International Career
Almeida played at every level in international competitions, from the under-15 to the main Portuguese national team. He made his full debut in a friendly match against England on 18 February 2004, in a 1–1 tie, and was also part of the Portuguese team that won the 2003 Toulon Tournament, also appearing at the 2004 and 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship finals.
Almeida was called for Portugal's final three UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, starting against Azerbaijan and scoring his first international goal. He also netted in the follow-up, a 1–0 win over Armenia, and these goals eventually proved vital, as the nation clinched a tournament spot.
In Carlos Queiroz's second stint as national side coach, Almeida scored in a 4–0 away win against Malta on 6 September 2008, in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. His importance diminished in late 2009, after the naturalization of Sporting Clube de Portugal's Liédson.
Almeida was picked for the finals in South Africa. After the first match, a 0–0 against Côte d'Ivoire, he replaced Liédson in the starting XI for the following match, but both players found the net in the 7–0 routing of North Korea on 21 June 2010, in Cape Town.
Almeida was selected by new manager Paulo Bento for his Euro 2012 squad, initially as third-choice after Hélder Postiga and Nélson Oliveira. After the former injured himself in the first half of the quarterfinals against Czech Republic, he replaced him, going on to start in the penalty shootout loss against Spain (0–0 after 120 minutes).
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 October 2007 | Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan | 0–2 | 0–2 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 2 | 17 November 2007 | Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal | Armenia | 1–0 | 1–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 3 | 6 September 2008 | Ta'Qali Stadium, Ta'Qali, Malta | Malta | 0–2 | 0–4 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 6 June 2009 | Qemal Stafa stadium, Tirana, Albania | Albania | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 12 August 2009 | Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein | Liechtenstein | 0–1 | 0–3 | Friendly |
| 6 | 12 August 2009 | Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein | Liechtenstein | 0–3 | 0–3 | Friendly |
| 7 | 3 March 2010 | Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal | China PR | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 8 June 2010 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa | Mozambique | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 8 June 2010 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa | Mozambique | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 10 | 21 June 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa | North Korea | 3–0 | 7–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 11 | 3 September 2010 | Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimarães, Portugal | Cyprus | 1–1 | 4–4 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 12 | 17 November 2010 | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal | Spain | 4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 13 | 10 August 2011 | Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé, Portugal | Luxembourg | 4–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 14 | 10 August 2011 | Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé, Portugal | Luxembourg | 5–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 15 | 2 September 2011 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | Cyprus | 0–3 | 0–4 | Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 16 | 14 November 2012 | Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon | Gabon | 1–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
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