Portugal

The 23-year-old forward joins the Blues until the end of the season for a reported loan fee of €11million (£9.7m).

There has been no official disclosure from either Chelsea or Atleti whether a purchase option has been included, though Joao Felix has extended his contract with the Spanish side until 2027.

Joao Felix had been strongly linked with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United, but it is Chelsea who have made their move, looking to recover what has been a disappointing campaign at Stamford Bridge so far.

Graham Potter has struggled since replacing Thomas Tuchel as head coach in September, with Chelsea languishing in 10th place in the league as well as being eliminated from both the EFL Cup and FA Cup by Manchester City, losing 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Joao Felix becomes Chelsea's fourth addition of the January transfer window, following David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos and Benoit Badiashile.

The Portugal international has struggled for consistency since his nine-figure move to Atletico from Benfica in 2019, though has managed five goals and three assists in 20 games (11 starts) this season for his club.

After reported disagreements with head coach Diego Simeone though, Joao Felix now has the chance to help rescue Chelsea's season in England.

"Chelsea is one of the great teams in the world and I hope to help the team reach their objectives, so I am very, very happy to be here and very excited to play at Stamford Bridge," said Joao Felix.

The Juventus star is asymptomatic and "doing well", the federation said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Ronaldo, 35, has left the national team camp to begin self-isolating. 

All other members of Fernando Santos' squad have returned negative tests and are therefore clear to be involved in Wednesday's Nations League match against Sweden.

Fernando Santos called time on his eight-year stint at the helm last month, a decision which followed Portugal's surprise World Cup defeat to Morocco.

Santos led Portugal to the quarter-finals in Qatar, where he benched Cristiano Ronaldo for the Selecao's two knockout games – a comprehensive 6-1 win over Switzerland and the 1-0 loss to the Atlas Lions.

Martinez, who was presented as Portugal's new coach on Monday and has reportedly signed a four-year deal, became a free agent shortly before Santos' exit, leaving his role as Belgium coach after the Red Devils slumped to a dismal group-stage exit in Qatar.

Former Wigan Athletic and Everton boss Martinez led Belgium to their best World Cup campaign when they clinched third place at Russia 2018, though his failure to deliver silverware with a crop of players said to be the country's "golden generation" has attracted criticism.

Martinez oversaw 61 games during his six-year spell in charge of Belgium, winning 47 (77 per cent).

Belgium beat Canada in their opening match in Qatar but a defeat to Morocco and draw with Croatia saw them slump eliminated from a World Cup group for the first time since 1998.

They entered the World Cup second in FIFA's world rankings, but dropped to fourth after their failure to reach the knockout round.

Upon taking the job, one of Martinez's foremost challenges will be to make a decision on the international future of Ronaldo, who has joined Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia following the termination of his contract with Manchester United.

Though Ronaldo recognised his "most ambitious dream" was over after failing to inspire Portugal to glory at his fifth World Cup, the 37-year-old is yet to retire from international football.

Portugal will begin their qualification campaign for Euro 2024 at home to Liechtenstein on March 23, having been drawn into a group also containing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Slovakia and Luxembourg.

Ali Daei, who scored 109, is the only other player to have racked up a century of strikes for his country, and Ronaldo is closing in on the Iran great, having been made to wait since November 2019 for his milestone effort.

A hat-trick in Portugal's 6-0 Euro 2020 qualifying demolition of Lithuania took the Juventus star to 98, before he added another against Luxembourg in the next match.

But with the coronavirus pandemic delaying any further internationals and Ronaldo sitting out of last week's win over Croatia, the 35-year-old has only now reached three figures.

Ronaldo scored his first international goal at Euro 2004 and went on to eclipse marks set by the likes of Eusebio and Pauleta to become Portugal's all-time top marksman. He has more than double Pauletta's previous record of 47.

The 30-year-old, who spent the 2023-24 season on loan with Bayern Munich and Barcelona, was forced to miss Euro 2020 after testing positive for Coronavirus. 

Cancelo was replaced in the squad by Diogo Dalot, but featured at his first major tournament for the Selecao at the World Cup in Qatar two years ago. 

Portugal start their group campaign in Leipzig against Czechia on Tuesday, and the defender is looking to make up for a lost opportunity in Germany this time around. 

“It was unfair, because I had a great season, I felt like I should have been there but life didn't want it that way,” said Cancelo. 

“Maybe I had to wait for this moment to be the right one to assert myself."

"No matter how many clubs I play for, the national team is the highlight of my career because in it I represent my family, my friends who played with me on the street," he added.

"It's always the highlight, whether in a friendly or in top competition.”

Following their encounter with Ivan Hasek's side, Portugal travel to Dortmund to face Turkiye before concluding their group fixtures against Georgia on June 26.

Roberto Martinez will take charge of his first major tournament since being appointed as Fernando Santos' successor at the beginning of 2023. 

