Famous Portuguese Men

Portugal has been one of the oldest countries in Europe. With a rich history and scenic landscapes, the country has been making a strong impression around the globe and so are its country men. While the younger generation would swear by Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer sensation, to be the best gift that Portugal gave the world; there is more to Portuguese men than just soccer. Turn the pages of history and you would find a long list of Portuguese men who transformed the way the world worked. Remember Vasco de Gama, the first person to sail directly from Europe to India, thus opening maritime trade route between Europe and Asia – his successful travel was a momentous event in the history of navigation. Or even Francisco de Almeida who served as the first governor or Viceroy of the Portuguese State of India.

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 1 
Cristiano Ronaldo
(One of the Greatest Football Players of All Time)
Cristiano Ronaldo
423
Birthdate: February 5, 1985
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Funchal, Portugal
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 2 
Ferdinand Magellan
(Navigator, Explorer)
Ferdinand Magellan
39
Birthdate: 1480 AD
Birthplace: Sabrosa
Died: April 27, 1521
 3 
Vasco da Gama
(Explorer)
Vasco da Gama
26
Birthdate: 1469 AD
Birthplace: Sines, Portugal
Died: December 24, 1524
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 4 
Luís Figo
(One of the Best Portuguese Football Players of All Time)
Luís Figo
14
Birthdate: November 4, 1972
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Almada, Portugal
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 5 
António Guterres
(9th Secretary-General of the United Nations)
António Guterres
7
Birthdate: April 30, 1949
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lisbon
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 6 
Eusébio
(Portuguese Footballer Known for His Speed and Exceptional Goal-Scoring Abilities)
Eusébio
10
Birthdate: January 25, 1942
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Maputo, Mozambique
Died: January 5, 2014
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 7 
José Mourinho
(Portuguese Former Professional Football Player and One of the Greatest Managers of All Time)
José Mourinho
40
Birthdate: January 26, 1963
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Setúbal
 8 
Pepe
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Defender)
Pepe
3
Birthdate: February 26, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Maceió, Brazil
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 9 
Bernardo Silva
(Footballer Who Plays as an Attacking Midfielder)
Bernardo Silva
13
Birthdate: August 10, 1994
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 10 
Ricardo Quaresma
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Winger)
Ricardo Quaresma
5
Birthdate: September 26, 1983
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 11 
Renato Sanches
(Portuguese Footballer Who Became the Youngest Player from the Country to Play in an International Tournament)
Renato Sanches
2
Birthdate: August 18, 1997
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Amadora, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 12 
Anthony of Padua
4
Birthdate: August 15, 1195
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Died: June 13, 1231
 13 
Henry the Navigator
(Portuguese Prince and Main Initiator of Age of Discovery)
Henry the Navigator
10
Birthdate: March 4, 1394
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Porto, Portugal
Died: November 13, 1460
 14 
Deco
(Retired Professional Football Player Who Played as an Attacking or Central Midfielder)
Deco
5
Birthdate: August 27, 1977
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 15 
Bartolomeu Dias
(Portuguese explorer)
Bartolomeu Dias
18
Birthdate: 1450 AD
Birthplace: Algarve
Died: May 29, 1500
 16 
Rafael Leão
(Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Forward)
Rafael Leão
1
Birthdate: June 10, 1999
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Almada, Portugal
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 17 
André Villas-Boas
(Portuguese Football Manager)
André Villas-Boas
4
Birthdate: October 17, 1977
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Porto, Portugal
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 18 
Nélson Semedo
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Defender)
Nélson Semedo
1
Birthdate: November 16, 1993
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 19 
Rui Patricio
(Portuguese Football Player Who Plays as a Goalkeeper)
Rui Patricio
11
Birthdate: February 15, 1988
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Marrazes, Portugal
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 20 
Nani
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Midfielder)
Nani
11
Birthdate: November 17, 1986
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Amadora, Portugal
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 21 
Ricardo Carvalho
(Portuguese Former Football Centre Back)
Ricardo Carvalho
3
Birthdate: May 18, 1978
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Amarante, Portugal
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 22 
Nuno Mendes
(Portuguese Football Left-Back)
Nuno Mendes
2
Birthdate: June 19, 2002
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sintra, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 23 
João Moutinho
(Portuguese Football Midfielder)
João Moutinho
4
Birthdate: September 8, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Portimao, Portugal
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 24 
Joaquim de Almeida
(Actor)
Joaquim de Almeida
2
Birthdate: March 15, 1957
