A star-laden Portugal team will begin its European title defense with a series of friendlies before the upcoming Euros, starting with a trip to Madrid to take on Iberian neighbor Spain.
Portugal will need all the high-level preparation it can get before the European Championship, where it faces a group of death featuring the last two World Cup champions, France and Germany. Spain, ranked sixth in the latest FIFA world rankings, presents such a challenge with 20,000 fans expected to be present in Madrid's first professional game with fans in more than a year.
The two rivals last played to a goalless friendly in 2020, but their thrilling group stage opener at the 2018 World Cup, where a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick—and a memorable 88th-minute free kick—canceled out three goals from Spain, is still fresh in the teams' memories.