Miguel Queiroz, the tall post player who honed his skills for over a decade at FC Porto, wears the captain’s armband for the Portuguese national basketball team. He says leading the squad into Eurobasket 2025 fills him with immense pride. For Queiroz, it’s one of the most rewarding things in his life.
“Being captain of this team is a huge honor,” Queiroz told the Lusa news agency. “I am truly very proud to lead the national team.” He’s a veteran, known as number ’11’ on the court, and has played 121 games for the main team. Now 34 years old, his journey to this major tournament has been a long one.
Queiroz doesn’t find the captaincy a burden. “It feels natural and quite easy for me,” he explained, crediting his teammates. “We all know each other so well in this group. I understand exactly when I need to speak up and when to stay quiet.” This deep understanding of his team makes his leadership seamless and effective.
He first joined the national team on July 13, 2013. That was not long after Portugal last appeared in the European Championships in 2007 and 2011. Reaching this fourth final phase took a lot of effort. Portugal had also played in the 1951 edition, but that was by invitation. This time, they earned it.
“We went through so much to get here,” Queiroz recalled. “There was a time when we didn’t even have 12 players for a crucial Euro qualifier.” He noted a big shift since then. “This new generation arrived with massive ambition right from the start. They wanted to return to Eurobasket and lift Portugal’s standing in basketball.”
The path was far from easy. “It involved a lot of hard work, many defeats, frustrating journeys, and long trips,” he shared. “We faced heavy losses that always stung. Those difficult moments built our character. They gave us the experience we needed to win many games in this qualification phase.”
Queiroz highlighted the special spirit of the current squad. “I don’t like to compare, but this group genuinely takes huge pride in playing for Portugal,” he stressed. “They have incredible ambition. They’re young and eager to make a difference for Portuguese basketball and for themselves. A team gets better when everyone wants to improve as a player, and that’s what we have.”
This strong team wasn’t built overnight. “The first few years were tough,” Queiroz admitted. Yet, “from training camp to training camp,” they steadily “grew.” Their “level improved significantly,” partly because they set a clear goal. “The most important factor was having a very clear objective,” he told Lusa. “Everyone adopted it as a major aim from the beginning. That focus was key to securing our qualification.”
Portugal is now heading to the finals to compete against Europe’s top teams. They are in Group A in Riga, where they will play Serbia, Turkey, host Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. To move forward, they need to finish in the top four. That is their direct goal.
“Our goal is to get out of the group stage,” Queiroz stated firmly. He added, “We need to focus game by game, starting with the Czech Republic. If I think about winning three games… I don’t believe that’s the right approach. We have to concentrate on the first game. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
He understands the first match in a short tournament can feel huge. “It’s extremely important. Starting strong is always great; it gives us more confidence, even greater confidence, for the next games. But it’s not the only thing that matters.”
“We just have to play, treating it as another basketball game on a grand stage,” the captain guaranteed to Lusa. “We need courage and conviction. We must understand the moment without getting too nervous. We have to keep moving forward, and I believe the team can do it.”
To succeed, Portugal doesn’t need to perform miracles. They simply need to play at their very best. “When the training camp started, I told my teammates that our best back then wasn’t enough,” Queiroz explained. “But I was absolutely certain that by the time Eurobasket arrived, our best in that moment would be sufficient. That’s what I truly believe.”
“We must improve every single day. We need to give our absolute best every day. There’s no 110% here; there’s 100%,” Queiroz concluded. “We give 100% daily to grow gradually. We don’t need to make huge leaps, just one small step at a time. We will be ready, and I am confident that our best performance on August 27 will be enough.”
The 42nd edition of the European Championship finals will take place from August 27 to September 14, 2025. It will be hosted across Latvia, Cyprus, Finland, and Poland.