Position: Midfielder
Born: 25.09.76
Club: Benfica

Armando Goncalves Teixeira, or Petit as he is better known, is a defensive midfielder who performs an unfussy role allowing Portugal's flair players the freedom to express themselves.

He first came to prominence in Boavista's title-winning season of 2001 and moved to Benfica a year later.

After becoming a key player during the 2002 World Cup campaign, Petit found himself out of favour when Luiz Felipe Scolari took over.

However, his consistent good form for his club side forced Scolari to reconsider, and Petit has now re-established himself as a key member of the side, showing his qualities in Portugal's run to the final of Euro 2004.

As he has got older, Petit has added more to his game, and now chips in with more goals than in his youth, including a brace in Portugal's 7-1 thrashing of Russia during qualification for this tournament.

Petit looks set to start as Portugal's first-choice holding midfielder. He may not be the most exciting player in Germany, but he performs a vital role.