S.L. Benfica facts for kids
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| Full name | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | |||
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| Nickname(s) | As Águias (The Eagles) Os Encarnados (The Reds) O Glorioso (The Glorious One) Benfiquistas (supporters) |
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| Founded | 28 February 1904 (as Sport Lisboa) | |||
| Ground | Estádio da Luz | |||
| Capacity | 64,642 | |||
| President | Rui Costa | |||
| Head coach | Bruno Lage | |||
| League | Primeira Liga | |||
| 2023–24 | Primeira Liga, 2nd of 18 | |||
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Benfica is a famous football club from Lisbon, Portugal. They play in the Primeira Liga, which is the top football league in Portugal.
The club was started on 28 February 1904, and was first called Sport Lisboa. Benfica is one of Portugal's "Big Three" clubs. This means they are one of the most important teams and have never been relegated from the Primeira Liga. The other two big clubs are their rivals, Sporting CP and FC Porto.
Benfica has a few nicknames. They are called As Águias (The Eagles) because an eagle is on their club badge. They are also known as Os Encarnados (The Reds) because of their red shirts. Since 2003, their home stadium has been the Estádio da Luz. It replaced an older, bigger stadium built in 1954.
Benfica is the most popular football club in Portugal. They have about 14 million supporters around the world and over 250,000 members. This makes them one of the biggest sports clubs by membership globally. Their fans are called benfiquistas, and they sing the club's song, "Ser Benfiquista". The club's motto is "E pluribus unum", which means "Out of many, one". Their mascot is an eagle named Águia Vitória.
Benfica is one of the most successful clubs in Portugal, with 86 major trophies. They have won 83 trophies in Portugal, including a record 38 Primeira Liga titles and 26 Taça de Portugal cups. They also won the Latin Cup in 1950. Benfica famously won the European Cup two times in a row, in 1961 and 1962. This was a unique achievement for a Portuguese club. They have reached many European finals, more than any other Portuguese team.
Benfica was ranked 12th in the FIFA Club of the Century list. They are also 8th in the all-time club ranking for the European Cup and UEFA Champions League. Benfica has played in the Champions League more than any other Portuguese club (42 times). They also hold the record for the biggest win over two matches in the European Cup, which happened in 1965–66. In their home league, Benfica holds the European record for the most consecutive wins (29). They were the first team to win the league without losing a single game in 1972–73.
Contents
Benfica's Amazing Journey: A Club History
Early Days: 1904 to 1960
Benfica started on 28 February 1904. A group of 24 people, including Cosme Damião, met to create a football club called Sport Lisboa. They wanted a club only for Portuguese players. José Rosa Rodrigues became the first president. The club colours were chosen as red and white. Their badge would have an eagle, the motto "E pluribus unum", and a football.
Sport Lisboa played their first game on 1 January 1905. The club faced difficulties, like a poor playing field. In May 1907, eight players left to join Sporting CP. This event started the big rivalry between the two Lisbon clubs.
On 13 September 1908, Sport Lisboa joined with Grupo Sport Benfica. The club then changed its name to Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Sport Lisboa kept its football team, colours, eagle, and motto. Grupo Sport Benfica contributed its field, main leaders, and club house. A bicycle wheel was added to the crest to represent cycling, which was important to Grupo Sport Benfica.
The club moved fields several times due to rent issues. They played at Campo de Sete Rios in 1913, then Campo de Benfica in 1917. In 1925, they moved to their own stadium, the Estádio das Amoreiras. They played there for fifteen years before moving to the Estádio do Campo Grande in 1940.
The Portuguese league started in 1934. Benfica won the next three championships in a row (1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38). This was their first "tri" (three in a row). In the 1940s, Benfica won three more league titles and four Taça de Portugal cups. Coach János Biri led them to their first "double" (winning the league and cup) in 1943.
Benfica achieved its first international success in 1950. They won the Latin Cup, beating Bordeaux. This was the first international trophy won by a Portuguese club. They reached another Latin Cup final in 1957 but lost to Real Madrid.
In the 1950s, Benfica became more modern and professional. They moved into the original Estádio da Luz in 1954. It started with 40,000 seats and grew to 70,000 by 1960. During this decade, Benfica won three more league titles and six Taça de Portugal cups. They made their UEFA debut in 1957–58.
