It feels like we have been waiting for the European Championship in football for a long time, even though it has only been three years since the last tournament was arranged. The people of Portugal enter the tournament with great expectations to the team, and the quality of the top-league in Portugal is good, something we can also see by how Porto almost managed to win against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final a few months ago. Portugal was lucky with their group, meaning that it is considered an “easy” group in which Portugal will play against Georgia, Turkey, and the Czech Republic. But, where can you watch all the matches from the tournament in Lisbon? And do we really think Portugal has a chance to win the entire tournament?
The three group-stage matches for Portugal.
The tournament starts on June 14 as Germany plays the opening match of the tournament against Scotland. Fans in Portugal will have to wait for a couple of days before Christiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota, Pepe, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Ruben Dias, and the others will play their opening match. At 20:00 (local time in Lisbon) on June 18 Portugal will play against the Czech Republic led by players such as Patrik Schick and Tomas Soucek.
The second match is against Turkey on June 22 at 17:00. We all know that Turkey is a tough team to play against, because the team is like a rollercoaster. On some days they can play fantastic football, but on the next day they can lose against San Marino (almost). In other words, it is hard to know what to expect from this match, but we do know that Turkey played 0-0 against Italy in a preparation match before the tournament, which is a good result.
The final match in the group stage for Portugal is against Georgia on June 22 at 20:00. This is the match everyone expect Portugal to win, but if Georgia has something to fight for, the fighting mentality often counts more than actual skills, so I do hope Portugal will secure their spot in the knockout stage before this match. The biggest star on the Georgian team is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who plays for Napoli.
The first match will be played at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig (where RB Leipzig normally play their matches). The second match will be played in Dortmund at the Signal Iduma Arena, while the third match will be played at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen. That arena is normally used by Schalke 04.
Would you like to fly from Lisbon to see some of these matches in Germany at the stadiums? There are flights connecting Lisbon with big German cities such as Berlin, Düsseldort, and München, but there are unfortunately no direct flights between Lisbon and Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, or Leipzig/Halle.
Do you want to watch the football matches in Lisbon together with others? Here are some great options!
Here you have some great sports bars and pubs where you can watch the European Championship in football together with other fans while drinking cold beer or other delightful drinks.
Hennessy’s – Cais do sodré 32-38, 1200-450 Lisboa
Hennessy’s is a popular Irish pub, well-known for its warm and inviting atmosphere. Inside the pub you can get a taste of Ireland, meaning that you can find Guinness and other delights on the menu. Besides showing football matches, this is also a place frequently used for live concerts. Its central location in the Cais do Sodré district makes it a convenient and attractive destination for those looking for a great bar where they can watch sports.
Real Sports Bar – Av. Luís Bívar 67, 1069-146 Lisboa
Real Sports Bar is a premier destination for sports enthusiasts. This bar has multiple large screens that broadcast a wide range of live sports events from around the world and it offers a diverse selection of drinks and a menu with delicious bar snacks and meals. What are you waiting for?
The Couch Sports Bar – Rua do Alecrim 21A & Avenida Duque de Loulé 85
There are two sports bars in Lisbon with this name. They are both equipped with lots of screen inside, meaning that you can watch several matches at the same time which comes in handy during the last round of the group stage when multiple matches are played simultaneously. You can learn more about the bars and make a reservation at https://www.thecouch.pt/.
O Reserva – Rua Vale do Pereiro 3A
This isn’t the biggest sports pub, and it only has two screens inside. But, if you want to visit a place known to be a Portoguese sports-bar, then this might be the most authentic you will find, and here you can also eat Portuguese delights, meaning it can be combined with an easy dinner.
The George Pub – Rua do Crucifixo 58
This bar is in the center of Lisbon and it is a typical English pub. This is a great place to watch Premier League football during the normal football season, and then to watch Euro 2024 or other sports events.
No matter which place you choose, it is important to book a table beforehand. Another option is to visit the different places the evening before the match you are interested in decide which bar you like the most and then reserve a table there while you visit the place. Do not forget that these bars are open all-year around, so they are great options for watching sports throughout the year or maybe the Summer Olympics later this summer.
If you want to watch the matches on Portuguese TV, then RTP is the main broadcaster of the matches. You can stream the matches broadcasted by RTP at https://www.rtp.pt/. It is free to watch if you are located in Portugal, but if you are located outside Portugal, you need to use a VPN for this to work. You will most likely be able to watch the different matches from the tournament on the TV in your hotel room. Would you rather watch the matches online on some other TV channel? You can find lots of information and help in the following article in the Budapest Guide.
Is Portugal capable of winning the European Championship in football?
What do you think? If we look at the squad, we are convinced that Portugal has one of the best teams in the entire tournament. We have young and vibrant players, but also old and experienced players such as Pepe and Christiano Ronaldo. Looking at group F where Portugal is playing, most people expect Portugal to win their matches and end up as number one in the group. What will that mean for the rest of the tournament?
When Portugal won the European Championship in football in 2016, they didn’t win their group, but instead they ended up second behind Hungary.
If Portugal wins their group, they will play against the best number three from group A, B, or C. If we look at those groups, we can quickly see that it might become one crazy match. In group A, Germany, Hungary, Scotland, and Switzerland will play (some will say that meeting the team at the third place from this group might be the best option), but it is just as possible that Portugal might play against the best number three from group B, a tough group with Spain, Croatia, Italy, and Albania. Can you imagine Portugal against Spain, Croatia, or Italy in the first leg of the knockout stage? If Portugal wins group F and plays against the best number three from group C, they can end up meeting England, Denmark, Serbia, or Slovenia. Some might say that Denmark, Slovenia, or Serbia would all be great opponents.
If Portugal wins the first match of the knockout stage (after winning their group), they will play against the winner of the match between number two in group D (Poland, Netherlands, France, Austria) and number two in group E (Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine).
Based on this, you know have a small idea of what Portugal will be up against if they win their group and proceed to the knockout stage. What do you think? Will Portugal win the European Championship in football? And maybe even more important, will Christiano Ronaldo score once again in the tournament and become a star player in the team? Or is he in too bad shape and will be benched by coach Roberto Martinez?