The Spaniard guided the Selecao to an unbeaten qualifying campaign, the only side to do so out of the 24 teams in the competition, with Cancelo praising the 50-year-old's impact on the squad since his arrival. 

“He is a coach who from the first day made me feel at ease, both on a sporting and personal level.

“He is very close to the players, has good ideas, likes attacking, offensive and attractive football and I identify with that because I think the same way,” added Cancelo.

“We hope to bring him joy. He has made a difference since he arrived and has adapted very quickly.”
 

Scotland sit bottom of Group A1 after losing all three of their matches in the competition, the latest of which came in a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Zagreb. 

The loss saw Clarke's side extend their longest winless run in competitive matches in their history to nine (D3 L6), while they have now lost four consecutive games for the first time in five years.

Scotland's recent run of form includes their dismal showing at Euro 2024, as they failed to reach the knockout stages for a sixth time at a major tournament, picking up just one point from their three games in Germany, though Clarke remains optimistic.

"It's a tough moment, no doubt about it, but we believe in ourselves," Clarke told BBC Sport.

"After 20 years in the international wilderness, this group has got to two major tournaments and been promoted to the top level of the Nations League, so I don't understand why there would be doubts.

"We have to believe in what we are doing and when I look at the players on the pitch, I believe in what we're doing.

"The players understand where we are in the process, and they are ready to go again.

"They understand that we are playing difficult opponents, and they understand the squad could be stronger.

"I don't speak about that too much, since we have to concentrate on who we have here.

"We have to go out against Portugal, and we know we have to be good at everything we do in the game."

But in aiming to rediscover that winning feeling, they face an uphill task against a Portugal side who have won each of their last seven competitive away games by an aggregate score of 22-1.

Scotland have also lost each of their last four matches against the Selecao, with the Scots only currently on a longer run of defeats against Belgium and Brazil (both six). 

But one positive from their display against Croatia was the performance of Ben Doak.

At 18 years and 336 days old, Doak became the youngest player to start a competitive match for Scotland since Willie Johnston against Poland in 1965 (18 years and 298 days) against Croatia.

However, Clarke stressed the importance of not piling too much pressure onto the youngster's shoulders so early into his international career. 

"We're already starting to grow the next generation of players," Clarke said.

"As well as trying to be good now, I’m trying to leave a group who are ready to carry on. We don't want 20 years after this group without the success we all want.

"We want Ben to be a talent for the next 15 years, not 15 months, so don't put too much pressure on him.

"He's a young man, he will make mistakes in the game, he will do really good things in the game.

"We need to get the balance right between giving Ben the opportunity to play, which he's more than capable of taking, and protecting him a bit, make sure we don't overhype."

Scott McTominay gave Scotland an early lead after seven minutes, but Portugal fought back through goals from Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo to take all three points in Group A1.

Ronaldo's goal came in the 88th minute and was his 901st career goal.

It leaves Scotland on their longest-ever winless run as they remain without a win in their last eight competitive games in all competitions, but Clarke feels they should not have left Lisbon empty-handed.

"I'm disappointed to lose a game where it looked, for a large period, we would get something from it," he told the BBC.

"I'm really disappointed for my players because I think they deserved to get something from the game.

"If you ignore the results, [there are a lot of positives], but we're professional, so it's disappointing.

"We played well in these two games, but we don't have anything to show for it. I've told the players not to be too hard on themselves. They have to understand the work that we're doing."

Scotland did well to prevent Portugal from getting any further sight at goal, defending a total of 26 shots during the match with seven ending up on target.

The 16 shots the Scots had to defend in the opening 45 minutes were the most they have faced in a first-half since October 2012 when Belgium also let loose 16 efforts.

"With the amount of balls that go into the box, you know one of them can go in the back of the net and that's what happened to us," added Clarke.

"When you bring quality players from the bench like Roberto [Martinez] can do, you always know there's a risk, but I felt we handled it well.

"We'll go away and analyse these games, and hopefully, we can give the lads a few pointers for the games next month, which don't get any easier."

Gamechanger Ronaldo was brought on at half-time by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, a move that was well thought through and had the desired effect.

"Ronaldo did 17 sprints against Croatia. He is the player who made the most sprints. So we need to protect the players. One more game in 72 hours is impossible to have a physical performance [equal]," Martinez explained.

"The question was whether Ronaldo played the first half and left or came in and finished the game. That was the decision.

"He is an asset to the national team. When he comes in, if the [team] needs goals, Cris gives energy and a feeling to the fans. The stadium is different.

"If Cris leaves, it's the opposite and facilitates what the opponent would like to do when playing away from home in Portugal."

Ronaldo was on target for Portugal in their 3-1 win over Poland, doubling their tally after Bernardo Silva's opener.

Piotr Zielinski provided the Selecao with a late scare, but Jan Bednarek's own goal ensured Portugal kept their 100% record, and they are the only team to win all three games so far in League A.

