Portugal land in Albania for the 2025 UEFA European U17 Championship | OneFootball

Portugal arrived in Albania late last night with three days to go before they begin their campaign at the 2025 UEFA European U17 Championship. The eight-team tournament will be contested from 19 May to 1 June.

The “Equipa das Quinas” are making their sixth consecutive appearance at the tournament where they have a proud history, winning four titles when it was an U16 event and two U17 titles in 2003 and 2016.

Portugal reached the semi-finals in 2022 and lost to Italy in the final last year. Despite the disappointing 3-0 defeat to a strong Italian side, a number of players proved their quality in Cyprus and continued to shine this season, namely João Simões, Geovany Quenda and Rodrigo Mora.

Bino Maçães’ side will compete in Group A alongside Germany, France and hosts Albania. Their campaign begins against the Albanians, the match taking place in Tirana on 19 May.

Qualifying Round

Portugal 10-0 Liechtenstein, Estádio Nacional, Jamor

Portugal wasted no time in asserting their authority in Jamor, Mauro Furtado scoring in the 4th minute before Tomás Soares and Mateus Mide scored two goals each. Rafael Quintas and Brandão Baptista got in on the act to make it 7-0 at half-time.

Bernardo Lima converted a penalty in the 60th minute as Liechtenstein counted down the minutes, Yoan Pereira and Gil Neves scoring late on to seal the double digit victory.

Bino Maçães talked about the victory after full-time: "We knew that Liechtenstein had some weaknesses, the main objective was to maintain our seriousness and try to score as many goals as possible. That’s why we tried to get that message across.

"Especially in the first half, we played excellently, started very well, very serious, creating lots of chances and building a big result. It’s a shame that in the second half we weren’t able to maintain that level, but I’m happy with what we did."

Portugal 5-1 Finland, Cidade do Futebol, Oeiras

Portugal beat Finland 5-1 to guarantee early qualification to the Elite Round. Gil Neves assisted Bernardo Lima in the 6th minute before Niilo Siren equalised, the lead regained when Duarte Cunha and Gabriel Dbouk combined to create a goal for Gil Neves.

Neves broke through before half-time and forced an own goal by Topias Töllinen, Duarte Cunha making it 4-1 In the 58th minute after Mateus Mide stole the ball from Finnish goalkeeper Kasperi Silen.

Tomás Soares was sent off in the 66th minute but that didn’t deter Portugal, Martim Chelmik scoring from a corner in the 75th minute.

Portugal 4-2 Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estádio Nacional, Jamor

The Equipa das Quinas started the game well with Anísio Cabral opening the scoring in the 11th minute. Bosnia-Herzegovina fought back and took a 2-1 half-time lead following goals to Din Ramić and Kenan Vrban.

Portugal increased the intensity and pressure in the second half, scoring three goals in the space of seven minutes through Stevan Manuel (70’) Anísio Cabral (74’) and Yoan Pereira (77’).

The victory gave Portugal the best performance among all the teams that played in Round 1, 19 goals scored and three conceded.

Torneio Internacional Algarve

Portugal’s U17 side continued their tradition of hosting the Torneio Internacional Algarve in February, the 47th edition of the tournament.

Portugal 1-0 Spain, Estádio Municipal Bela Vista, Parchal

Portugal stepped up the pressure before the break with shots from Diego Coxi and Mateus Mide saved by Carlos Guirao, Duarte Cunha and Yoan Pereira firing over the bar either side of the break.

The goal came from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute after Gil Neves was dragged down in the box, Gabriel Dbouk stepping up and beating Guirao from the spot.

Portugal 0-0 Denmark, Estádio Municipal Bela Vista, Parchal

Martim Guedes fired over the bar but Denmark showed their quality and went close when Adam Fuglsang hit the post. Portugal got on top with Martim Guedes forcing a save from Andreas Søndenbroe and Anísio Cabral seeing his shot blocked. Gil Neves headed over the bar and Cabral missed a sitter in the closing stages which meant that bragging rights would go down to the final match.

