Portuguese Abroad Team of the Season
Plenty of Portuguese footballers are currently plying their trade overseas - and here we compile the best Portugal abroad XI possible based on WhoScored’s ratings.
To compile this team, players had to be based in one of the leagues for which WhoScored use player rating; these include, and for the purpose of this article was exclusive to, the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, Russian Premier League, Turkish Super League, Dutch Eredivisie, English Championship and Brazilian Serie A.
The best players for each position in a 4-3-3 formation were than chosen to make up the team of the season based on WhoScored’s player ratings across the campaign, while a backup player for each position was then selected to make a 22-man squad.
The Goalkeepers
Substitute Goalkeeper: Rui SILVA (6.70)
The foreign-based Portuguese goalkeeper with the second highest rating of them all was Granada’s Rui Silva. The shot-stopper came off an outstanding season with his La Liga outfit, playing 35 matches as he helped his side to an incredible 7th place finish in the Spanish top flight standings - earning Granada an impressive Europa League second qualifying round berth. He is yet to play for Portugal - but has been called up to the most recent squad, and could well make his debut in the coming year.
Main Goalkeeper: Anthony LOPES (6.71)
Also beating out Portugal number one Rui Patricio was Lyon’s star Anthony Lopes. A loyal servant to Lyon, this was not a season to remember when it comes to the Ligue 1 season, though in the Champions League, some stunning efforts by Lopes helped the unfancied French club to reach the semi-final of the most prestigious club competition in Europe. He ‘only’ played 26 games for Lyon across the 2019-20 campaign - though it would, of course, have been much more had it not been for the early termination of the French league season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Leftbacks
Substitute Leftback: Mario RUI (6.83)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Portugal’s backup left back at international level was also the second best foreign-based leftback of the 2019-20 campaign. He had another very solid season for Napoli, who finished 7th in the league standings, a disappointing return in the end, bottom of the elite seven sides that are clearly better than the rest of the league. Rui featured in 24 games for the club, assisting 2 goals.
Main Leftback: Raphael GUERREIRO (7.32)
A quality season for Guerreiro to remember. Dortmund, unsurprisingly, did miss out on the league title to Bayern Munich in the end, but they finished best of the rest, and Guerreiro in particular was a standout at the club. He’s suffered from significant injuries in previous seasons that has prevented him from having a significant impact, but this season he managed to avoid lengthy spells on the touchline and was able to have an excellent contribution to Dortmund’s fortunes. He played 29 games in total, scoring 8 and assisting 2 from both left back and left midfield.
The Rightbacks
Substitute Rightback: Joao CANCELO (7.21)
Though Cancelo had to endure a frustrating start to the season, he eventually came into his own at Manchester City, and when given a chance, he more often than not took it with both hands. It was, in the end, a very good debut season in England for the Portuguese right back, who often played on the left for Guardiola’s side. Though no goal contributions this time around, there was a lot to be impressed by with how he performed from full-back, and next season should be even better.
Main Rightback: Ricardo PEREIRA (7.50)
But there’s absolutely no doubt who the best right back of the season was for Portugal, be it abroad or otherwise. 28 league games for the Leicester City man in the end, with 3 goals and 2 assists to show for it. His 7.50 rating made him the 2nd best Portuguese player abroad over the course of the 2019-20 season according to WhoScored, and nobody can have too many complaints. It is no coincidence that Leicester City struggled when Pereira was injured at the end of the season, slipping from a comfortable top 4 finish to 5th place on the final day of the campaign. Had Pereira been fit and playing, you would expect that things would have been different for Leicester, and Champions League football could have been waiting for them next campaign.
The Centrebacks
Substitute Centreback 1: Domingos DUARTE (6.68)
Just like his club teammate and compatriot Rui Silva, it was a season to remember for Domingos Duarte, who was also critical in helping Granada to their lofty final league position. He too earned a call-up to the national team for his efforts, and he may well be in line to make his debut even sooner than Silva. His 36 games shows his influence, and he also grabbed 3 goals this campaign too.