Golden Era: 1960 to 2003
Under coach Béla Guttmann, Benfica became European Champions two years in a row. They won the European Cup against Barcelona in 1961 (3–2) and Real Madrid in 1962 (5–3). Because of these wins, Benfica played in the Intercontinental Cup. They were runners-up in 1961 and 1962.
Benfica reached three more European Cup finals but lost them. They lost to AC Milan in 1963, Inter Milan in 1965, and Manchester United in 1968. In the 1960s, Benfica won eight Primeira Liga titles and three Taça de Portugal cups.
Many of these successes were thanks to legendary players like Eusébio, Coluna, and José Águas. Eusébio is the only player from a Portuguese club to win the Ballon d'Or. The 1963–64 team set a club record by scoring 103 goals in 26 league matches.
In the 1970s, Benfica continued to be strong in Portuguese football. They won six Primeira Liga titles and two Taça de Portugal cups. In 1971–72, Benfica reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. They were knocked out by Ajax, led by Johan Cruyff.
The next season, 1972–73, Benfica became the first club in Portugal to win the league without losing a single game. They won 28 out of 30 matches, with 23 wins in a row. They scored 101 goals, and Eusébio was again Europe's top scorer. From October 1976 to September 1978, Benfica went 56 league matches without a defeat. In 1979, Benfica started to allow foreign players on their team.
In the 1980s, Benfica kept winning trophies in Portugal. In 1980–81, they became the first club to win all Portuguese trophies in one season. This included the Supertaça de Portugal, Primeira Liga, and Taça de Portugal. Under coach Sven-Göran Eriksson, they won two league titles in a row (1982–83, 1983–84). They also reached the final of the UEFA Cup in 1983, but lost.
The Estádio da Luz was improved in 1985. It became the largest stadium in Europe and third largest in the world. Benfica won another league and cup double in 1986–87. From 1988 to 1994, they won three more league titles and a Taça de Portugal. They also reached the European Cup finals in 1988 and 1990, but lost both.
However, the club started to face financial problems in the early 1980s. Too much spending on players made things worse. From 1994 to 2003, Benfica had many different coaches. They won the 1995–96 Taça de Portugal but also had their biggest European defeat (7–0 to Celta de Vigo in 1999). They finished sixth in the league in 2000–01, their lowest ever. They also missed playing in European competitions for two seasons. In 2000, club members approved building the new Estádio da Luz.
Modern Success: 2003 to Present
In 2003–04, Benfica ended their longest period without winning a trophy by winning the Taça de Portugal. The next year, they won their first league title since 1994. They also won the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. They didn't win any more trophies until 2009, when they won their first Taça da Liga. This made them the first club to win all major Portuguese competitions. In Europe, they reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2005–06.
Jorge Jesus became coach for 2009–10 and stayed until 2015. During this time, Benfica won 10 domestic trophies. This included a special "treble" (winning the league, cup, and league cup) in 2013–14. They also won the league two years in a row for the first time since 1984. In Europe, they reached the Europa League semi-finals and two Europa League finals.
Later, under coach Rui Vitória, Benfica won a fourth Primeira Liga title in a row. This was their first ever tetra (four in a row). They also won a Taça de Portugal and a Taça da Liga. In Europe, they had their worst Champions League group stage in 2017–18.
After some difficult results, coach Bruno Lage led Benfica to their 37th league title in 2018–19. Jorge Jesus returned as coach for 2020–21. They spent a lot of money on new players during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they finished third in the league and lost a cup final. From 2021–22 to '22–23, with Rui Costa as president, coach Roger Schmidt led them to their 38th league title. They also reached the Champions League quarter-finals two years in a row.
Club Identity: Crest and Shirt
Benfica's crest (badge) features an eagle, which stands for independence and strength. The shield has red and white colours, representing bravery and peace. The motto "E pluribus unum" means "Out of many, one," showing the unity of all members. The club's initials, "SLB", are over a football. All of this is on a bicycle wheel, which shows that cycling was one of the club's first sports.
The club has changed its crest four times since 1904. The current crest comes from 1908 when Sport Lisboa joined Grupo Sport Benfica. The eagle's position and the wheel's size were changed in 1930 and 1999.
Since the 2008–09 season, Benfica's football shirts have three stars above the crest. Each star means the club has won ten league titles. In 2010–11 and 2011–12, special crests with one and two stars were used to celebrate their European Cup wins.