Portugal 2-0 Germany, Estádio Algarve, Loulé

Anísio Cabral opened the scoring in the 21st minute, his shot deflected past Tjark Möbius by Nebe-Sirak Domnic. Rafael Quintas hit the bar and Alexander Staff hit the post, Martim Guedes forcing a save from Möbius.

The winning goal came in the 83rd minute when left-back José Neto got forward, delivering a dangerous cross that was turned into his own net by Elias Vali Fard.

Elite Round

Portugal 2-0 Hungary, Cidade Desportiva do SC Braga

Portugal got on top early, Anísio Cabral and Mateus Mide seeing early shots blocked and Duarte Cunha firing wide. Cunha’s cross found Gil Neves who went close and Cabral’s swerving shot sailed away from the top corner.

The deadlock was broken in the 38th minute when Neves fired a left-footed effort past Márk Balogh. Cabral got on the score sheet in the 60th minute when he raced onto Rafael Quintas’ pass, drew Balogh out of his box, stepped inside and curled the ball into the bottom corner.

Benjámin Gólik rattled the bar with Hungary’s first shot of the contest but there was no hint of a comeback in Braga. João Aragão came off the bench and had an impact, hitting the post and testing Balogh late on.

Portugal 3-1 Netherlands, Estádio Do Vizela

Mateus Mide hit the post early on and Bernardo Lima saw his goal ruled out for offside, Portugal going ahead in the 36th minute through Anísio Cabral.

Lima fired wide but the lead was extended in the 41st minute when Mauro Furtado went on a long run forward, played 1-2’s with Francisco Fernandes and Cabral before slotting the ball past Nick Dobben.

The game was as good as over two minutes later when Anísio Cabral rattled the bar, the ball remaining in play for Lima who squeezed his shot past Dobben.

João Aragão came off the bench and tested Dobben in the 63rd minute but the chances dried up, the Dutch side scoring a late consolation from Sean Steur’s corner, Kelvin Neijenhuis converting from close range.

Portugal 3-1 Serbia, Estádio Cidade de Barcelos

A win or a draw against Serbia was enough for Bino Maçaes’ side to qualify for Albania but there were no signs that Portugal would be content with a point.

Gil Neves, Mateus Mide and Anísio Cabral all had chances before Neves opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, the attacking midfielder driving into the box and stepping Danilo Pejić, then curling the ball into the net despite Savo Radanović getting a touch on the ball.

Cabral headed Duarte Cunha’s cross against the post after the break before Cabral was awarded a penalty, the striker stepping up and missing the target. Portugal doubled their advantage in the 77th minute when Cabral’s cross was headed home by Yohan Pereira.

Serbia got a goal back through Aleksa Damjanović but it was too little too late, Cabral bundling the ball over the line in the 89th minute. The victory not only sealed Portugal’s spot at the 2025 UEFA European U17 Championship. They earned a spot at the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup which will be played in Qatar from 3 to 27 November, their first appearance in the tournament since 2003.

Bino Maçães was understandably pleased after sealing qualifaction for two tournaments, saying: "With all due merit, we are in the final phase that we wanted so much. What’s more, this year we also have the World Cup. It’s a reward for these kids and for this generation.

"Normally, we think big, because we have quality kids in the academy. We also benefit from what the clubs do. Congratulations to the clubs for giving us these players, with the quality they already have in interpreting the game.

"We have already faced France, Spain, Germany, several of the teams that could be in this European Championship. We will be prepared, with humility and ’feet on the ground’. It is a reward to enjoy being in a competition like this. May it be the first of many.

"We played strategically, a bit like we did against the Netherlands who had to win the game if they wanted to have any hope of qualifying. They had to put pressure on us to take advantage of their opponents’ anxiety. This game was a bit like that too. First, we had to prepare the team for a decisive game. We had never been in a situation like this before. When it’s serious, the players get anxious. We’re talking about 16-year-olds."

