How much is it worth to Portugal to be one of the young women with the most experience in World Cups?
The younger generations will surely remember that it wasn’t that long ago: there was a time when Portuguese players looked like the heat of the competition. For example, at Euro 96. Or even at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
In all cases, the national team presented fabulous teams. Rui Costa, Luís Figo, Fernando Couto and Paulo Sousa, at Euro 96, plus Sérgio Conceição, Nuno Gomes and Pauleta at the 2002 World Cup, or Deco, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiago, Miguel and Fernando Meira at the 2006 World Cup.
All of them already played in big European clubs and were used to fighting for international titles, but had practically no experience in European or World Cups. Which often turned out to be a huge weight.
Now those days seem to be part of the past at this point.
At least when you look at the team that is in the 2022 World Cup, it is clear that Portugal has become one of the most experienced teams in major competitions. In Qatar, for example, it is currently the fourth most experienced team.
Adding up all the games in World Cups of all the players that make up the quarter-final teams, Portugal is the fourth with more experience in this ranking.
The set of national players has already played 117 games in World Cups, which is only beaten by three: France has 142 games, England has 130 and Croatia 122.
Portugal is, therefore, at the forefront.
Above, for example, Brazil and Argentina, who each add up to a total of 110 games distributed by several players, above also the Netherlands (80) and above Morocco (77), our next opponent and the national team, among all those in the quarterfinals, which have a group less experienced in World Cups.
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Portugal has the sixth squad with the most games in World Cups among all daughters
However, and if we bear in mind the games added at this time by all 32 designers who competed in the final phase, then it becomes more evident how Portugal is one of the most experienced groups of those who passed through Qatar: Fernando Santos’ selection appears placed ranked sixth.
In addition to France, England and Croatia, the disappointments of Belgium and Uruguay also add up to more games in the World Cup, which clearly demonstrated more veteran teams and were not successful.
Portugal is, even so, ahead of giants like Spain or Germany.
Another much-revealed curiosity is that six of the eight girls who will compete in the quarterfinals are positioned in the top nine places in the ranking. Which means that player experience is likely to weigh in on success.
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Only France and England have more World Cup goals in the group that led to Qatar
Portugal is also at the forefront when it comes to goals in World Cups. The players of the National Team have scored 20 goals in the final stages of World Cups, which places the national team in the top-3 of this ranking.
Better than Portugal, in fact, only France, which adds up to 23 goals as a whole, and England, which in the total of goals from all players reaches number 22.
Croatia, which has more games than Portugal, appears far behind in goals: it has only 14 in the final stages, so it appears in sixth place among the teams in the round of 16, also behind Brazil and Argentina (both with 15 goals ).
It is worth mentioning, by the way, that Portugal is the third team with the most goals, not only among those in the quarterfinals, but also in the total of the 32 that had played in the final phase of the World Cup in Qatar.
Germany, Belgium and Uruguay, who have already been eliminated from the competition, also had a very good record, with 18, 17 and 16 goals, respectively, but all behind Portugal. Exactly like the Netherlands, which has 12 goals in World Cups among its players.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who adds the fifth World Cup, is largely responsible for Portugal’s scoring streak, being responsible for eight of the 20 goals mentioned. However, it is also worth mentioning the names of Gonçalo Ramos (3 goals), Pepe, Bruno Fernandes and Rafael Leão (all with 2 goals).
It should be noted that, of all the players who played in the World Cup, the German Thomas Muller continues to be the top scorer, with a total of 10 goals. Messi and Mbappé follow, both with 9 goals, and the Frenchman is only playing in his second World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo appears in fourth place, with 8 goals, and after him appear Kane and Neymar, both with seven.
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Ronaldo is the second with the most appearances in World Cups (in a list led by Messi)
Cristiano Ronaldo is, unsurprisingly, most responsible for the experience of the National Team. The captain owns 21 of the 117 games that the Portuguese players who are in Qatar add up as a whole, followed by Pepe, with 11 games in World Cups.
Ronaldo is not, however, the player with the most World Cup experience in Qatar. The Portuguese competes in the fifth competition, but is beaten by Lionel Messi, who is also playing in the fifth final phase and has 23 games: two more than the Portuguese.
Next on the list of players with more appearances in World Championships are the Germans Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller, both with 19 games, and the Spanish Busquets, with 18 games.
Among the players still in competition, the one closest to Messi and Ronaldo is the French Hugo Lloris, captain of the current world champion selection, with 17 games. Already the compatriot Griezmann, Modric and Di Maria all have 16 games in World Cups and are still in competition, being able to increase in this number.