at Atlético de Kolkata. Post-retirement Simão returned to Benfica on 14 September 2017, being appointed head of international relations after longtime club and international teammate Nuno Gomes, who had just left his post as director of the Futebol Campus academy in Seixal, rejected the offer. International career Simão's path to the Portugal national team began when he won the UEFA European Under-16 Championship in 1996. The following year he began playing for the under-18s, being a regular in the under-21 side two years later. Simão made his full debut for Portugal at only 19 years of age, scoring on 18 November 1998 against Israel, but was not included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2000. He also did not make the list for the 2002 FIFA World Cup due to injury, but he did participate at Euro 2004 where the hosts finished in second place. He played in three of his country's six matches, his most notable appearance coming against England in the quarter-finals: he came on as a second-half substitute and seized on Frank Lampard's wayward pass and crossed for Hélder Postiga, who headed in unmarked scoring the equalising goal in the late minutes of the game, bringing it to extra time and an eventual successful penalty shootout, where he converted his attempt. Simão was also selected for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, finishing fourth overall. He made six appearances in the tournament, scoring only one goal on the 24th minute against Mexico, in a 2–1 group stage win; on 1 July, in the quarter-finals, Portugal and England met again in a penalty shootout (0–0 after 120 minutes) and he helped to another victory, netting his attempt for the final 3–1. In Euro 2008, Simão played in three of Portugal's matches and did not find the net, as the nation was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Germany. He did finish as his team's top scorer during the qualifying phase for the 2010 World Cup with four goals, including two in a 3–0 home defeat of Hungary. Simão was selected for the finals in South Africa. A starter from the second group stage fixture he scored precisely in that game, through a right-footed low shot in a 7–0 rout of North Korea on 21 June 2010. On 27 August 2010, Simão stepped down from the national squad citing personal reasons, and earned 85 caps over his 12-year spell, netting