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When Eder scored the winner in the 109th minute of the Euro 2016 final for Portugal against France, the course of Portuguese football changed forever. One nation winning its first ever major honors was also a nation that had seen the summit multiple times before.
Legends of the past like Eusebio and Luis Figo led Portugal to great heights. However, they achieved continental glory under coach Fernando Santos in 2016 at the Euros, a side spearheaded by modern legend and captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Since then, Portugal, who earlier made fleeting appearances in the latter stages of international tournaments, has established itself as a juggernaut. With top talent coming through the ranks at the big clubs in the Liga NOS, Portuguese football has hit new levels.
In recent years they have produced talents like Joao Felix, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Neves and Renato Sanches to name a few. As the World Cup approaches, these Portuguese players with all be vying with each other for limited spots in the squad.
There have been some frontrunners, though, who have more than likely booked their spot on the plane were Portugal to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. In this article, we look at the five most in-form Portuguese players across the globe currently.
#5 Rafa Silva - Benfica
Rafa Silva joined SL Benfica from rivals SC Braga in 2016, and has been a consistent performer for his side. The Portuguese gained maximum recognition during the 2018-19 season. He scored 21 goals and provided three assists in 44 games across all competitions.
It propelled him to being a regular in the Portugal squad and one of Benfica's most important attackers.
The right-winger has made a strong start to the 2021-22 campaign as well. In 19 appearances so far, he has netted eight goals and provided three assists for his teammates. Rafa's quickness in and around the box and his decision-making with the ball in tight spots makes him unique.
He struggled with minor injuries in the run-in to the Euro 2020 tournament. However, a string of stunning performances in big games for Benfica saw him picked for Portugal by coach Santos.
Rafa Silva has not looked back since then and continues to be one of the finest Portuguese players plying their trade in the Liga NOS.
#4 Andre Silva - RB Leipzig
Andre Silva, although just 26, has played for several clubs in several countries. That includes including the likes of FC Porto in Portugal, AC Milan in Italy, Sevilla in Spain, Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig in Germany. It is no surprise that the Portugal striker has been in such high demand over the years. His goalscoring statistics speak for themselves.
Silva's performances with FC Porto in the 2016-17 season saw him become one of the hottest prospects among Europe's young footballers. The Portuguese netted 16 goals in 32 games across all competitions, earning him a move to AC Milan.
However, Andre Silva truly became the beast he is today during his stint at Eintracht Frankfurt. The forward was brought to the club on loan from Milan by coach Adi Hutter, with Ante Rebic going the other way.
In his two seasons in Frankfurt, Silva scored a jaw-dropping 45 goals and provided 15 assists in 71 games across all competitions. RB Leipzig were quick to snap him up after losing star striker Timo Werner to Chelsea.
Silva endured a challenging start to life at RB Leipzig, but has scored three goals and provided five assists for his team-mates so far this season. His presence in the box and his ability to score off half chances makes him a lethal weapon for any team he represents.
The Portuguese has found his form of late and is getting sharper with the game in the build-up to next year's World Cup.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United
The next man on the list barely needs an introduction. Cristiano Ronaldo has been the cornerstone of Portuguese football since the retirement of Luis Figo in 2009. He is Portugal's undisputed top scorer with 115 goals.
He has recently added some silverware to his Portugal trophy cabinet having won the UEFA Euro 2016 and UEFA Nations League 2019. Ronaldo's importance to his national side can be seen below.
Ronaldo has been firing on all cylinders this season. It is something that we did not see with great consistency towards the end of his tenure with Juventus.
It is not just the fact that he is scoring goals, but the timing of the goals and what they are doing for the team that makes them special. He has already scored many clutch goals for Manchester United. He has scored nine goals in 13 games across all competitions this season and has provided one assist.
Given his numbers in the past, one would think he has room for bigger and better performances this season. However, Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the one player reminding football fans around the globe of the Manchester United of old. Portuguese fans will be hoping their star man keeps up his exploits and carries this form into next year's World Cup.
#2 Joao Cancelo - Manchester City
Joao Cancelo has been a different gravy in recent times. For someone new to watching Manchester City or football in general, Cancelo would be a confusing player to start following.
He started some games as a right back and was named man-of-the-match. He started some games as a left back and put in world class performances. Whether he is yet to find his main position is a mystery to be unraveled. However, the man stands out in most areas on the pitch, as can be seen in the post below.
These sort of numbers all over the pitch make him seem like a player straight out of Pep Guardiola's deepest fantasies. The Spaniard is lucky to have a player of Cancelo's caliber in his ranks.
In 34 appearances for club and country this season, he has racked up four goals and eight assists. However, most of his goal contributions have come recently. Take a look at the week Cancelo had to start off the month of November:
Cancelo has great versatility and an ever-increasing ability to positively impact a football match. He is arguably the hottest property in world football among players in the defensive third currently.
Considering that he is 27, Cancelo has at least four to five years more left to give at the highest level. It's a massive boost for his club Manchester City as well as Selecao. He is truly a player to watch and follow in the upcoming seasons.
#1 Bernardo Silva - Manchester City
Rounding off the list is yet another Portuguese plying his trade in the windy north-west of England. His club and country team-mate Joao Cancelo is putting up incredible numbers this season. Even after that, the fact that Bernardo is ranked first on this list speaks volumes of the levels he is currently playing at.
The midfielder put in one of the most dominant performances in recent times against Manchester United earlier this month. Completing take-ons is something Bernardo is well-known for. His close control and exquisite touches allow him to do this with grace. Take a look at these numbers from the Manchester Derby:
Bernardo Silva, like Andres Iniesta in the past, is a player best judged off his impact on the game through movement and space creation. When on song, his agile movements make him look like he is toying with opposition defenders. Bernardo still has a healthy return of three goals and one assist for City this season in a squad rife with goal-threats.
Whether he can carry this form to his national camp remains to be seen. However, Portugal fans will slowly but surely have to start looking beyond Ronaldo for a player to lead the national team. Through his performances, Bernardo Silva is a strong candidate for that role.
