Portugal World Cup profile: Guide to record, squad list, path to final, team news, latest odds and star man

EUROPEAN champions Portugal head to Russia looking to prove that their 2016 title was no fluke.

Their best ever finish in a World Cup finals is third - at England '66 - but with a fit Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks anything is possible.

Here's all you need to know about the Group B side.

In a nutshell: Reigning European Champions and the closest the tournament has to a one-man team (after England and Phil Jones, obviously).

Flag: The Bandeira de Portugal is 3/8ths green and 5/8ths red and features the national coat of arms, with it’s five distinctive shields. Well,
six if you include the shield that the five shields are set on.

Population: 10.32 million

Nickname: All hail the Selecção das Quinas - that’s the ‘National Team of the Shields’ if you must know.

Manager: It’s the man with one of the grumpiest faces in the modern game, Fernando Santos.

Captain: The five-time winner of the Ballon D’or title, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Star Man: See above.

Rising star: Keep ‘em peeled for 22-year- old Milan prospect Andre Silva.

He’s already bagged 11 goals in just 18 caps for his country, including a first-half hat-trick against the Faroe Islands in October 2016.

Most caps: That’ll be Cristiano Ronaldo (147).

All-time top scorer: Yep, him again (79).

Nice kit? Deep red from head to toe but with a flash of green around the collar. Stylish.

Most offensive haircut? Fabio Coentrao’s barnet looks a bit like Vera Duckworth’s when the wind catches it.

Any names we can laugh at like kids? The Benfica striker Pizzi. As in taking the…

Rivals? Next door neighbours, Spain. But then how many of us can say we actually like our next door neighbours? Really?

National anthem: A Portuguesa (The Portuguese) rivals God Save The Queen for dullness. It’s only the rousing chorus that gives it the edge.

Sample lyric:
To arms, to arms!
Over land, over sea,
To arms, to arms!
For the Fatherland, fight!
Against the cannons, march on, march on!

WAG Watch! Will Cristiano Ronaldo’s girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez be there with their new-born baby daughter Alana Martina?

National dish: Get your laughing gear around some Cozido à Portuguesa which translates, literally, as ‘Portuguese boiled dinner’. Mmmm…

National drink: It’s the drink that you only ever get out at Christmas…Port!

Appearances in the Finals: A surprisingly low six, from 18 attempts.

World Cup Finals Record: P 26 W 13 D 4 L9 F 43 A 29

World Cup Win Ratio: 50%

Best World Cup Performance: Third place in England in 1966.

FIFA World Ranking: 3

Path to final: Cristiano Ronaldo and co will be very confident of at least surpassing their 2014 tournament and getting out of the group, but they make come up short in a battle for first with Spain.

They would then face an exciting second round match with Luis Suarez and Uruguay, followed by a potential Euro 2016 final rematch with France and a semi-final against Brazil.