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José da Cruz Viegas chose Benfica's kit in 1904. Red and white were picked because they stood out well. The club chose red shirts with white collars, white shorts, and black socks. Benfica first used a white away kit in 1944–45. This was because Salgueiros, who also wore red, were promoted to the top division.
Benfica has always worn red shirts. Because of this, fans were first called Vermelhos (Reds). But in 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, the Portuguese government censored the word "vermelhos". This was because communists in Spain were also called by that name. So, Benfica became known as Encarnados, which is similar to "reds" but has a different meaning.
Home Grounds
Estádio da Luz: Benfica's Home Stadium
Benfica played on rented fields for many years. Their first own stadium was the Estádio das Amoreiras, opened in 1925. They played there until 1940. Then they moved to the Estádio do Campo Grande, a rented stadium, for 13 years.
From 1954 to 2003, Benfica played at the original Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. From 1985 to 1987, it was the largest stadium in Europe, holding 120,000 people. The old stadium was taken down between 2002 and 2003. The new Estádio da Luz was finished in 2003.
The new Estádio da Luz is also officially called Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica. It is a UEFA category four stadium. This means it's a top-level stadium. It hosted several matches for UEFA Euro 2004, including the final. It also hosted the UEFA Champions League finals in 2014 and 2020. The stadium was built with 65,647 seats and now has 64,642 seats.
Training Centre: Benfica Campus
Benfica's training ground and youth academy is called Benfica Campus. It is in Seixal, near Lisbon. It was built in 2005 and opened on 22 September 2006.
Club Support
Benfica supporters are known as benfiquistas. They sing the club's anthem at the start of every home game. They often call the club O Glorioso (The Glorious One).
Since 1952, Benfica has had fan clubs in many countries called Casas do Benfica (Benfica houses). These are places where benfiquistas can meet and enjoy cultural, social, and sports activities. In recent years, fans celebrate league titles with the team at the Marquis of Pombal Square in Lisbon.
Benfica is the most popular club in Portugal. It has always been seen as the working-class club. A 2006 study found that Benfica has about 14 million supporters worldwide. Over 5.5 million are in Europe (4.7 million in Portugal). More than 6 million are in Mozambique and Angola. Over 1 million are in the United States and Canada. The rest are in other countries like Brazil, China, and Australia. A 2012 study for UEFA showed that Benfica has the highest percentage of football supporters in its own country (47%).
In the 2022–23 season, Benfica had an average home attendance of 57,108 in the Portuguese league. This was the highest average in the league and a record for the Estádio da Luz. The highest attendance record was in 2016–17, when 64,519 fans watched Benfica win 5–0.
Club Members
Benfica members (called sócios) help choose the club president every four years. They vote for different candidates. Members can also vote in meetings, suggest ideas, and be elected to club positions.
In 2003, the club started using electronic voting. Since 2010, only people who have been members for 25 continuous years as an adult can run for president. Also, members get more votes based on how long they have been a member.
On 9 November 2006, Benfica set a Guinness World Record. They had 160,398 paid-up members, making them "the most widely supported football club." In 2014, a study said Benfica had 270,000 members, making them the biggest club in the world by membership. By October 2021, Benfica had over 250,000 members.
Club Rivalries
Benfica has big rivalries with Sporting CP and FC Porto. These three clubs are known as the "Big Three" because they are the most successful in Portugal. None of them have ever been relegated from the Portuguese league.
Benfica and Sporting CP are both from Lisbon, so their rivalry goes back over a century. It started in 1907 when eight important Benfica players moved to Sporting. Any match between them is called the dérbi de Lisboa ("Lisbon derby"). It is the most important football derby in Portugal.
The rivalry between Benfica and FC Porto started with a friendly match in 1912. Lisbon and Porto are the two largest cities in Portugal. Benfica and Porto are the two most successful clubs in Portuguese football. Any match between them is called O Clássico (The Classic).
Club Media
In 2008, Benfica launched its own TV channel, Benfica TV (BTV). It was the first channel by a Portuguese club. BTV shows Benfica's home matches in the Primeira Liga, as well as matches for their reserve and youth teams. In January 2020, Benfica launched Benfica Play (BPlay), an online service with exclusive content like interviews and behind-the-scenes videos.