The Portugal captain was replaced by Diogo Jota, who had a hand in their third goal, in the 63rd minute, having had three shots and accumulating 1.43 expected goals (xG).

And Martinez insisted Ronaldo would have a part to play against Scotland as he praised the team's resilience to get the win over the line.

"It's part of managing players when you have two games in 72 hours. Diogo Jota came on very well. Cristiano is perfect," Martinez said.

"The first half was very good. We controlled the game, created opportunities, had very good synchronisation as a team, defended Poland's strengths very well and scored great goals.

"I'm happy with the new players who came in, it seems they have several international caps.

"Conceding a goal was a difficult moment, and it was great to see the reaction and score another goal. Overall, a very good performance.

"The challenge is two away games. 72 hours, recovering well. The players showed all their commitment during training and work at the Football City."

Martinez was also impressed by debutant Renato Veiga, who started alongside Ruben Dias at centre-back.

The Chelsea defender made seven clearances, the most of any player on the team, and helped limit Robert Lewandowski to just two shots, neither of which were on target.

"He has a very special profile. In his first training session, he showed that he gained maturity during the September training camp," Martinez added.

"He is an aggressive player, with great communication skills, who can defend large spaces, play in the air, against a Poland side that is very strong in set pieces.

"It was a fantastic debut. With a striker like Lewandowski, I think it is a debut that shows Renato's potential and how he is working at the moment."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner superbly struck the celebrated number 100 in Portugal's Nations League meeting with Sweden on Tuesday.

It was just his fourth Nations League goal, but across a 17-year Portugal career there are many more mind-bending numbers to be found in a three-figure tally surpassed only by one man, Iran's Ali Daei, in international football.

To mark the milestone, we have mined the Opta data to bring you six of the best stats behind Ronaldo's terrific ton.

6 – Ronaldo has scored multiple international goals against six of the teams presently ranked in FIFA's top 20: Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland and latest opponents Sweden.

7 – The former Manchester United star has feasted on Lithuania in this qualifying section, putting seven goals past Valdas Urbonas's side in the space of two games. Indeed, those goals makes the Baltic side his all-time most profitable opponent.

9 – Portugal named Ronaldo in their Euro 2004 squad at the end of his first season at Old Trafford. The then-teenager scored twice and was named in the official team of the tournament, beginning a love affair with the Euros that has yielded nine goals in total – two more than he has managed at the World Cup.

14 – Ronaldo's most prolific season in a Portugal shirt was also one of his most memorable at club level. He struck 14 times for his country in 2016-17 and celebrated a LaLiga-Champions League double with Real Madrid.

25 – Once a touchline-hugging winger, Ronaldo has developed into a true attacking all-rounder to the point of scoring 25 of his international goals with his head, three more than have come from his left foot.

28 – When others are tiring, Ronaldo tends to be at his sharpest. The 34-year-old has scored more often – 28 times – in the final 15 minutes of matches for Portugal than in any other interval.

The Juventus forward has shown no signs of slowing his goal output, finishing the 2019-20 season with 31 goals and a second Serie A title before firing in 12 in 10 league appearances this term.

In 2020 he became the fourth player in the history of Italy's top flight to score 33 goals in a calendar year after Omar Sivori (33 in 1961), Gunnar Nordahl (36 in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933).

That tally puts him top of the goalscoring charts in Europe's top five leagues this year, ahead of The Best FIFA Men's Player award winner Robert Lewandowski (32).

Portugal captain Ronaldo will be 37 by the time the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar but hinted that he intends to be there.

"It doesn't matter the age. What is important is the mind," Ronaldo told BBC Sport, after being named Player of the Century at the Globe Soccer Awards this week.

"It doesn't matter if Cristiano Ronaldo is good, you don't know tomorrow what is going to happen. I live in the present, in the moment.

"The moment is good, I feel happy, I feel sharp and in a good moment in my life. I hope to play many, many years more but you never know."

Ronaldo scored a brace in Juventus' 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League on December 8 and followed it up with doubles in Serie A victories over Genoa and Parma – either side of missing a penalty in a draw against Atalanta.

Despite his impressive form, the Bianconeri are sixth in the table, 10 points behind league leaders Milan, and Ronaldo admitted the absence of fans at the Allianz Stadium frustrated him.

"I don't like to play in the stadiums without fans, it's like going to the circus but you don't see clowns," Ronaldo said.

"The pandemic has made people crazy. I hope soon they can open the gates of the stadiums.

"We have to live with that, we have to try to do a normal life but of course we have to respect the rules. But to play without the fans, I really don't like it."

The Juventus forward has shown no signs of slowing his goal output, finishing the 2019-20 season with 31 goals and a second Serie A title before firing in 12 in 10 league appearances this term.

In 2020 he became the fourth player in the history of Italy's top flight to score 33 goals in a calendar year after Omar Sivori (33 in 1961), Gunnar Nordahl (36 in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933).

