Career
He was chosen by Portuguese sports newspaper Record as one of the best 100 Portuguese football players ever. In 1943, he went to Sporting Clube de Portugal. The main goalkeeper at the time, João Azevedo, said that Barrigana was "the only one in which I see qualities to take me away from my place".
Until the end of the season, he did not play any game.
Then, Football Club Porto"s goalkeeper, Hungarian Bela Andrasik, mysteriously disappeared (later it was found out he was an anti-nazi spy and ran away with fear from António de Oliveira Salazar"s regime). Football Club Porto requested help from Sporting and Barrigana was sent.
He debuted for the national team on 21 March 1948, in a game against Spain in Madrid that ended 2-0 for the Spanish. His most famous game for the national team was against France on 20 April 1952 in Paris, in which the Portuguese team lost 3-0.
The defeat was not bigger thanks to the fantastic game by Barrigana.
He was released from Football Club Porto in 1955 by Brazilian Dorival Yustrich in a controversial decision. He went to South Carolina (U.S.) He retired at the age of 43, after having played for several major clubs. He died on 30 September 2007, by disease, after being in hospital for several days.
