France–Portugal football rivalry
The France-Portugal football rivalry (also known as The Battle of the Vineyards or Vineyard Wars) is one of the oldest[1] football rivalries at a national level. It began on 18 April 1926,[2] when Portugal lost 4–2 to France at Toulouse in their first ever international friendly game.
 Ricardo Quaresma of Portugal performing a bicycle kick against France during the UEFA Euro 2016 Final. | |
| Other names | The Battle of the Vineyards |
|---|---|
| Location | UEFA (Europe) |
| Teams |  Portugal France |
| First meeting | France 4–2 Portugal (18 April 1926) Friendly |
| Latest meeting | France 2–2 Portugal (23 June 2021) UEFA Euro 2020 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 28 |
| All-time series | France: 19 Draw: 3 Portugal: 6 |
Both belong to the strongest football nations of the world, and have met a total of 28 times which resulted in 6 victories for Portugal, 3 draws and 19 victories for France.
Background
The rivalry between the two countries goes back to 1926 April 18th. However, much the 20th century saw a complete French domination in these encounters, as Portugal for most of it part, rarely took part in major competitions. Even in early 21st century when Portugal began to improve, France still maintained its dominance over the rival. It only begins to heat up after the results of the UEFA Euro 2016 Final with Portugal upsetting France.[3]
Comparison of France's and Portugal's positions in major international tournaments
- Key
Denotes which team finished better in that particular competition.
DNQ: Did not qualify.
DNP: Did not participate.
TBD: To be determined.
Major Tournaments
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}
List of matches
Source:[7]
| # | Date | Location | Venue | Home team | Result | Away team | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 April 1926 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Toulouse | Stade des Ponts Jumeaux | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 2 | 16 March 1927 | Lisbon | Estádio do Lumiar | Portugal | France | Friendly | |
| 3 | 29 April 1928 | Paris | Parc des Princes | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 4 | 24 March 1929 | Colombes | Stade du Matin | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 5 | 22 February 1930 | Porto | Estádio do Lima | Portugal | France | Friendly | |
| 6 | 28 January 1940 | Paris | Parc des Princes | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 7 | 14 April 1946 | Oeiras | Estádio Nacional | Portugal | France | Friendly | |
| 8 | 23 March 1947 | Colombes | Stade du Matin | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 9 | 23 November 1947 | Oeiras | Estádio Nacional | Portugal | France | Friendly | |
| 10 | 20 April 1952 | Colombes | Stade du Matin | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 11 | 24 March 1957 | Oeiras | Estádio Nacional | Portugal | France | Friendly | |
| 12 | 11 November 1959 | Colombes | Stade du Matin | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 13 | 3 March 1973 | Paris | Parc des Princes | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 14 | 26 April 1975 | Colombes | Stade du Matin | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 15 | 8 March 1978 | Paris | Parc des Princes | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 16 | 16 February 1983 | Guimarães | Estádio Municipal de Guimarães | Portugal | France | Friendly | |
| 17 | 23 June 1984 | Marseille | Stade Vélodrome | France | Portugal | UEFA Euro 1984 | |
| 18 | 24 January 1996 | Paris | Parc des Princes | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 19 | 22 January 1997 | Braga | Estádio 1º de Maio | Portugal | France | Friendly | |
| 20 | 28 June 2000 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Brussels | King Baudouin Stadium | Portugal | France | UEFA Euro 2000 | |
| 21 | 25 April 2001 | Paris | Stade de France | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 22 | 5 July 2006 |  Munich | Allianz Arena | Portugal | France | 2006 FIFA World Cup | |
| 23 | 11 October 2014 | Paris | Stade de France | France | Portugal | Friendly | |
| 24 | 4 September 2015 | Lisbon | Estádio José Alvalade | Portugal | France | Friendly | |
| 25 | 10 July 2016 | Paris | Stade de France | France | Portugal | UEFA Euro 2016 | |
| 26 | 11 October 2020 | Paris | Stade de France | France | Portugal | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League | |
| 27 | 14 November 2020 | Lisbon | Estádio da Luz | Portugal | France | ||
| 28 | 23 June 2021 |  Budapest | Puskás Aréna | Portugal | France | UEFA Euro 2020 |
Statistics
All-time top goalscorers
Bold denote players who have not retired from international football
| Nation | Player | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Fernando Peyroteo | 4 | 1938–1949 |
|
Ernest Vaast | 4 | 1945–1949 |
|
Just Fontaine | 3 | 1953–1960 |
|
Karim Benzema | 3 | 2007– |
All-time most appearances
Bold denote players who have not retired from international football
| Nation | Player | Appearances | Years | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cristiano Ronaldo | 7 | 2003– | Forward |
|
Pepe | 5 | 2007– | Defender |
|
Tamanqueiro | 5 | 1925–1930 | Midfielder |
|
Roger Marche | 5 | 1947–1959 | Defender |
|
Zinedine Zidane | 5 | 1994–2006 | Midfielder |
|
Raphaël Varane | 5 | 2013– | Defender |
|
Paul Pogba | 5 | 2013– | Midfielder |
|
Antoine Griezmann | 5 | 2014– | Forward |
|
Rui Patrício | 5 | 2010– | Goalkeeper |
|
João Moutinho | 5 | 2005– | Midfielder |
Notes
- Behind closed doors
References
- "France vs Portugal Head to Head | Sports Mirchi".
- "France v Portugal, 18 April 1926".
- "Portugal renew rivalry". 3 July 2006.
- "Full Time Summary – Portugal v France" (PDF). UEFA. 10 July 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- "Portugal vs. France". Union of European Football Associations. 14 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
- "Full Time Summary – Portugal v France" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- "Portugal » Record against France". worldfootball.net. Retrieved July 14, 2021.