Manager

Manuel Albino Morim Maçães, known as Bino, was born in Póvoa de Varzim in 1972. He progressed through the youth ranks at FC Porto, representing Portugal at the 1989 European U16 Championship, 1989 FIFA U16 World Championship and 1994 European U21 Championship.

Following loan spells at Rio Ave, Salgueiros and Belenenses, he made 12 appearances and scored two goals as Porto won the 1995-96 Primeira Liga title. The midfielder was unable to hold down a regular spot in the Dragons’ side and was loaned to Marítimo.

Bino Maçães moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal in 1998 alongside current U21 manager Rui Jorge. He appeared in 12 matches as the Lions won the 1999-2000 title, their first in 18 years.

The midfielder spent two years at Tenerife and another two at Marítimo before winding down his playing career at Moreirense, retiring in 2009.

Bino earned three caps for Portugal, the first coming on 11 October 2000 when he played the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 away victory over the Netherlands in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. His teammates that day included Fernando Couto, Jorge Costa, Rui Costa, Luís Figo, Sérgio Conceição and Pauleta.

He started again in a friendly in November 2000, suffering an injury and replaced in the first half as Portugal beat Israel 2-1 at Estádio 1º de Maio.

His final appearance for the Seleção came in March 2002. It was another friendly, a 4-1 defeat against Finland at Estádio do Bessa Século XXI where he came on at half-time with Portugal 3-1 down.

The 52-year-old returned to Sporting as a scout in 2010 before returning to Porto in 2014 as head coach of the U17 side. He left in 2017 and resurfaced two years later as manage of Vitória de Guimarães’ B team.

In April 2021 he replaced João Henriques as caretaker manager of the senior side, his spell lasting seven matches. Bino became the manager of Liga 3 club Leiria in October 2021, leaving in June 2022 after his side were knocked out in the promotion play-offs.

Bino decided that international football was more to his liking and the Portuguese Football Federation agreed. He spent a year as U16 assistant manager before taking over the U20 side in 2022, winning one of his six games in charge.

He then managed the U16 side from 2023 to 2024, his 11 games resulting in six wins and five defeats. Bino remained with the group and successfully guided them to the U17 Championship in Albania.

Squad

Bino Maçães initially named 22 players in his squad for the training camp. Martim Vasconcelos replaced the injured Diego Coxi. The squad was then reduced to the 20 players who will travelled to Albania, Vasconcelos missing out alongside Francisco Fernandes.

Goalkeepers: Romário Cunha (Braga), Alexandre Tverdohlebov (Sporting CP)

Defenders: Daniel Banjaqui (Benfica), Gabriel Dbouk (Braga), Martim Chelmik (Porto), Ricardo Neto (Benfica), José Neto (Benfica), Yoan Pereira (Porto), Mauro Furtado (Benfica)

Midfielders: Santiago Silva (Vitória de Guimarães), Rafael Quintas (Benfica), Gil Neves (Benfica), Tomás Soares (Benfica), Bernardo Lima (Porto), Martim Guedes (Vitória de Guimarães)

Forwards: João Aragão (Braga), Duarte Cunha (Porto), Stevan Manuel (Benfica), Mateus Mide (Porto), Anísio Cabral (Benfica)

Quotes

Bino Maçães: “Our group of players is very homogeneous. We may not have a player who is already shining at higher levels, but we have a homogeneous team, with very high-quality players and I believe they will have an excellent career, both in the national teams and at club level.

“We already have a deeper understanding of France and Germany. We haven’t played Albania yet with this generation. It will be a tough game against them too, they are the hosts, it is the opening game of the Euros, there will be great enthusiasm from them.

“We really wanted to reach this level, with great visibility for the players, which, at a time when there is a lot of investment in young players, could be important for their careers. We have been growing in terms of maturity.

