5 most entertaining Portuguese footballers of all time

#3 Deco

Legendary Portugal player Deco during the Soccerex Europe - Day 1

Anderson Luis de Souza, known as 'Deco', was born in Sao Bernardo do Campo, in Brazil, in 1977. He began his youth career with Corinthians, for whom he made his senior debut in 1996. Scouts from Benfica were impressed by the youngster, who was taken to Portugal in 1997.

Born and raised in Brazil, Deco was eligible for Portuguese citizenship in 2002 having completed a five-year stay in Portugal. He also chose to play for the Portuguese national team.

The midfielder was one of the most successful Portuguese players to play in the UEFA Champions League. Deco won the competition with Porto in 2004, and was named the Man of the Match in the Final.

In 2006, he repeated the triumph with Barcelona. Deco is one of the few players to have won the UEFA Champions League with multiple clubs. He is also the only player to win UEFA's best midfielder award with two clubs.

He played for Barcelona, Chelsea and Fluminense following his spell with Porto. Deco won eight domestic league titles, four domestic cups and two UEFA Champions League trophies.

You can watch his best moments in the Champions League here:

Deco played 490 club games, scoring 75 goals and providing 165 assists. He retired from the sport in 2013.

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#2 Luis Figo

Luis Figo was an influential captain for the Portuguese national team.

Luis Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo was born in Almada, Portugal, in 1972. He came through the ranks at Sporting CP, for whom he made his senior debut in 1989. He played in Portugal for six years before moving to Barcelona in 1995. With the Blaugrana, Figo became one of the most respected players in the world.

He won two La Liga titles, two Copa Del Reys and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Barcelona, becoming one of their most influential leaders and players. Figo was well-respected and adored in Barcelona, as his wearing the Barca shirt gave Catalonian people a sense of approval.

Here's a video of Luis Figo scoring a world-class goal for Barcelona:

In July 2000, Real Madrid triggered Figo's release clause of €62 million, and the Portuguese agreed to move, much to Barcelona fans' dismay.

In an El Clasico game in 2002, Figo had a pig's head thrown at him when Real Madrid visited Camp Nou. Figo was preparing to take a corner when the incident happened.

Nevertheless, Figo enjoyed more success with Real Madrid, winning the UEFA Champions League with them in 2001-02. He also won the Ballon d'Or award in 2000.

Luis Figo then moved to Inter Milan, where he won four consecutive Serie A titles between 2005 and 2009. The Portuguese called time on his career in 2009.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest Portuguese footballer of all time.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born in Madeira, Portugal, in 1985. He began his career by coming through the ranks at Sporting CP, for whom he made his first-team debut in 2002. Ronaldo started his career as a winger, but now plays as a striker.

During his career, Ronaldo has represented four clubs - Sporting CP, Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid. He has scored an incredible 687 goals and provided 300 assists in 915 games across competitions. The Portuguese is Real Madrid's all-time top scorer with 450 goals.

Ronaldo has won seven league titles, four domestic cups and five Champions League trophies. Only Lionel Messi (7) has won more Ballon d'Or awards than Ronaldo's five.

Cristiano Ronaldo was known for his tricks and flicks, and thunderous free-kicks during his first spell with United. In 2009, he scored a 40-yard screamer against Porto in the Champions League. That goal won him the Puskas Award.

He also scored a mind-boggling free-kick against Portsmouth. Ronaldo struck the ball so fiercely that it nestled in the back of the net without having any spin on it.

While at Madrid, Ronaldo produced a sublime moment of genius against Juventus in the Champions League. He reacted swiftly to a cross from the right wing, adjusted himself and swung his boot to score past Gianluigi Buffon. The entire Juventus stadium applauded the effort, and Ronaldo responded by patting his chest with gratitude.

Ronaldo returned for a second spell with Manchester United this summer - a place where he seemingly has some unfinished business. The Portuguese will look to win the Champions League with the Red Devils once again next year.