The Euro 2024 quarter-final between France and Portugal will take place on Friday, July 5 at 9pm. A few hours before the match kicks off, the Portuguese community in Lyon is already shaking.
It's a classic football match, and always an event for the Portuguese community in Lyon. On Friday, July 5, the French team will face Selecao Portugal to Euro 2024 quarter-finals, 9pm. On one side Ronaldo and on the other Mbappe. Two legends and two generations of football will be on the pitch this evening, dear to the hearts of many French-Portuguese fans.
In a Portuguese supermarket in Griny, south of Lyon, the atmosphere is festive. Many French-Portuguese people are buying something to celebrate properly this evening.We'll make a salad with cod fritters and olives! And a glass of good wine too! I hope Portugal wins!“The grandfather says, smiling broadly. Further away, a French-Portuguese couple hesitates in front of the shelves:There will be some war.” husband joke before adding “It will be a great game, and we will laugh a lot.“When leaving the supermarket, many customers complete their shopping by purchasing Portuguese flags and other items. Good things.
“We are here 50-50″
If France are the favourites in the match, Portugal will not be an easy opponent. In his last match against Slovenia, Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa achieved the feat of stopping three consecutive goals in a penalty shootout. He is the first to achieve this performance in the history of the Euro. Therefore, among the Portuguese in the region, a few hours before the start of the match, the red shirt is in everyone's hearts.
And in a Portuguese restaurant not far away, we are also preparing for the match. Because here people come from all over the region to eat the specialties. On this Friday, the manager has brought a big barbecue of marinated chicken. Nelson Pereira spits as he comments: “In Portugal we experience football intensely, We are here 50-50. I was born in France, but there is a special link with Portugal. Long live Portugal and long live France!”
And 30 kilometers away, in Chassio, you can enjoy football with the family. Michel Lopez, a former goalkeeper and now a businessman, is working on a big project. Otherwise, he would be with his cousins in Hamburg to experience the match live. Jersey from Selecao On it, specifically:Football is a religion for us. It's been a passion since I was three years old. If France wins we'll be a bit disappointed, but it's still France! Our parents and grandparents who immigrated here had it hard, they came for France. So, for us, the next generation, it's important to support Portugal”
Michel can't wait to get back to his loved ones to watch the game. Because every European Championship meeting between the two teams has been legendary: in 1984 in Marseille, in 2000 in Brussels, and finally the 2016 final at the Stade de France, which the Blues lost at home. Each time, an electric finale. And tonight's match is set to be no exception.
Many are attached to both teams, and it is heartbreaking to think that one of them will leave the competition at the end of the match. But there will always be those who support them! If France lose, they will support Portugal. But if Portugal lose, they will support France. With all their passion and enthusiasm, these fans will have only one motto tonight: French every day, Portuguese forever.
