italian Cup and three Italian Super Cups. At international level, he scored 32 goals for Portugal, representing the nation at three European Championships and two World Cups, helping them reach the final but finish as runners-up at Euro 2004, as well as reaching the semi-finals at the 2006 World Cup.

4. Jorge Jesus (1954 - )

With an HPI of 60.14, Jorge Jesus is the 4th most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Jorge Fernando Pinheiro de Jesus (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʒɔɾʒɨ ʒɨˈzuʃ]; born 24 July 1954) is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. He started his career with Sporting CP, going on to play for 12 other clubs in 17 years as a professional, which included nine Primeira Liga seasons. Jesus began a coaching career in 1990, and his first stop in the main category was with Felgueiras in the 1995–96 campaign. He went on to work with several teams, arriving at Benfica in 2009 and winning ten trophies (a club record for a single manager, winning all domestic trophies at least once) as well as reaching two UEFA Europa League finals with them in six seasons. He became manager of Flamengo in 2019 and won the Copa Libertadores and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in his first year. He returned to Benfica in 2020 and did not win a single trophy despite a Portuguese record investment during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was twice considered one of the ten best club coaches in the world by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics, in 2013 (eighth place) and in 2019 (7th place).

5. Rui Costa (1972 - )

With an HPI of 59.06, Rui Costa is the 5th most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 52 different languages.

Rui Manuel César Costa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁuj ˈkɔʃtɐ]; born 29 March 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who is the 34th president of sports club S.L. Benfica. He also succeeded Luís Filipe Vieira as president of the club's SAD board of directors. Nicknamed "The Maestro", Costa spent the majority of his football career with Benfica in Portugal and Fiorentina and AC Milan in Italy. In a top-flight career spanning 17 years, he won several trophies, including one Primeira Liga title, one Taça de Portugal, one Serie A title, three Coppa Italia, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup. A Portuguese international, he amassed 94 caps and scored 26 goals for A Seleção and represented the country in three UEFA European Championships and one FIFA World Cup. Considered one of the best playmakers of all time, Costa usually played as an attacking midfielder and was particularly known for his excellent technique, playmaking ability, and eye for goal from midfield. He is regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football and one of Portugal's best players of all time. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 as one of the 125 greatest living football players.

6. Artur Jorge (1946 - 2024)

With an HPI of 56.83, Artur Jorge is the 6th most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Artur Jorge Braga de Melo Teixeira (13 February 1946 – 22 February 2024), commonly known as Artur Jorge, was a Portuguese football player and manager.

7. Ricardo Quaresma (1983 - )

With an HPI of 56.52, Ricardo Quaresma is the 7th most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 61 different languages.

Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁiˈkaɾðu kwɐˈɾɛʒmɐ]; born 26 September 1983) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger. He began his career at Sporting CP and went on to play for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Porto (twice), Chelsea, Beşiktaş (twice), Al-Ahli Dubai, Kasımpaşa and Vitória de Guimarães. Regarded as a mercurial talent, his tricks, including the rabona and trivela (a bending shot with the outside of his right foot) made him a popular figure among fans around the world. A Portugal international for 15 years, Quaresma won 80 caps and played at three European Championships, including the victorious Euro 2016, and the 2018 World Cup.

8. Félix Mourinho (1938 - 2017)

With an HPI of 55.63, Félix Mourinho is the 8th most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

José Manuel Mourinho Félix (12 February 1938 – 25 June 2017), known as Félix Mourinho, was a Portuguese football goalkeeper and manager.

9. Paulo Sousa (1970 - )

With an HPI of 55.31, Paulo Sousa is the 9th most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpawlu ˈsozɐ]; born 30 August 1970) is a Portuguese football manager and former professional player who played as a defensive midfielder. Starting his career at Benfica, he also represented Sporting CP in his country, where he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 117 matches and three goals in five years. From there onwards, he competed mainly in Italy and Germany, winning the Champions League with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund and the Intercontinental Cup with the latter side. Injuries severely hampered his later career. Sousa was a member of Portugal's "Golden Generation", and appeared with the national team at the 2002 World Cup and two European Championships. He took up coaching in the late 2000s, managing clubs in several countries and winning national championships with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Basel. He was also in charge of Poland at Euro 2020.

10. Paulo Futre (1966 - )

With an HPI of 54.43, Paulo Futre is the 10th most famous Portuguese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 49 different languages.

Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpawlu ˈfutɾɨ]; born 28 February 1966) is a Portuguese former footballer who played mostly as a left winger. Widely considered as one of the best players of his generation, after starting his professional career with Sporting, he moved to Porto – winning the 1987 European Cup – after which he embarked in an extensive professional career, having represented clubs in Spain, France, Italy, England and Japan, most notably Atlético Madrid. He also appeared for Benfica during four months in 1993, and his later years were blighted by injury problems. A Portuguese international since the age of 17, Futre earned over 40 caps for his country, representing it at the 1986 World Cup.

People

Pantheon has 184 people classified as soccer players born between 1937 and 2002. Of these 184, 177 (96.20%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living soccer players include Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Santos, and Luís Figo. The most famous deceased soccer players include Artur Jorge, Félix Mourinho, and Fernando Gomes. As of April 2022, 21 new soccer players have been added to Pantheon including António Oliveira, Ricardinho, and Nuno Mendes.