That tally puts him top of the goalscoring charts in Europe's top five leagues this year, ahead of The Best FIFA Men's Player award winner Robert Lewandowski (32).

Portugal captain Ronaldo will be 37 by the time the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar but hinted that he intends to be there.

"It doesn't matter the age. What is important is the mind," Ronaldo told BBC Sport, after being named Player of the Century at the Globe Soccer Awards this week.

"It doesn't matter if Cristiano Ronaldo is good, you don't know tomorrow what is going to happen. I live in the present, in the moment.

"The moment is good, I feel happy, I feel sharp and in a good moment in my life. I hope to play many, many years more but you never know."

Ronaldo scored a brace in Juventus' 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League on December 8 and followed it up with doubles in Serie A victories over Genoa and Parma – either side of missing a penalty in a draw against Atalanta.

Despite his impressive form, the Bianconeri are sixth in the table, 10 points behind league leaders Milan, and Ronaldo admitted the absence of fans at the Allianz Stadium frustrated him.

"I don't like to play in the stadiums without fans, it's like going to the circus but you don't see clowns," Ronaldo said.

"The pandemic has made people crazy. I hope soon they can open the gates of the stadiums.

"We have to live with that, we have to try to do a normal life but of course we have to respect the rules. But to play without the fans, I really don't like it."

The Juventus and Portugal forward was given the Player of the Century award at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday. The prize was given to the player considered the world's best from 2001 to 2020.

Even as the accolades pile up, the 35-year-old admits he is not enjoying the game as much as he did previously, and he puts that down to the pandemic keeping fans locked out of stadiums.

The Serie A season is taking place behind closed doors for now, and reigning champions Juventus have not been the force they were last term, sitting sixth after 13 games.

Ronaldo still appears to be coming up to scratch, with 12 goals in 10 Serie A appearances and another four in four games in the Champions League.

But the five-time Ballon d'Or winner said: "I have to be honest: to play in the stadium empty it's boring in my opinion.

"The players all respect the protocol and the health is the most important, of course.

"But I don't like it, to be honest. I do it because first of all I love football. I play for my family, for my kids, for my friends, for the fans, but I don't like it. It's so weird to play without [fans].

"I like it when the people boo Cristiano - when I touch the ball they go: 'Booo!'

"I hope in '21 they can change the rules and see stadiums full of people."

Ronaldo expressed hope that his 10-year-old son Cristiano Jr could follow in his footsteps and become a professional footballer.

But fitness fanatic Ronaldo joked that the youngster might have to adjust his diet to make it at the highest level.

"I'm hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes. I fight with him when he eats chips and fries and everything - I don't like it," Ronaldo said.

"Even my small kids, when they eat chocolate they always look at me and we have to be strong.

"But he has potential. He's a big boy, he's fast and he dribbles well. But this takes a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work.

"I won't push for him to be a football player. If you ask me if I want, yes I want but he's going to be whatever he wants."

Ronaldo, who has won domestic league titles in Spain, England and Italy as well as Euro 2016 with Portugal, appears to be defying his age as he flourishes for Juventus.

Earlier this month he became only the fourth player to ever score at least 33 Serie A goals in a calendar year, and the first since former Juventus forward Omar Sivori in 1961.

Since joining from Real Madrid in July 2018, Ronaldo has netted a remarkable 64 goals in 74 Serie A appearances, at a rate of one goal every 100.5 minutes.

He has also claimed 14 assists and struck the woodwork 13 times in those games.

Yet his latest award will only keep the argument rumbling about whether Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is the greatest player of this generation.

In the same period that Ronaldo has been wreaking devastation in Italy, Messi has continued to lead from the front at Barcelona, scoring 68 goals and supplying 35 assists in 81 LaLiga games.

Messi's league goals in that time have come at a rate of one every 100.1 minutes.

Ronaldo had his Manchester United contract terminated last month after he criticised the Red Devils' hierarchy – including manager Erik ten Hag – in a controversial interview.

The Portugal captain created more headlines at the World Cup, where he was dropped to the bench for A Selecao's 6-1 win over Switzerland in the last 16, as well as their quarter-final defeat against Morocco.

Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr have been strongly linked with a move for Ronaldo, with coach Rudi Garcia saying he would be "delighted" to coach the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

However, no deal has yet been done, and Premier League side Chelsea continue to be touted as another possible destination for the 37-year-old.

For now, Ronaldo has returned to the site of his peak years, with AS reporting he reached out to Madrid president Perez to ask permission to use the club's Valdebebas training ground.

Ronaldo won 15 trophies – including four Champions League titles – during a nine-year spell with Madrid, while becoming their record scorer with 450 goals.

While Al Nassr are favourites to secure Ronaldo's signature, Spanish media reports have suggested he could opt to continue his career in Qatar, while a return to his first club Sporting CP has also been mooted.

