Former Portugal midfielder Costinha has told ESPN FC that the nation deserves to win the European Championship.
Portugal are preparing to face France in the Euro 2016 final at Stade de France on Sunday and the defensive midfielder, who represented his country 53 times before retiring in 2010, believes the time has come for A Selecao win their first major international trophy.
"Portugal are a big footballing nation," he said. "The best player in the world is Portuguese -- Cristiano Ronaldo. The best coach in the world is Portuguese -- Jose Mourinho. The best agent in the world is Portuguese -- Jorge Mendes. What have French clubs achieved in Europe in the last decade?
"Porto won the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Europa League; Sporting Lisbon reached UEFA Cup final; Benfica reached Europa League final, and so did Braga. We are a real force, and we deserve to win the European Championship as well. Do France have a player who can be compared with Cristiano Ronaldo?"
Costinha, who was the lynchpin for Portugal at the beginning of the century, was part of the side dramatically knocked out by France and Zinedine Zidane's "golden goal" penalty in extra time at the Euro 2000 semifinals; while another penalty from Zidane saw Portugal denied in the 2006 World Cup semifinals after a 1-0 loss.
"The defeat in 2000 still hurts," he added. "I really think that the referee wouldn't have given that penalty [for an alleged Abel Xavier handball] if we were a major team, like Italy or Germany. But that was the decision, and we can't really complain, because we lost to a brilliant team. The only thing that I can't agree with is the golden goal rule. We should have been given a chance to equalise."
Indeed, Portugal do not have a good record against the French. In 24 meetings, France have come out on top (W18 D1 L5) and Portugal have lost the last 10 in a row -- a run stretching back to 1975.
"France are our bogey team and our biggest rivals, but I am not looking for revenge," Costinha said. "There is no revenge in football. It's all about winning titles. I am very proud that Portugal reached the final at Euro 2016, and I am confident that they are able to fulfil the mission."
Even with Ronaldo, Portugal are underdogs and there has been significant criticism of Fernando Santos' cautious tactics in the knockout stages. However, Costinha doesn't agree with the critics.
"I love this style. We don't have to play -- we have to win. Do you understand the difference?" he said. "If you want to see a spectacle, you better go to a theatre. Only the winners go down in history, nobody remembers the losers.
"We have a strong squad with fantastic players, and we are playing well. We are compact, ambitious and pragmatic. There are various good options for every position in midfield, and I like watching William Carvalho and Danilo playing in my role. It is very unfair to criticize this team."
The only time the European Championship hosts have lost in the final was when Greece surprised Portugal 1-0 in Lisbon at Euro 2004 -- a game Costinha played in.
"Greece were a good team," he said. "They managed to beat us twice in that tournament [once in the group stage], and also won against France and the strong Czech Republic side. They deserved their success."
A 19-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo cried after losing that final, but the Real Madrid superstar now has the chance to make amends 12 years later as the captain.
"Cristiano didn't change. He was a great fighter as a youngster, and he remains a great fighter as a veteran," Costinha said. "He is still very skilful, but more mature and pragmatic now. He shouldn't think about 2004 on Sunday. This is going to be the final of his life, and he will be ready.
"If we win, the whole country will celebrate. The style is not important, only the trophy matters."