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: São Sebastião da Pedreira, Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 25 
Jorge Mendes
(Portuguese Football Agent)
Jorge Mendes
2
Birthdate: January 7, 1966
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
 26 
Pedro I of Brazil
(Former Emperor of Brazil (1822 - 1831))
Pedro I of Brazil
2
Birthdate: October 12, 1798
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Queluz, Portugal
Died: September 24, 1834
 27 
William Carvalho
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Midfielder)
William Carvalho
14
Birthdate: April 7, 1992
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Luanda, Angola
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 28 
Cédric Soares
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Defender)
Cédric Soares
4
Birthdate: August 31, 1991
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Singen (Hohentwiel), Germany
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 29 
Nuno Tavares
(Portuguese Football Left-Back)
Nuno Tavares
2
Birthdate: January 26, 2000
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 30 
Raphaël Guerreiro
(Portuguese Professional Football Player Who Plays as a Midfielder & Defender)
Raphaël Guerreiro
4
Birthdate: December 22, 1993
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Le Blanc-Mesnil, France
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 31 
Fernando Pessoa
(Portuguese Modernist Poet and Author of 'Mensagem' and 'The Book of Disquiet')
Fernando Pessoa
3
Birthdate: June 13, 1888
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Died: November 30, 1935
 32 
Pedro Álvares Cabral
(Nobleman)
Pedro Álvares Cabral
0
Birthdate: 1467 AD
Birthplace: Belmonte, Portugal
Died: 1520 AD
 33 
José Fonte
(Portuguese Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Centre-Back)
José Fonte
4
Birthdate: December 22, 1983
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Penafiel, Portugal
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 34 
Bruno Alves
(Portuguese Former Footballer and Sporting Director of 'AEK Athens')
Bruno Alves
3
Birthdate: November 27, 1981
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 35 
José Saramago
(Portuguese Writer and Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998)
José Saramago
2
Birthdate: November 16, 1922
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Azinhaga, Portugal
Died: June 18, 2010
 36 
Manuel II of Portugal
(King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910)
Manuel II of Portugal
5
Birthdate: November 15, 1889
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Died: July 2, 1932
 37 
Salvador Sobral
(Singer)
Salvador Sobral
5
Birthdate: December 28, 1989
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
 38 
António Costa
(119th Prime Minister of Portugal )
António Costa
4
Birthdate: July 17, 1961
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 39 
Matheus Nunes
(Brazilian-Born Portuguese Football Attacking Midfielder)
Matheus Nunes
0
Birthdate: August 27, 1998
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 40 
Raul Meireles
(Portuguese Retired Footballer Who Played as a Midfielder)
Raul Meireles
3
Birthdate: March 17, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Porto, Portugal
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 41 
Eder
(Portuguese Footballer Who Plays as a Forward)
Eder
5
Birthdate: December 22, 1987
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 42 
Ricardo Domingos Barbosa Pereira
(Portuguese Football Full-Back)
Ricardo Domingos Barbosa Pereira
3
Birthdate: October 6, 1993
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 43 
Afonso de Albuquerque
(Statesman)
Afonso de Albuquerque
1
Birthdate: 1453 AD
Birthplace: Vila Franca de Xira
Died: December 16, 1515
 44 
Adrien Silva
(Portuguese Football Player Known for His Dribbling and Passing Skills)
Adrien Silva
2
Birthdate: March 15, 1989
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Angoulême, France
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 45 
Catherine of Braganza
(Queen)
Catherine of Braganza
4
Birthdate: November 25, 1638
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Palace of Vila Viçosa, Vila Viçosa, Portugal
Died: December 31, 1705
 46 
Hélder Postiga
(Portuguese Retired Footballer Who Played as a Striker)
Hélder Postiga
1
Birthdate: August 2, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Vila do Conde, Portugal
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 47 
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
(Politician, University teacher, Journalist)
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
5
Birthdate: December 12, 1948
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lisbon
 48 
Bebé
(Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Midfielder)
Bebé
1
Birthdate: July 12, 1990
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Agualva-Cacém, Portugal
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 49 
Leonardo Jardim
(Football Manager)
Leonardo Jardim
0
Birthdate: August 1, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Barcelona, Venezuela
 50 
Jorge Jesus
(Portuguese Retired Footballer Who Played as a Midfielder)
Jorge Jesus
1
Birthdate: July 24, 1954
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Amadora, Portugal
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)

Portuguese men made their worth count in the literary field as well with giants like Jose Antoio Camoes, Joao de Deus, Almeida Garrett, Pedro Correia Garcao penning verses and poetry. Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho was an aviation pioneer and the first to cross South Atlantic Ocean by air. Each of them and many more contributed greatly in Portuguese history and civilization. Read through this write-up, details about the life and works of famous Portuguese men.