Ronaldo's only goal at the World Cup came from the penalty spot against Ghana in the group stage, meaning he remains the highest-scoring player in the tournament's history (eight goals) to fail to net in a knockout tie.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner insisted he still has more to offer at the international level this week, and he brought up 900 career goals by netting in Portugal's Nations League Nations League opener versus Croatia.

It was a typical poacher's finish that brought up Ronaldo's latest landmark, the forward beating his marker to Nuno Mendes' left-wing cross to sidefoot home and put Portugal 2-0 up inside the first half.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Ronaldo will now surely be targeting the big 1,000, though Pele's FIFA-recognised figure of 1,281 goals will surely prove beyond the 39-year-old.

As Ronaldo plots a route to four figures, we dive into the Opta data to look at how he reached his current total, highlighting the most interesting facts and figures.

Ronaldo's 900th career goal was also his 131st in 213 appearances for Portugal, with both of those figures being all-time records both for the Selecao and for any male player on the international stage.

The ultimate goal poacher, he has scored 109 of those from inside the penalty area, though only 20 have come from the penalty spot – he memorably missed his last spot-kick for the Selecao, versus Slovenia in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

Ronaldo struggled at this year's tournament in Germany, where he had 23 shots but failed to find the net – the first time he has not scored at a major international competition. Only fellow Portugal great Deco has ever had more efforts at a single edition of the Euros without scoring, firing off 24 shots without success at the 2004 tournament.

However, Ronaldo does boast 22 goals at the World Cup/Euros for Portugal overall, winning the Golden Boot with five strikes at Euro 2020, five years on from captaining the Selecao to their maiden trophy. Only two of those, though, have come in knockout matches – versus the Netherlands at Euro 2004 and Wales at Euro 2016.

Still, Ronaldo's international legacy speaks for itself, and his achievements on the club stage are even more impressive.

Ronaldo scored five times for boyhood club Sporting CP before leaving for Manchester United, for whom he plundered 145 goals across two separate spells.

He has broken three figures with all but two of his clubs, netting 101 times for Juventus and being well on the way to doing so with Al-Nassr, for whom he has 68 goals. 

It was at Real Madrid, however, where Ronaldo earned his goal machine tag, scoring exactly half his career goals (450) for Los Blancos and helping them win the Champions League four times.

He is the leading goalscorer in Madrid's illustrious history, some 96 clear of former team-mate Karim Benzema (354), who represented the club 648 times, compared to Ronaldo's 438 appearances.

Overall, Ronaldo has scored 573 of his goals with his favoured right foot, with 173 coming via his left and almost as many – 152 – coming via headers, with his aerial prowess becoming increasingly notable throughout his career.  

What about dead balls? Ronaldo has converted 164 penalties for club and country, including a spot-kick in the 2014 Champions League final versus Atletico Madrid.

Ronaldo's free-kick taking has been an area targeted by those looking to do down on his achievements at times, but he has scored 64 direct free-kick goals throughout his career, the latest coming in a 4-1 win over Al-Fayha in the Saudi Pro League before the turn of the month.

Where, then, do Ronaldo's achievements rank versus those of his peers? Drum roll please... Ronaldo is currently some 62 goals ahead of his great rival Lionel Messi, who has 838 career strikes for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.  

With Ronaldo firing on all cylinders in Saudi Arabia and looking unlikely to give up the ghost at international level any time soon, few would bet against him extending that advantage before the two greats hang up their boots.

Josko Gvardiol equalised in the 65th minute after Joao Felix had put Portugal – already assured of top spot – ahead in the first half at Stadion Poljud.

That goal ensured Croatia finished a point better off than Scotland in Group A1 after they earned a late 2-1 victory over Poland in Warsaw.

In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix stepped up by taking Vitinha's pass in his stride and calmly firing past Dominik Livakovic in the 33rd minute – the goal allowed to stand after a VAR check for offside.

Andrej Kramaric blasted an effort back off the crossbar and Gvardiol had a goal disallowed for offside either side of the interval as Croatia pressed for a leveller.

Gvardiol found the net again soon after, though, and this time it was allowed to stand as he got on the end of Kristijan Jakic's delivery at the back post.

Livakovic and Jose Sa produced fine saves to deny Nuno Mendes and Ante Budimir, who also hit the outside of the post, but neither side could find a winning goal.

Data Debrief: Gvardiol scores again against blunt visitors

Roberto Martinez opted to release Ronaldo, Silva, Pedro Neto and the suspended Fernandes back to their clubs before this game and Portugal lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.

Joao Felix took his chance very well, scoring his one goal from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.58 across the 90 minutes, but the visitors were unable to find the net from any of their other 11 attempts.

Croatia's attackers were also frustrated by a mixture of the frame of the goal and Sa, but in-form defender Gvardiol was the hero as he netted for the fourth time this season already for club and country.

The Manchester United full-back opened the scoring after 33 minutes, with club-mate Bruno Fernandes doubling Portugal's lead before Patrik Schick smashed a penalty over the bar following a VAR call at the end of the first half.