The club also publishes a weekly newspaper called O Benfica every Friday since 1942. It has news and articles about everything happening at the club. From 2007 to 2017, Benfica also published a quarterly magazine called Mística. It had interviews with players and reports on the club's history.
Benfica Museum
The Museu Benfica – Cosme Damião is located near the stadium. It opened on 29 July 2013. It is named after Cosme Damião, one of the club's founders. In 2014, it was named the Best Portuguese Museum by the Portuguese Association of Museology.
Club Finances
On 10 February 2000, Benfica created Sport Lisboa e Benfica – Futebol, SAD. This is a public company that manages the Benfica team. It was created to handle professional football, player development, TV rights, and the Benfica brand.
Benfica SAD started trading on the PSI-20 stock market on 21 May 2007. In 2014, Benfica bought the remaining rights of nine players for about €28.9 million. In April, Benfica and Adidas renewed their contract until 2021, worth about €4.5 million per year. In May 2015, Emirates airline became Benfica's main jersey sponsor in a deal worth up to €30 million.
In December, Benfica sold the TV rights for their home matches and Benfica TV to NOS. This deal was worth €40 million per season and could last up to ten seasons, totaling €400 million. The club president said this money would help reduce Benfica's debt.
By June 2017, Benfica had earned €617 million from selling players since the 2010–11 season. This was more than any other club in the world. In September 2018, Benfica SAD reported a profit of €20.6 million and a revenue of €206.2 million. Their debt was below €400 million for the first time since 2010–11. In January 2019, Benfica was ranked as the world's 30th highest earning football club by Deloitte.
By September 2021, Benfica owned most of the SAD's shares (63.65%). The rest belonged to other shareholders.
Players
First-Team Squad
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Other Players Under Contract
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Players on Loan
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Retired Numbers
| No. | Player | Position | Benfica debut | Last match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 |  Miklós Fehér |
FW | 24 August 2002 | 25 January 2004 |
On 27 January 2004, Benfica retired the number 29 shirt. This was done to remember Miklós Fehér, who sadly passed away while playing for the club two days earlier.
Club Personnel
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bruno Lage |
| Assistant coaches | Luís Nascimento Carlos Cachada Ricardo Rocha |
| Fitness coach | Alexandre Silva |
| Goalkeeping coach | Nuno Santos |
| Analyst coaches | Jhony Conceição Diogo Camacho |
Source:
Management Team
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Rui Costa |
| Vice-presidents | Jaime Antunes Domingos Almeida Lima Fernando Tavares Sílvio Cervan Manuel Brito Rui do Passo (substitute) José Gandarez (substitute) |
| General assembly president | José Pereira da Costa |
| Supervisory president | Fernando Fonseca Santos |
Source:
Records and Statistics
Individual Player Records
Nené has played the most official matches for Benfica (575 games). Eusébio is the club's all-time top goalscorer, with an amazing 473 goals in 440 matches. He also scored the most goals for Benfica in UEFA club competitions (56 goals). Luisão has won the most trophies with the club (20). He was also captain for the most matches and played the most European games.
Cosme Damião was the longest-serving coach, staying for 18 years in a row. Otto Glória won the most league titles (4) and the most trophies (9) before the league cup existed. Jorge Jesus has won the most trophies overall (10). Rui Vitória has the highest winning percentage in the domestic league (85.29%) for coaches who managed at least 34 matches.
Team Records
Benfica is the first team in Portuguese league history to complete two seasons without losing a single game. This happened in 1972–73 and 1977–78. In the 1972–73 season, they were undefeated champions. They set records for the most points (58 in 30 matches) and the biggest points difference between champions and runners-up (18 points). In the 2015–16 season, Benfica set a club record with 88 points in 34 matches. Benfica's record for the fewest goals conceded in the Primeira Liga is 15 goals in 38 matches, achieved in 1988–89.
Benfica also holds European records. They have the most consecutive wins in a domestic league (29 wins) from 1971–72 to 1972–73. They also have the third longest unbeaten run in all competitions (48 matches) from December 1963 to February 1965.
In the 1965–66 European Cup, Benfica scored 18 goals against Stade Dudelange. This was the highest goal difference over two matches in the European Cup. It was also their biggest win in UEFA competitions. In the UEFA Europa League, Benfica was the first club to reach two finals in a row. As of the 2022–23 season, Benfica has played in the UEFA Champions League (or European Cup) 42 times. They have also played in the UEFA Europa League (or UEFA Cup) 21 times.
