Deco
Made his debut for Portugal on March 29, 2003, against Brazil, aged 25. Currently playing for Barcelona, Deco has won 32 caps for Portugal and has scored 2 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: August 27, 1977
Height: 1.74m (5ft 7in)
Fact: Deco was one of six Barcelona stars to be included on the shortlist of the world's 55 top players selected by contemporary professional footballers as part of the World XI Player Awards in 2005.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Made his debut for Portugal on August 20, 2003, against, aged 17. Currently playing for Manchester United, Ronaldo has won 30 caps for Portugal and has scored 11 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: February 5, 1985
Height: 1.84m (6ft 1in)
Fact: Ronaldo's €17.5 million transfer to Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2003 was a world-record fee for a teenager.

Tiago
Made his debut for Portugal on November 20, 2002, against Scotland, aged 23. Currently playing for Lyon, Tiago has won 20 caps for Portugal and has scored 0 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: May 3, 1981
Height: 1.83m (6ft)
Fact: Tiago spent the 2004-2005 season at Chelsea, scoring 4 goals in 34 league games; his move to French club Lyon saw Ghana striker Michael Essien move in the opposite direction.

Luis Figo
Made his debut for Portugal on November 20, 2002, against Luxembourg, aged 20. Currently playing for Inter Milan, Figo has won 117 caps for Portugal and has scored 31 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: November 4, 1972
Height: 1.80m (5ft 11in)
Fact: One of modern-day football's outstanding players, Figo's long list of awards and accolades include being named European Footballer of the Year in 2000 and FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001; Figo recently announced he would retire after this summer's World Cup.

Armando Petit
Made his debut for Portugal on June 2, 2001, against Republic of Ireland, aged 24. Currently playing for Benfica, Petit has won 34 caps for Portugal and has scored 3 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: September 25, 1976
Height: 1.75m (5ft 9in)
Fact: Petit came on as a substitute and scored twice in the closing minutes of Portugal's World Cup qualifier against Russia in October 2004; the game finished 7-1 to Portugal.

Costinha
Made his debut for Portugal on October 14, 1998, against Slovakia, aged 23. Currently playing for Dinamo Moscow, Costinha has won 42 caps for Portugal and has scored 2 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: December 1, 1974
Height: 1.83m (5ft 11in)
Fact: Costinha was part of the FC Porto UEFA Champions League-winning side in 2003-2004; during the knockout stage of the competition, he scored a memorable last-minute equalizer against Manchester United, to defeat the British side 3-2 on aggregate.

Maniche
Made his debut for Portugal in March 2003, against Brazil, aged 25. Currently playing for Chelsea on loan from Dynamo Moscow, Maniche has won 28 caps for Portugal and has scored 4 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: November 11, 1977
Height: 1.73m (5ft 7in)
Fact: Maniche spent a successful three years at Porto from 2002 to 2005, where he played under current club manager Jose Mourinho, winning the Portuguese league title twice, the Portuguese Cup, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Champions' League, the Intercontinental Cup, and the Portuguese Super Cup.

Simão Sabrosa
Made his debut for Portugal on November 11, 1998, against Israel, aged 19. Currently playing for Benfica, Sabrosa has won 41 caps for Portugal and has scored 7 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: October 31, 1979
Height: 1.70m (5ft 6in)
Fact: Potential Liverpool transfer target Sabrosa was joint top scorer in the Portuguese league in 2002-2003, with 18 goals in 33 games.

Hugo Viana
Made his debut for Portugal on November 14, 2001, against Angola, aged 18. Currently playing for Valencia, Viana has won 18 caps for Portugal and has scored 1 goal for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: January 15, 1983
Height: 1.81m (5ft 11in)
Fact: Former Newcastle player Viana scored his only international goal to date in Portugal's final World Cup qualifying match, in Ocotber 2005; the game, a home tie against Latvia, finished 3-0 to Portugal.

Strikers

Luis Boa Morte
Made his debut for Portugal on April 25, 2001, against France, aged 23. Currently playing for Fulham, Boa Morte has won 24 caps for Portugal and has scored 1 goal for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: August 4, 1977
Height: 1.77m (5ft 9in)
Fact: Infamous for his less than exemplary disciplinary record, one game that Boa Morte would probably like to forget is a Premiership game for Fulham against Ipswich in 2001, when he missed a penalty and shortly afterwards received a red card.

Helder Postiga
Made his debut for Portugal on February 12, 2003, against France, aged 21. Currently playing for St-Etienne, Postiga has won 21 caps for Portugal and has scored 9 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: August 2, 1982
Height: 1.79m (5ft 10in)
Fact: Postiga spent the 2003-2004 season at Tottenham Hotspur, but failed to impress, scoring just once in 19 games.

Nuno Gomes
Made his debut for Portugal on March 24, 1996, against France, aged 19. Currently playing for Benfica, Nuno Gomes has won 53 caps for Portugal and has scored 23 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: July 5, 1976
Height: 1.80m (5ft 10in)
Fact: Gomes scored an incredible hat-trick in just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra in September 2001; the match finished 7-1 to Portugal, with Gomes adding a fourth goal in the final minute.

Pauleta
Made his debut for Portugal on August 20, 1997, against Armenia, aged 24. Currently playing for Paris St-Germain, Pauleta has won 80 caps for Portugal and has scored 43 goals for his country (as at March 1, 2006).
Date of birth: April 28, 1973
Height: 1.80m (5ft 10in)
Fact: Pauleta was the top scorer in the French league in 2002-2003 with 23 goals in 37 games for Bordeaux.