Dalot scored again shortly after the break, and Diogo Jota added gloss to the scoreline late on.

The result moved Portugal above Spain in the standings with one round of games left to play.

Antonin Barak wasted the best chance for the hosts on the half-hour mark as he headed wide, and he would rue his error when Dalot broke the deadlock from close range after Rafael Leao prevented the ball from going out of play by cutting back into the middle.

A dramatic end to the opening half saw Fernandes volley home Mario Rui's cross to double Portugal's lead, before Cristiano Ronaldo was penalised for handball at the other end, the VAR intervention resulting in a penalty that Schick wasted.

Any hopes of a comeback for the Czech Republic suffered a significant dent six minutes after the restart, Dalot netting his second of the game when he curled home a low effort from outside the penalty area.

Further opportunities were few and far between, but there was time for Portugal to extend their lead further, Jota heading home following a corner in the 82nd minute.

Italy beat England 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Wembley in London on July 11, 2021 to win their first European Championship title since 1968.

Gareth Southgate's Three Lions had opened the scoring through Luke Shaw, but the Azzurri levelled via Leonardo Bonucci.

And spot-kick misses by Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka proved costly for England, who had hoped to win a first major title in 55 years.

The two will tussle again – twice – on the road to Germany 2024 after being drawn together in qualifying Group C in Sunday's ceremony, which was held in Frankfurt.

Nevertheless, both teams will still expect to reach the finals given the top two in each group progress to the tournament - joining them will be Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta.

It was North Macedonia who knocked Italy out of the World Cup qualifying play-offs earlier this year.

Group B is another standout after the Netherlands were drawn alongside reigning world champions France in a pool that also contains Republic of Ireland, Greece and Gibraltar.

Spain will be confident of plotting a way through Group A, which also contains Scotland, Norway, Georgia and Cyprus, though Belgium may face a slightly sterner examination after being grouped with Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan and Estonia.

Qualifying is set to begin in March 2023 and conclude eight months later, with the winners and runners-up of each group going straight through to the tournament.

The remaining three teams will be decided in March 2024 via a play-off section, which will be made up of 12 group winners from the 2022-23 Nations League.

If a Nations League section winner has already qualified for Euro 2024, their play-off place will pass to the next best-ranked country from the same league.

Draw in full:

Group A: Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus
Group B: Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar
Group C: Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta
Group D: Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia
Group E: Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group F: Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia
Group G: Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group H: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino
Group I: Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra
Group J: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein

France edged out Belgium in perhaps the most eagerly anticipated tie of the last 16 on Monday, but most of the drama came later on as Portugal took on Slovenia.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Selecao team-mates survived an almighty scare to progress on penalties, with the likes of Diogo Costa and Pepe making history.

Here, we run through all the best Opta facts and stats from a thrilling day of action in Germany.

France 1-0 Belgium: Kante makes history as Bleus get lucky again

The first game of the day saw France edge out neighbours Belgium in a heavyweight clash, though Didier Deschamps' Bleus were far from their best once again.

Only a Jan Vertonghen own goal five minutes from time – forced by Randal Kolo Muani's wayward shot – secured their place in the quarter-finals, as their wait for an open-play goal at Euro 2024 went on.

Alongside Kylian Mbappe's penalty against Poland on matchday three, France have benefitted from two own goals – the other coming via Austria's Max Wober in a 1-0 win in their opening match.

There have now been five instances of a team winning 1-0 via an own goal at the Euros, with France accounting for three of them (versus Germany in 2020, and Austria and Belgium in 2024).

Aged 37 years and 68 days, former Tottenham centre-back Vertonghen became the oldest ever player to score an own goal at the European Championships.

Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku went close at the other end, but in truth, Belgium did not carve out many clear-cut chances.

They have now failed to score in five of their last six games at major international tournaments (European Championship and World Cup), despite having a combined 59 attempts on goal worth 6.85 expected goals (xG) across those matches.

France have now won all five of their major tournament meetings with Belgium (European Championship and World Cup), the joint-best 100% win rate any European nation has against another across those two competitions combined (also Italy versus Austria).

N'Golo Kante's recall to their midfield has been a major talking point at this tournament, and he won both of his tackles and created two chances in a typically tireless performance.

He has now played the most outright matches in European Championship history without ever losing (90 minutes only), winning seven and drawing five of his 12 games.

Portugal 0-0 Slovenia (aet, 3-0 pens): History for Costa and Pepe as Ronaldo's blushes spared

France will face Portugal for a semi-final place after the Selecao survived a monumental scare in their last-16 tie, beating Slovenia on penalties after a goalless draw in Frankfurt.

Much of the tie came down to a battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Jan Oblak, former rivals in LaLiga with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Ronaldo had seven shots worth 1.33 expected goals (xG) in the 120 minutes but simply could not find a way through, breaking down in tears when he had an extra-time penalty repelled by Oblak, who made six saves.