Substitute Centreback 2: Paulo OLIVEIRA (6.72)
Another backup centreback, another Portuguese player based in Spain. Paulo Oliveira has had a terrific impact at Eibar since joining in 2017, and helped them maintain their impressive top flight status yet again this campaign, playing in 26 games as Eibar finished 14th.
Main Centreback 1: Tobias FIGUEIREDO (6.80)
It is testament to Figueiredo that he makes the team of the season despite playing in the English Championship. Figueiredo is an outsider to be called up to the Portugal national team at the moment, but if he does manage to guide Forest up to the top flight of English football, he could well become a regular in the squad. It was a case of so close yet so far this campaign though, as he played 39 games and scored 3 goals in Forest’s dramatic failure to reach the play-offs.
Main Centreback 2: Ruben VEZO
Perhaps surprisingly, there is no Jose Fonte included in this 2019-20 best Portugal Abroad squad. Indeed, the final centreback is another based in Spain, with Ruben Vezo of Levante making the starting XI. Levante certainly had a top-quality season, finishing 12th in La Liga, with Vezo playing 29 of their 38 league fixtures. The 26-year old has certainly rejuvinated his career, and could well add to the 5 caps he has already earned for the Portugal national team.
The Defensive Midfielders
Substitute Defensive midfielder: Ruben NEVES (6.82)
Only the second best foreign-based defensive midfielder this season. Ruben Neves had a very respectable season, and was once again an integral part of Wolves’ campaign. He featured in all 38 of their Premier League games, and an additional 16 in cup competitions, meaning he played a massive 54 matches in the 2019-20 season. Almost ever-present in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, the 23-year old Portugal international continues to impress in England.
Main Defensive Midfielder: Miguel VELOSO (7.05)
But Neves misses out on the team of the season thanks to the extraordinary exploits of Miguel Veloso, who with a rating of 7.05, was actually the 7th best performing overseas Portuguese player of them all last campaign. He was released by Genoa at the start of the campaign, allowing him to join newly-promoted Hellas Verona, where his influence from midfield was phenomenal. At 34 years of age, he continues to prove a highly impressive footballer, and illustrates why he has earned 56 caps for the Portugal national team.
The Central Midfielders
Substitute Central Midfielder 1: Tiago SILVA (6.78)
Perhaps to the surprise of some, it is back to Nottingham Forest we go for the first backup central midfielder. Not William Carvalho (6.41), not Andre Gomes (6.43), not Adrien Silva (6.63), not Manuel Fernandes (6.74) - but Tiago Silva. Joining from Feirense in the summer of 2019, Silva joined the club having impressed despite his Portuguese side suffering relegation to the second division, and after featuring 44 times for Forest last campaign, had a more than solid debut campaign on English shores.
Substitute Central Midfielder 2: Ricardo ALVES (6.89)
Now this one may come as even more of a surprise - and their may be a few fans scratching their chins trying to recall who Ricardo Alves actually is. Now on the books of Orenburg in Ukraine, Alves is very much out of the limelight in Portugal, having also played for Olimpija Ljubljana and Rapid Bucuresti. This season with Orenburg was perhaps one of his best so far though, on a personal level at least. He couldn’t do enough to keep Orenburg in the Russian top flight, but 3 goals and 4 assists in 22 appearances shows he did have a significant impact - and he would have played more had it not been for coronavirus ruling him out for the final several games of the season. Had he finished the season, there’s every chance Orenburg would have actually stayed up.. He’s continued his good form this season too - 1 goal and 2 assists in the opening 5 games means Oreburg could well bounce straight back up into the Premier League.