"This generation was a bit rebellious at the beginning of this journey, due to age and discovery. We have been working on this issue very well. From the preparation games to the qualifying stages, we have been facing these great teams, such as France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Denmark. The only one we have not faced is England.

“We have grown very steadily and the success we had in the qualifiers is proof of this. In the last few months, I have noticed a very marked growth in maturity on their part. The first objective has been achieved, but we want more. Considering the size of Portugal, I think the work has been very well done by those who have been here over all these years. We will try to continue this.”

Martim Chelmik: “The team is very focused and motivated. We are working hard to take these three group stage games seriously and to have an excellent European Championship. Our goal is always to do more and better. Last year the under-17s had a great campaign and we have to follow our path.

“There will be three very competitive and difficult games, which will force us to give our best. It is obvious that Germany and France are great powers, but we are very focused on the game against Albania.

“It is the first and it is very important to start with a win. They are the hosts of the competition, they will be excited and with the crowd cheering them on. We have to be united and focused to start the European Championship in the best way possible.

“I am a confident player, a player who is not afraid of making mistakes. I go into every duel to win and I always give my all on the pitch. These are attributes that not only characterise me, but the whole team.

“We are very focused and united, there is always maximum commitment from us. The Portuguese can expect great dedication to achieve victories in this European Championship.”

Gil Neves: “It is a huge source of pride to have the opportunity to represent Portugal in a competition like the European Championship. We are really looking forward to showing Europe our quality and what we can do on the pitch.

“Germany and France are huge teams in European football, but Albania have already shown that they are a very strong team. Our focus is on the three games.

“It is very important to start with a win, Albania have a very capable team and they are playing at home. We will have to be at our best. We want to win all three games and advance to the semi-finals.

“I can promise to give my best, to work to the limit to be able to help my teammates and the team to grow. I want to give everything to be among the 20 called up and then the decision is up to the coach.”

Mateus Mide: “The group is very excited about this final phase. With our work and dedication we will achieve good results. We are confident that we can go far. Our first objective is to get through the group phase and secure a place in the semi-finals. We look at last year’s under-17s as a reference, but we want to follow our own path and make our own history.

“The game against Albania will be very important. It will be the first, the opening game of the Euro, and we have to focus on winning three points and getting off to the best start in the competition. Only then will we think about the other opponents. We have to focus on our game and what we can do on the pitch. We know we have the potential to win any game and that is what we aim for.

“I am very happy to have the opportunity to compete in a European Championship. I am very grateful to the coaching team for their trust, I feel it is a great responsibility and a huge source of pride. I want to do my best to help the team.”

Ricardo Neto: “I feel very happy to see my work recognised, it is a source of great pride for me to be among the 20 players called up. I am one step away from realising my dream of playing in the final stage of a competition for Portugal.

“Our main goal is to get through the group. It’s normal for people to talk more about Germany and France, two great powers in world football, but we have to have enormous respect and be serious about Albania. They’re playing at home, we’re going to play them in the opening game and it’s a tough game. We want to start the Euros winning, it’s very important.

“We are a complete team. We are very united and I feel the group is focused. We try to pull each other up, we don’t let anyone fall. We are all fighting, all together for the success of the team.

“I’m a fast, strong central defender who’s very good in defensive 1v1 situations. My biggest role model is Rúben Dias.”

Fixtures

Group A - Monday May 19, 2025

17:00 - Portugal vs Albania (Arena Kombëtare, Tirana)

Group A - Thursday May 22, 2025

17:00 - Portugal vs France (Arena Kombëtare, Tirana)

Group A - Sunday May 25, 2025

19:30 - Portugal vs Germany (Arena Kombëtare, Tirana)

Semi-Finals - Thursday May 29, 2025

17:00 (Elbasan Arena, Elbasan)

19:30 (Arena Kombëtare, Tirana)

Final - Sunday June 1, 2025