Portugal are the only Euro 2024 team to always qualify for the group stage.

Portugal is the only team competing at Euro 2024, which kicks off on Friday in Germany, which in the history of the competition has always surpassed the group stage to progress to the knockout games.

In the eight times it has competed at the European Championships, from 1984 to 2020, with a break in between, the national team has always advanced, finishing with the title once in 2016, finishing as finalists once in 2004 and in the semi-finals three times in 1984 , 2000 and 2012.

The worst campaigns came in 1996, 2008 and 2020, with the fall occurring in the first game of the playoffs (the first two in the quarter-finals and the last in the round of 16).

Wales with two and Iceland and Northern Ireland with one can also claim the feat, although their absence from the next European Championships will be confirmed and they will make far fewer appearances.

Germany (three titles), Spain (three), Italy (two) and France (two), teams with different traditions and strengths in the competition, have, for example, experienced editions in which they dropped out in the group stage.

The Germans have already felt this sensation three times, the Spaniards twice, the Italians and the French.

In just eight matches, Portugal won 39 games with 19 wins, 10 draws and 10 losses for a total of 67 points. In terms of goals, the Portuguese national team has a positive balance of 18, with 56 scored and 38 conceded.

If the history of the European Championship were a league, Portugal would have finished sixth, behind Germany (94 points from 53 games), Italy (81/45), Spain (78/46), France (75/43) and the Netherlands (68/39 ).

The biggest difficulties the national team faced in the group stage came in 2016, during the historic title win, when Fernando Santos’ team finished their group in third place, a place that, before the expansion of the participants, required relegation. He repeated third place in the 2020 tournament, which was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Portugal is even the country that has eliminated the eventual winner of the competition the most times (four): in 1984 and 2000 against France, in 2004 against Greece and in 2020 against Spain.

On its debut in 1984, Portugal reached the semi-finals but were eventually eliminated by hosts France (3-2 after extra time) in what remains one of the best European openings ever.

Of the newcomers, only Sweden in 1992 and Wales in 2016 achieved the same result.

After the break, Portugal returned to the final stage, in England, in 1996, and after winning the group in the quarter-finals, they were eliminated by the Czech Republic (1-0) with the so-called ‘hat’ from Karel Poborský.

This was followed by Euro 2000 and a second appearance in the semi-finals, again France thwarted the Portuguese “dream” and again in extra time (2-1) with a golden goal from a Zidane penalty.

Playing at home in 2004, Portugal played their first final and had a hand in the trophy, but fate was stronger and it was Greece (1:0) who became champions at the Da Luz Stadium in Lisbon.

In Austria and Switzerland in 2008, the team was eliminated in the quarters by Germany (3-2), returning to the semi-finals in 2012, missing the decisive game with a penalty shootout loss to Spain (4-2). ), after 120 minutes without goals.

After partying in Paris in 2016, when Eder scored a timeless goal to beat France 1-0, Portugal have had one of their worst campaigns ever and are uniquely positioned as title holders in 2020 to finish in the top three. 1/8 finals against Belgium (1-0) under the leadership of the Spaniard Roberto Martinez, now the coach of Portugal.

At Euro 2024, Portugal will play in Group F along with the Czech Republic (June 18, in Leipzig), Turkey (June 22, in Dortmund) and Georgia (June 26, in Gelsenkirchen).

The tournament starts on Friday in Munich with the Germany-Scotland match and will last until July 14, with the final taking place in Berlin.