Did you know that it was an anonymous square on the island of Madeira that hosted Portugal's first football match, or that the game marking the national team's debut took place outside the country?

If you are a football lover and want to discover everything about the history of Portuguese football — from the first touches on the ball to Éder's eternal strike that helped crown Portugal as European champions in 2016 — stay with us on this journey through the legends and achievements of the sport that sets Portuguese hearts on fire.

The first kicks in football history: a dream in the shape of a ball

The history of football in Portugal begins in the 19th century, when young British man Harry Hinton organised a match in Camacha, Madeira, in 1875. A few years later, the Pinto Basto brothers brought a leather ball to mainland Portugal, sparking the first formal matches. The first organised game took place in 1889, at Campo Pequeno, between a Portuguese and an English eleven, with the Portuguese winning 2-1.

The sport quickly won over high society and, in 1892, the Foot-Ball Club Lisbonense was founded, going on to contest the Taça D. Carlos I against the Foot-Ball Club do Porto. In the years that followed, football expanded, with the creation of several clubs including the Real Ginásio Português and Sport Club Vianense, which still exists today.

In 1907, the Club Internacional de Foot-Ball (CIF) became the first Portuguese team to play abroad, defeating the Madrid Football Club. In the following years, historic clubs emerged such as Boavista FC, Sporting CP and Sport Lisboa e Benfica, which resulted from the merger of Sport Lisboa with the Grupo Sport Benfica.

Football History: the birth of the FPF and the Heroes of Amsterdam

In 1914, the ball began to roll differently. The associations of Porto, Lisbon and Portalegre joined forces and, on 31 March, founded the União Portuguesa de Futebol (UFP) — the body responsible for organising and regulating football at national level, with Dr. Sá e Oliveira as its first president.

Beyond encouraging the creation of new associations across the country, Article 6 of the UFP housed one of the great reasons for its existence: the creation of the Campeonato de Portugal.

This dream would only come to fruition in the 1921/1922 season when, following regional qualification, FC Porto (Porto champions) and Sporting CP (Lisbon champions) met in a two-legged final that required a decisive replay to settle — in Porto's favour.

In 1926, at the UFP Congress, it was decided to change the organisation's name to the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF), as well as to organise a full league-format competition (home and away), which would take place in 1934 under the auspices of a football league.

The FPF took full control of the process in 1938, taking over the organisation of the championship — won by FC Porto in its first edition — and the Taça de Portugal, which began that year with Académica's victory.

A few months before these achievements, the history of Portuguese football witnessed another memorable moment: the birth of the national team.

Captained by Cândido de Oliveira, the Portuguese side travelled to Spain for a friendly against their Spanish counterparts, which ended in a 3-1 defeat for the visitors.

After that uncertain start, in 1925 the national team beat Italy 1-0 and, two years later, crushed France at the Lumiar with four unanswered goals.

It is now 27 May 1928. The Portuguese team are competing in the Olympic football tournament at the Amsterdam Games (now recognised as "World Cups" by FIFA) and, after beating Chile (4-2) and Yugoslavia (2-1), are eliminated in the quarter-finals by Egypt (1-2) — but still managing their best result to date, until Eusébio and company led Portugal to third place at the 1966 World Cup in England.

The Five Violins and the building of the "cathedrals"

It was not an orchestra in the literal sense, but when Jesus Correia, Albano, Vasques, Travassos and Peyroteo took to the pitch in the 1940s wearing the Sporting shirt, it was a sign that a recital was on its way.

Forever remembered as the "Five Violins," these forwards — who only played together for three years (1946-1949) — scored over 800 goals and delivered a league treble and a Taça de Portugal to the Sporting of master Cândido de Oliveira.

Leading this group of soloists of undeniable talent was Peyroteo. Born in Angola, Peyroteo joined Sporting in the 1937/38 season and, over thirteen years as a lion on his chest, immortalised his name in the collective consciousness of football history, and remains to this day the player with the most goals (332) in the national championship.

One year before the Five Violins began their "tour" of Portuguese football grounds, the unexpected happened: the Belenenses of Augusto Silva (by then a coach, after having been one of the most brilliant players of his generation) ended the stranglehold of the "big three" on the title — a feat that would only be matched at the turn of the millennium by Jaime Pacheco's Boavista.