Ronaldo has now taken nine penalties in major international tournament matches, failing to score on three occasions.

He has had 20 shots worth 2.7 xG overall at Euro 2024, the most attempts at the tournament and the fifth-most without netting at any edition of the competition, after Deco in 2004 (24), Fernando Hierro in 1996 (23), Kevin De Bruyne in 2016 and Dani Olmo at Euro 2020 (both 21).

However, he atoned in the shoot-out with an accurate first Portugal kick, then it was down to Diogo Costa to save all three of Slovenia's penalties and send his team through.

He made more saves in the shoot-out (three) than in the 120 minutes preceding it, though Portugal were also indebted to him for making a huge one-on-one stop from Benjamin Sesko in the second half of extra time.

He is the first goalkeeper to ever save three kicks in a European Championship shoot-out, and the first to not concede a single kick.

There was also a piece of history for Pepe, who became the oldest player to feature in a knockout-stage match at a World Cup or European Championship, doing so at the age of 41 years and 126 days to overtake England's Peter Shilton (40 years, 292 days at the 1990 World Cup).

Steve Clarke's Scotland will be Germany's first opponents as they kickstart their bid to become the first sole host nation to win the tournament since France in 1984.

Elsewhere, England can be content with a somewhat kind draw as Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and company look to bring football home, while Group B looks set to earn the title of 'group of death', with defending champions Italy pitted against Spain and Croatia.

As fans across the continent begin plotting their nations' routes to the final, to be held in Berlin on July 14, Stats Perform runs through the best facts and figures from each of the six groups. 

Group A: Germany, Hungary, Scotland, Switzerland

Germany have endured a troubled build-up to their home tournament, with Julian Nagelsmann parachuted in after the dismissal of Hansi Flick in September. The last Germany boss to win a major tournament at his first attempt was Jupp Derwall, who led the team (then West Germany) to Euro 1980 glory.

They will face a familiar foe in the form of Switzerland, who they will meet for the 54th time in senior internationals – no other team has faced Germany as often, but the teams have never met at the Euros before.

Germany's matchday one opponents will be Scotland, who will be making their fourth appearance at the Euros after also qualifying in 1992, 1996 and 2020. They have never reached the knockout stages. 

However, they may fancy their chances of edging out Switzerland and Hungary in what could be a battle for second place this time around. Hungary took bronze when they first appeared at the Euros in 1964, but they have only won one of their nine games at the tournament since then (four draws, four defeats), beating Austria in the 2016 group stage.

Group B: Spain, Albania, Croatia, Italy)

All eyes will be on Group B ahead of the tournament, with three-time winners Spain drawn alongside defending champions Italy – who they beat in the 2012 final – and 2022 World Cup bronze medallists Croatia. 

Excluding penalty shoot-outs, La Roja have only lost two of their last 22 matches at the Euros, winning 13 and drawing seven. The last two teams to beat them? Croatia and Italy in 2016.

Spain are the only nation to win back-to-back editions of the Euros, doing so in 2008 and 2012. Luciano Spalletti's Italy are looking to replicate that feat, having inched past Ukraine to claim second place in their qualification group.

The Azzurri have now qualified for eight successive editions of the tournament, though this is the first time they have reached a major competition while losing two or more games in their qualifying group, having been beaten home and away by England.

While Spain and Italy will feel unfortunate to have landed in such a difficult group, the omens are good for teams that face Croatia when it matters. They have lost to the eventual winners at four of their last six major tournaments, being beaten by Spain at Euro 2012, Portugal at Euro 2016, France at the 2018 World Cup, and Argentina in Qatar last year.

GROUP C: England, Denmark, Slovenia, Serbia

Gareth Southgate may be relieved to have avoided some of the heavy hitters with England landing in Group C, where they will start against Serbia on June 16 before taking on Denmark and Slovenia.

England's rematch with Denmark – who they beat in the Euro 2020 semi-finals – could be decisive in the battle for top spot. The Three Lions are unbeaten in all three of their meetings with Denmark at Euros/World Cups (two wins, one draw), with Switzerland the only team they have faced as often at tournaments without ever losing.

With Kane thriving at Bayern Munich and Bellingham a former star at Borussia Dortmund, two of the Three Lions' star players are no strangers to German turf.

They also have an excellent record against Slovenia, winning five and drawing one of the teams' six all-time meetings. The only one of those games to take place at a major tournament came at the 2010 World Cup, when Jermain Defoe hit the winner in a 1-0 victory for Fabio Capello's team.

Serbia, meanwhile, will be featuring at the Euros for the first time as an independent nation. They competed as Yugoslavia or FR Yugoslavia in five editions, finishing as runners-up in 1960 and 1968.

Group D: France, Austria, Netherlands, play-off winner A

With Kylian Mbappe spearheading their star-studded team, France head to the Euros among the favourites. Boss Didier Deschamps captained his country to glory at Euro 2000, and he could become the first person to win the competition as both a player and a head coach.

