World Cup 2026 Warmup Friendlies; Chile(June 6) & Nigeria(June 10)

Are you serious? I would take Portugal's current defence over this any day. Pepe was not even a world class player at that point. Ferreira and Bosingwa? lol.

Rui Costa didn't even at play at the 2006 WC. Him and Figo retired because they were done.

Give it a rest bud.

 

lol he was already playing for Real Madrid and was good enough that tournament to be in Team of the Tournament. Each of those players in defense at their peak were considered world-class which you cannot say about the current defense since one of them contains the likes of Inacio or Veiga. Who knows what their ceiling is but shitting on that defense makes 0 sense.

 

Ferreira and Bosingwa were no where close to world class. If Paulo Ferreira was world class, then so is almost every current defender Portugal has. Mourinho notably called Ferreira a 7/10 player, no more no less.

That defence was so good they got picked apart by Germany in QF.

At least name the 2010 team's backline, which had much of the same players, and only conceded 1 goal in 4 games against stronger opposition.

 

Paulo Ferreira at his peak was in the UEFA Team of The Year in 2002-2003 along with Maldini, Nesta and Roberto Carlos. By definition, you have to be world-class to make that list. He was also in the ESM Team of the Year in 2003-2004. As I stated, at his peak he was definitively world class even if he wasn't that good after that, as I also stated.

Bosingwa is more debatable but being in an UEFA Team of the Tournament, winning two Champions Leagues, etc. puts him in contention although maybe not.

 

fair enough so for you this is Portugal greatest all time defence?

 

Hey guys this is a bit off topic but I didnt want to start a new thread.

I have has some family stuff so I have missed everything pre-world cup. My saved links as to where I can download full matches are null.

Can anyone point me to where I can download and view the last games.

 

lol no by definition it means he had a good year in a position with not much quality. I’ve genuinely never heard anyone try to argue Paulo Ferreira was world class before. He was fine for depth, but the guy lost his spot to midfielders in his prime.

Damien Duff also made a uefa team of the year lol

 

Nuno Mendes, Cancelo, Ruben Dias.. Yes..

 

In a position with not much quality? So I take it you never heard of Thuram? Zanetti? Salgado?

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/2301197/paulo-ferreira-makes-chelsea-move

"Porto agreed to sell Paulo Ferreira to Chelsea for 13 million, a staggering amount for a right back."

So, clearly he was valued above others in that time.

Damien Duff did not make the ESM Team of the Year in another year. So 2 well-regarded Team of the Year selections had Paulo Ferreira selected in 2 different years.

You also do not make these lists from just having "a good year". You actually have to be world-class to make that list, by definition, because it is essentially a World XI. You seem to read "Paulo Ferreira at his peak was world-class" with "Paulo Ferreira was world-class his whole career". No, for a short amount of time, he was among the very best and even considered the best in his position. That is, definitionally, world-class whether you want to admit it or not.

 

Down to semantics, I generally reserve world class for a sustained period. PF to me is like Moutinho, they’ll never put in a 10/10 performance, but you’ll rarely see them put in lower than a 7/10 performance. Is that world class? Not to me, but to each their own. To me world class is someone who starts on any squad in the world, no question.

“You also do not make these lists from just having "a good year"”

thats literally exactly how you make these lists. That’s why it changes every year.

 

Ok agree to disagree.

But disagree on the last point. You can't make the list from having just a "good year". You need to be qualitatively much higher than just good. Many, many players have good years and don't make the list. You need to have an amazing year which is significantly and categorically different.