Main Central midfielder 1: Joao MOUTINHO (7.01)
The supreme professional that is Joao Moutinho simply had to make the squad - and his rating of 7.01 is mighty impressive considering the sheer number of games he played for Wolves. He featured in all 38 of their league matches, and was a regular in their Europa League and FA Cup exploits too. Mr Consistent was often a man that Wolves could rely on to pull the strings in midfield. The third most capped player in Portuguese footballing history, he’s still going strong, and if he continues to play as he has been, he’ll continue to represent the national team. One league goal and 6 assists only shows some of the impact he had on his team.
Main Central midfielder 2: Renato SANCHES (7.13)
A perfect illustration of how you shouldn’t write off a player too soon. After a frustrating time with Bayern Munich, which also entailed a very disappointing loan spell at Swansea City, there were concerns that the 2016 Golden Boy wouldn’t live up to his potential. Now at Lille though, he’s back to his best - and a rating of 7.13 goes a long way in indicating that this was a season of redemption for the former Benfica star. The Euro 2016 champions played 19 league games for Lille before the season was terminated early, scoring 3 goals and assisting one as he helped Lille regain European football this season. His rating of 7.13 puts in 5th amongst all the Portuguese players abroad in terms of performance across the 2019-20 campaign.
The Right Wingers
Substitute Right Winger: Gelson MARTINS (6.86)
It may well come as a surprise that it is Gelson Martins that was given the second highest rating of all Portuguese players based abroad on the right flank. On the books of Monaco, he too is revitalising his career in France, and featured in 21 Ligue 1 games for Monaco, scoring 4 goals in the process, before receiving a lengthy ban for pushing a referee. Bar that one regrettable incident though, it was a good season for the former Sporting star, and the 25-year old still has plenty of time to go on to have a quality career.
Main Right Winger: Bernardo SILVA (7.03)
No prizes for guessing who the best overseas Portuguese right-sided winger was for the 2019-20 season. Bernardo Silva had a somewhat frustrating season, perhaps not starting as many games as he would have liked, though he was still an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s side, and 34 league outings combined with 6 goals and 7 assists illustrated his influence in Manchester. A rating of 7.03, when a fair few of his appearances came off the bench, is equally impressive.
The Left Wingers
Substitute Left Winger: Ivan CAVALEIRO (6.90)
A third player from the English Championship to make this squad - and it is fully deserved for former Wolves man Ivan Cavaleiro. After joining Fulham in the second tier of English football, Fulham fans would have been hoping that he would have a similar impact to that in which he had at Wolves, and that certainly proved to be the case. 44 appearances in the Championship returned 6 goals and 7 assists as he played his part in guiding Fulham straight back up into the English Premier League. He may well have a crucial role to play for the London club this season too.
Main Left Winger: Joao Mario (7.08)
It was a season to remember for Joao Mario at Lokomotiv Moscow. Though he did miss a handful of games through injury, Mario was a constant starter for Lokomotiv upon arriving on loan at the club at the very end of August, and played 18 league games for them, contributing 4 assists to go alongside his one goal. He too is redeeming himself after some disappointment in Italy with Inter Milan, who he is still on the books of. It will be interesting to see where the 27-year old ends up next campaign.
The Strikers
Substitute Striker: Andre SILVA (6.87)
Andre Silva had a brilliant season with Eintracht Frankfurt, particularly towards the end of the season. He was top scorer in the league after the resumption of the campaign, scoring 8 goals in Frankfurt’s final 10 league games. A quite exceptional way to end the season, and it is very promising times for the Portuguese international striker, who should well make his stay in Germany permanent. The 24-year old will surely add plenty of caps to his 34 appearances for the senior national team.
Main Striker: Cristiano RONALDO (7.82)
Who else but Cristiano Ronaldo? The Juventus striker had yet another fantastic campaign, the 35-year old scoring 31 goals in 33 league outings as he led his side to a particularly narrow title triumph. It was not as convincing as it usually is for Juventus, but you can be absolutely sure that had it not been for Ronaldo, their long-standing record of winning the Serie A title would have come to an end with Inter Milan breathing down their necks. He very nearly dragged them through to the Champions League quarter finals too, but they fell short against Lyon.
