Ricardo

Penalty shootouts gave Ricardo his mythology, but reducing him to gloves removed and English trauma would be too easy, and frankly too lazy. For Sporting, Boavista, Betis and Portugal, he was a goalkeeper of reflexes, courage and emotional temperature, capable of huge moments even when his technique did not always look perfectly orthodox. He was not the most commanding aerial presence, nor the calmest distributor of his generation, but he had nerve, agility and a remarkable ability to become larger when pressure narrowed the world. Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup made him a national figure, especially through his penalty saves and that famous decisive kick against England. Ricardo could be uneven, yes, but he was never anonymous. A dramatic shot stopper, brave, instinctive and built for nights when goalkeeping becomes theatre.