Portugal vs. Argentina, Olympics 2016: Time, TV schedule and team news

Portugal’s football team should head into their Olympic campaign buoyed by the success of their senior men’s side at Euro 2016 earlier this summer. The men kick off in Rio against Argentina on Thursday; and despite the undoubted talent of some of Portugal’s players, a tough match is anticipated. Their star man is captain Bruno Fernandes, a 21-year-old midfielder used to pulling the strings in midfield for Italian outfit Udinese. If Argentina are to have any success, they’ll have to keep him quiet.

The game kicks off at 5 p.m. ET. It’s on TV on NBCSN, and you can watch online and on your mobile device on NBC Sports Live Extra.

Though Argentina’s squad doesn’t boast many household names -- especially in Europe, with only two of their players plying their domestic trade on the other side of the Atlantic -- they, as ever, have been able to bring a fine selection of young talent across the Río de la Plata. Chief among them is goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli of Real Sociedad, midfielder Lucas Romero of Cruzeiro, and Atlético Madrid’s young striker Ángel Correa. They will be familiar faces to anyone who enjoys tracking football’s rising stars, and they’ll all be looking to deliver top performances under the world’s spotlight.

Unlike Portugal, Argentina have history in this tournament: they won gold in both Athens and Beijing, though failed to appear four years ago in London.

TV: NBCSN (US - English); TyC Sports Internacional (US - Spanish); BBC Red Button (UK); Sport TV2, RTP 1 (Portugal); DIRECTV Sports, TyC Sports, ESPN Cono Sur, ESPN 2 Latin America, Canal 7 TV Publica, Telefe Argentina (Argentina)

Match Date/Time: Thursday, 5 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. local

Venue: Olympic Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil