Portugal had to take 80 minutes to dismantle a floppy Hungary in their opener, before succumbing to 4- 2 to Germany in an exhilarating, but ultimately bitter encounter.
While the French were impressive in their first game, they won a hard-fought win over Germany. However, their second match saw them draw with Hungary.
The basics
Portugal vs France will kick off at 8pm BST Wednesday 23 June. The game will be live broadcast on BBC On in the UK and via BBC iPlayer. The match will be held at Budapest’s Ferenc Puskas Stadium.
The match will be available on ESPN if you’re watching it from the States. It starts at 12pm PT, and ends at 3pm ET.
This match is worth watching
Due to the expansion of the tournament to include 24 teams, the “group of Death” moniker may not be accurate. However, there is still the possibility that all three major hitters from Group F will progress to the knockout stages.
With so much at stake, it is unlikely that this will be a repeat of last year’s European Championships final. Portugal knows that a draw would allow them to progress, while France are through. However, France is just one point ahead of Germany. France would be guaranteed top spot if they win both major tournaments.
Do you have any history?
Portugal has won six of the previous matches, lost two, and drawn two. Portugal will be able to draw inspiration from the 2016 final, but France won the most recent clash in November 2020.
Principal statistic
Cristiano Ronaldo is only two goals from Ali Daei’s legendary figure of 109 international goals. Could he match that record in a game this big?
The key question
Could Portugal, the holders, be able to exit at the group stage as Germany did at the last World Cup? We’d love to hear your thoughts below.
