Luis Figo should celebrate a timely return to form at club level by winning his 100th full international cap for Portugal in Wednesday's friendly match against England.

The Real Madrid midfielder will become only the second Portuguese international to reach the landmark, after Fernando Couto, and will be presented with a special award by the Portuguese Football Federation before kickoff at the Algarve stadium.

England's visit to Portugal will provide a useful gauge of the hosts' preparations with just a few months to go before the start of Euro 2004.

That tournament will give Figo, and much of the rest of Portugal's so-called golden generation, a final chance to win a first major title at full international level.

Figo, who was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and helped Real Madrid to the Champions League title in 2002, announced in October last year that he would be quitting the national team after Euro 2004.

A Portuguese team in a period of transition may well fail to fulfill their country's hopes on home soil later this year but Figo, now 31, remains their best hope.

Figo made his name at Barcelona and was the inspiration behind Portugal's run to the semi-finals at Euro 2000 before making a bitterly felt move to Real Madrid for what was then a world record fee.

He was the driving force in Real's league title success in his first season but played a lesser role in the following year's European Cup win and, recovering from injury, he could do nothing to prevent Portugal's early exit from the World Cup in South Korea and Japan in 2002.

His spark seemed to be missing for much of last season, too, but this year he has re-emerged as one of the most destructive attacking players in Spain.

He no longer possesses the explosive pace of his former years but he retains an exquisite touch on free kicks and crosses and has developed a street-wise determination that contributes countless free kicks to the Real cause.

"Real Madrid need the sort of player I am now," he explained in comments to reporters earlier this month.

"Instead of spending 80 minutes doing nothing, and then providing one goal or an assist, I work throughout the game."

That mix of sublime skill and a willingness to get his elbows and knees dirty for the cause will win him warm applause from the Algarve crowd on Wednesday and may yet have the fans cheering even louder in Lisbon this summer.