Recent Seasons
Here's how Benfica has performed in the last ten seasons:
| Season | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Top league scorer | Goals | Top overall scorer | Goals | TP | TL | ST | UCL | UEL | Rnk | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 1st | 34 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 86 | 16 | 85 | Jonas | 20 | Jonas | 31 | R16 | W | W | GS | — | 6th | |
| 2015–16 | 1st | 34 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 88 | 22 | 88 | Jonas | 32 | Jonas | 36 | R32 | W | RU | QF | — | 6th | |
| 2016–17 | 1st | 34 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 72 | 18 | 82 | Kostas Mitroglou | 16 | Kostas Mitroglou | 27 | W | SF | W | R16 | — | 9th | |
| 2017–18 | 2nd | 34 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 80 | 22 | 81 | Jonas | 34 | Jonas | 37 | 5R | 3R | W | GS | — | 15th | |
| 2018–19 | 1st | 34 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 103 | 31 | 87 | Haris Seferovic | 23 | Haris Seferovic | 27 | SF | SF | — | GS | QF | 21st | |
| 2019–20 | 2nd | 34 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 71 | 26 | 77 | Carlos Vinícius | 19 | Pizzi | 30 | RU | 3R | W | GS | R32 | 20th | |
| 2020–21 | 3rd | 34 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 69 | 27 | 76 | Haris Seferovic | 22 | Haris Seferovic | 26 | RU | SF | RU | 3Q | R32 | 24th | |
| 2021–22 | 3rd | 34 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 78 | 30 | 74 | Darwin Núñez | 26 | Darwin Núñez | 34 | 5R | RU | — | QF | — | 26th | |
| 2022–23 | 1st | 34 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 82 | 20 | 87 | Gonçalo Ramos | 19 | Gonçalo Ramos | 27 | QF | GS | — | QF | — | 17th | |
| 2023–24 | 2nd | 34 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 77 | 28 | 80 | Rafa Silva | 14 | Rafa Silva | 22 | SF | SF | W | GS | QF | 20th |
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Club Honours: Trophies and Awards
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Benfica has won a record 38 Primeira Liga titles. They also have a record 26 Taça de Portugal cups, including 4 in a row. They have won a record 7 Taça da Liga cups, including 4 in a row. They also have 9 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira titles and 3 Campeonato de Portugal titles. In total, they have 83 domestic trophies.
Internationally, Benfica has won 2 European Cups in a row and 1 Latin Cup. This brings their total to 86 trophies. Benfica is the most decorated club in Portuguese football.
In 2014, Benfica achieved the first ever "treble" in Portugal. They won the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, and Taça da Liga all in one season. Benfica was also the first club to win the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga double. They have done this a record four times. Benfica is the only Portuguese club to have successfully defended every major domestic title. They are also the only Portuguese team to win back-to-back European Champions titles.
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Primeira Liga | 38 |
1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1949–50, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1959–60 |
| Taça de Portugal | 26 |
1939–40, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1992–93, 1995–96, 2003–04, 2013–14, 2016–17 |
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| Taça da Liga | 7 |
2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16 |
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| Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira | 9 |
1980, 1985, 1989, 2005, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023 |
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| Campeonato de Portugal | 3 |
1929–30, 1930–31, 1934–35 |
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| Continental | European Cup / UEFA Champions League | 2 | 1960–61, 1961–62 |
| Latin Cup | 1 | 1950 |
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- s shared record
Doubles
- Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal
- 11 – record: 1942–43, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1986–87, 2013–14, 2016–17
- Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga
- 4 – record: 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga
- 1 – shared record: 2013–14
- European Double
- 1: 1960–61
Trebles
- 1 – record: 2013–14
- Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
- 2 – record: 1980–81, 2016–17
- Primeira Liga, Taça da Liga and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
- 1 – record: 2014–15
Portuguese Orders
- Commander of the Military Order of Christ (1932)
- Officer of the Order of Merit (1936)
- Medal of the Order of Prince Henry (1979)
Images for kids
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1904–1908
(Sport Lisboa) -
1906–1908
(Grupo Sport Benfica) -
1908–1930
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1930–1999
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See also
In Spanish: Sport Lisboa e Benfica para niños
- List of football club mergers
- List of UEFA club competition winners
- European Club Association
- S.L. Benfica (women)
