 Magalhães was chosen by Portuguese sports newspaper "Record" as one of the best 100 Portuguese football players ever.Magalhães made his debut for Portugal on 18 November 1981, in a 2–1 win against Scotland for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, at the age of just 19.He was overlooked for the squad that appeared at UEFA Euro 1984, but represented the nation at the 1986 World Cup, earning a total of 20 caps (no goals).