If the 1940s belonged to classical music, the following decade belongs to the cathedrals where it would be performed over the next half-century. The Estádio das Antas was born in 1952, the Estádio da Luz in 1954, and the Estádio José de Alvalade, along with the Estádio do Restelo, opened their doors in 1956.

Despite the handsome kit worn by the national team, Portugal failed to qualify for any European Championships or World Cups that decade, and only the emergence of iconic figures such as Matateu and José Águas helped ease the despondency that had gripped Portuguese football.

History of Football in Portugal: The elevator to glory

With the deepening of professionalism begun in the previous decade, and the arrival of coaches with new footballing philosophies such as Otto Glória, Fernando Riera and, above all, the temperamental Béla Guttmann, both clubs and the national team gained strength — culminating in Benfica of Eusébio & Company winning the European Cup of Champion Clubs in two consecutive years (1961 and 1962), while on the other side of the ring road, the "cantinho do Morais" gave Sporting the right to lift the Cup Winners' Cup in 1964.

Two years later, this generation of players destined for glory came together under one kit to secure the national team's first World Cup qualification — a tournament from which Portugal emerged in third place, with a tearful Eusébio but the world of football at his feet and the tournament's top scorer prize in his pocket with 9 goals.

The following decade was lean. Neither clubs nor the national team managed to make a mark on the international stage, but in this rectangle by the sea there were those who found reasons to celebrate. After 19 years without a title, FC Porto won the national championship again in 1978, guided by the genius of José Maria Pedroto.

Magical summer

Recovered from the desert of the previous decade, the Portuguese national team dared to dream. In the magical summer of 1984, Portugal surprised the football world by getting through the Euro 84 group stage and forcing France into extra time to beat Portugal 3-2.

It was an era of making dreams come true, and in this enchanted wave, not even Germany could stop Portugal on the road to the Mexico World Cup. In the 54th minute of the last and decisive qualifying match, Carlos Manuel fired from the middle of the pitch into the net of a stunned Harald Schumacher, sealing not only a historic victory on German soil, but also a ticket to Mexico 86 — a World Cup that would end in a group stage exit after a turbulent stay in the land of mariachis.

As the dust from the "Saltillo" affair settled, a group of young players under the command of Professor Carlos Queiroz was preparing to conquer the world. In 1989, the red shirt that then equipped the under-20 national team dispatched Nigeria in the Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) final 2-0 and lifted the Under-20 World Championship trophy.

Two years of football history, and the feat was repeated. In front of a packed Estádio da Luz, the Portuguese under-20 side swept up, with great merit and enormous talent, the Under-20 World Championship for the second consecutive time, leaving Brazil in tears.

Despite failing to qualify for Euro 92 and the 1994 World Cup, the twice-crowned junior world champions would take the senior team all the way to the 1996 European Championship in England, where, inspired by the class of Figo, Rui Costa and João Pinto, Portugal reached the quarter-finals.

While the national team was dripping class across the pitches of the world's greatest competitions, FC Porto was not far behind, claiming the European Cup of Champion Clubs in 1987 against Bayern Munich thanks to Madjer's inspired back-heel.

A shot for eternity in the history of Portuguese football

At the continental tournament co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands (2000), Portugal dazzled Europe — but not France — and two years later landed at the South Korea/Japan World Cup for a tournament that ended in the group stage.

The long-awaited year of 2004 arrived. Portugal dressed from top to bottom in green and red to host the European Championship, carrying the national team all the way to the final, where they were undone by a goal from Greek defender Charisteas.

Amid this carousel of emotions, Mourinho's FC Porto won, in consecutive years, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the last and mythical Intercontinental Cup. In 2011, the previously unthinkable happened when FC Porto and SC Braga met in the first — and, to date, only — all-Portuguese European final in history.

Benfica and Sporting almost reached the sky, losing two UEFA Europa League finals (2013 and 2014) and one UEFA Cup final (2005) respectively.

The national team was thriving and, after not missing a single European Championship or World Cup qualification for 16 years, reached the final of the 2016 European Championship in France. Against the host nation, with Cristiano Ronaldo injured in the opening minutes, it was Éder — a hero as improbable as those from Amsterdam — who, after receiving a pass from João Moutinho and lengthening his stride, struck a shot for eternity in the history of football.

The history of football in Portugal is filled with unforgettable moments, from the first matches in Madeira to European and world conquests. With a rich heritage and a promising future, Portuguese football continues to inspire generations.