Wednesday 22 June 2016 16:59, UK
England will face the runners-up of Group F for a place in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals...
It could easily be Portugal…. Or Hungary….Or Iceland….Or Austria.
Portugal need a win against Hungary on Wednesday to be certain of progression, and that will be as group winners if Iceland fail to beat Austria.
If they win and Iceland win, Portugal must better Iceland's scoreline for goal difference superiority to finish top.
Sky Sports suggests it could be a night to wave a Portuguese flag. Here's why….
1. Ronaldo romance
No fan with a shred of compassion will want to see any more tears from the world's biggest star, will they?
Cristiano Ronaldo blubbed after his fluffed penalty denied them victory over Austria and he's had sleepless nights in France carrying the weight of the nation on his shoulders.
He's ripped, he drives fast cars, he likes taking selfies with fans and he's quite good at football. C'mon, England - he's a man of the people. Get behind the Portugal skipper.
2. Ronaldo again
Remember, if you don't cheer him now, England may have to deal with him in the next game.
He's failed to hit the target in four of his last five penalties for Portugal and Real Madrid, plus he's had the most shots at Euro 2016 (20). He won't keep missing. England, beware.
3. Sleeping giants
Roy Hodgson says England will fear nobody in the knockout stages. Two draws in two games is not pretty from Portugal, but you wouldn't want to play them, would you? And think of standout England performer Wayne Rooney.
He could freeze with memories of that Ronaldo 'World Cup wink' from 10 years ago. Iceland - who impressed in the qualifiers - have the lowest average possession per game at Euro 2016 (33.1%). Wouldn't they make easier opponents?
4. Battle of the kitchen
There's no doubting Hungarian goulash is a juicy dish, an Austrian wiener schnitzel a chewy winner and Icelandic fish a nutritional delight. But get your mates round, slap on the latest tune by Portuguese glam metal guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and tuck into some caldo verde (Portugal's famous soup) and it will be a party you'll never forget.
5. Fab facts
If the chat dries up at your Portuguese party, why not stun your friends with some local facts.
Portugal accounts for half of the world's cork production. In 2018, Portuguese cork will be part of the spacecraft used by the European Space Agency in its trip to Mars. Not good enough? Lisbon has the oldest bookstore in the world.
6. Forever friends
In a week when the Brits are weighing up their affinities with Europe, cheering for Ronaldo and co might be the perfect excuse to celebrate Portugal and England having the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world.
The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance was signed in 1373 and is still in force.
7. Hollywood hero
He may not be everybody's cup of port, but it could be a good time to appreciate Pepe's qualities. His aggressive streak is well known, with his friends revealing he practised tackling on the floor of his house as a boy and would only stop when his knees were covered in blood.
Iceland coach Lars Lagerback may need persuading though. He said about the Real Madrid defender recently: "You can see the clips. That is acting, really, of high class. But I don't know what demands they have in Hollywood."
8. Rocket science
No brains in football? Sky Sports pundit Iain Dowie has always been the shining light for educated footballers with a Masters degree in aeronautics. But don't forget Portugal manager Fernando Santos. He earned a degree in electrical and telecommunications engineering in 1977.
After steering Porto to their fifth consecutive championship in 1999, he was nicknamed Engenheiro do Penta (Penta's engineer). Respect is due.
9. Beautiful barnets
France's Paul Pogba has not been shy in exhibiting some new styles on the Euro 2016 stage. Slovakia's Marek Hamsik too had some eccentric locks on show against England. Isn't it about time to celebrate the efforts of Nani on Wednesday night?
10. Bring on the legend
If Portugal top the group, then there's a good chance England will play Hungary. And that means the English fans get a close look at their goalkeeper who has been dominating Twitter throughout the tournament.
Gabor Kiraly is a former Crystal Palace star and is the oldest player at Euro 2016. A 40-year-old playing in tracksuit bottoms? Who wouldn't want to see a bit more of that?
PS... UEFA will not replace Bradford-born Martin Atkinson and his team of English officials for the clash despite its significance for England's last 16 opponents.