Les Bleus, however, face a tough set of opponents in Group D, none more so than the Netherlands.

France have faced the Oranje more often at the Euros without ever winning than they have any other side, losing their last two such matches against them at the 2000 and 2008 tournaments.

Ronald Koeman might be pleased to see his team drawn alongside Austria, with the Netherlands winning their last seven matches against them, averaging 2.9 goals per game throughout that run (20 in total).

The final team in Group D will be decided via the play-offs in March, with Wales, Finland, Poland and Estonia vying for a ticket to Germany. France have met any of those nations at the Euros.

Group E: Belgium, Romania, Slovakia, play-off winner B

Belgium headline Group E, with Domenico Tedesco at the wheel as the last members of the Red Devils' so-called golden generation look to finally deliver on their promise.

Since losing to West Germany in the final of Euro 1980, Belgium have never reached the semi-finals of the tournament, being knocked out in the last eight at each of the last two editions – versus Wales in 2016 and Italy at Euro 2020.

They will be content with a kind-looking draw, with Romania the team drawn into Group E from pot two. Their win ratio of just six per cent at the Euros is the worst of any nation to qualify for more than one edition, winning just once in 16 games at the tournament. 

Slovakia, meanwhile, have only won two of their seven games at Euro tournaments (one draw, four defeats), also failing to score in four of their last five games.

Ukraine, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland will battle for the final spot in this group in March.

GROUP F: Portugal, Turkiye, Czech Republic, play-off winner C

Group F contains 2016 winners Portugal, the only team to reach the knockout stages of the last seven editions of the Euros, a run that stretches back to the 1996 tournament. In fact, they have always progressed from the group stages in their eight previous appearances at the Euros.

Cristiano Ronaldo seems set to be sticking around for this tournament. He will be 39 by the time it rolls around. The Al Nassr attacker holds the records for most games (25) and most goals (14) at the Euros, has also managed a joint-record six assists (since records began in 1972).

Ronaldo's 20 total goal involvements at the Euros are twice as many as any other player since assist records began, with Michel Platini second on 10 (nine goals, one assist).

Roberto Martinez's team open their campaign against the Czech Republic, who are featuring at an eighth successive edition of the Euros (including appearances as Czechoslovakia). Only Germany (14) and France (nine) are currently on longer runs of consecutive appearances.

One of Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan and Luxembourg will join Turkiye in rounding out the group. They are looking to improve on their dismal showing at Euro 2020, and have qualified for three successive editions of the Euros for the first time. However, they have lost six of their last seven matches at the tournament (one win).

Fernandes has gone 12 games without finding the back of the net for United, his longest goal drought since he arrived at Old Trafford back in January 2020.

The Red Devils have failed to win their last five games across all competitions, with their last outing ending in a goalless draw against Aston Villa before the international break. 

Erik ten Hag's side have managed eight points from their opening seven Premier League games, their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1989-90 (seven).

They have also failed to score in each of their last three Premier League games, equalling their worst run without a goal in the competition under Ten Hag's stewardship. 

Fernandes is now preparing for Portugal's Nations League clash with Poland on Saturday, with the midfielder hoping to continue the Selecao's perfect start in Group A1. 

"I will talk about myself personally. It changes a lot because the space is different. This is not a positive moment at Manchester, we are not winning games," Fernandes said.

"The space for the national team is completely different. It's a space where, in the last few days, I have felt very comfortable.

"I have felt that I can enjoy my football, and I think that in all the games we play we are going to win, and we have all benefited from what we've come to do, and I'm in my country, I speak my language, I have better food. All of this is connected with psychology.

"But the important thing is to know how to differentiate the moments, the places, but above all to make sure that what has been negative, try to pass that on to the positive, regardless of the club or the national team.

"I try to give my best in all the games I play, regardless of the club or the national team I'm representing. My will and my effort will never change what I want to bring to the game."

Fernandes was part of the Portugal side that won the Nations League in 2019, playing 81 minutes in their 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the final. 

Many of the players that started the final in Porto remain in the current squad, though head coach Roberto Martinez has shifted to a more youthful approach since.

While Portugal suffered a quarter-final exit to France at Euro 2024, Fernandes is confident the current crop of talent can replicate their Nations League success from five years ago.

"The first difference is that we haven't reached the final four yet. I think all the teams were strong, regardless of the names that came through here and whether they won or stopped winning. I think Portugal has always had a strong team," Fernandes said.

"If we look at the history of our country and football in our country, we had great names and players who always represented the team at the highest level and at the level that is required.

"There are times when you go further and others when you fall by the wayside, others when you win, as happened in 2016 and 2019.

"This team is hungry to repeat this achievement in 2019 because no Portuguese team enters any competition to not win.

"Everyone knows that our ambition is to always win and to win every game, so our ambition now is to win against Poland because we are a team that respects very much what we are going to find as opponents, because we know that our final objective will only come if we manage to win every game."