International Career
As a member of Famalicão in the third division, Couto appeared in four games as Portugal won the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship, being part of a group of players dubbed the "Golden Generation" of Portuguese football. He made his debut for the senior team on 19 December 1990, in a friendly with the United States played in Maia (1–0 win).
Always as first-choice, Couto represented the nation at UEFA Euro 1996 – scoring the game's only goal for the eventual quarterfinalists in a group stage contest against Turkey – Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, partnering former Porto teammate Jorge Costa in the last two tournaments, the latter of which ended in group stage exit.
He was selected as captain for Euro 2004 which was played on home soil, starting the first game but eventually being relegated to the bench by Ricardo Carvalho, as Portugal lost in the decisive match against Greece. In 14 years of international play, Couto gained 110 caps.
| Couto – goals for Portugal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 24 February 1993 | Estádio das Antas, Porto, Portugal | Italy | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 18 December 1994 | Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal | Liechtenstein | 5–0 | 8–0 | Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 3 | 24 January 1996 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France | France | 0–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 14 June 1996 | City Ground, Nottingham, England | Turkey | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 |
| 5 | 9 November 1996 | Estádio das Antas, Porto, Portugal | Ukraine | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 18 November 1998 | Estádio do Bonfim, Setúbal, Portugal | Israel | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 10 June 2003 | Estádio Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal | Bolivia | 2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 5 June 2004 | Estádio do Bonfim, Setúbal, Portugal | Lithuania | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
Read more about this topic: Fernando Couto
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