FC Porto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Porto

Full name	Futebol Clube do Porto
Nickname(s)	Dragões (Dragons) Azuis e brancos (Blue and whites) Portistas (supporters)
Short name	Porto
Founded	28 September 1893; 131 years ago (1893-09-28) (disputed) as Foot-Ball Club do Porto
Ground	Estádio do Dragão
Ground Capacity	50,033
President	André Villas-Boas
Head coach	Vítor Bruno
League	Primeira Liga
2023–24	Primeira Liga, 3rd of 18
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Futebol Clube do Porto, often called FC Porto or just Porto, is a famous Portuguese sports club from the city of Porto. It's best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Primeira Liga. This is the top football league in Portugal.

The club was started on September 28, 1893. Porto is one of the "Big Three" teams in Portugal. The other two are Lisbon-based rivals Benfica and Sporting CP. These three teams have played in every season of the Primeira Liga since it began in 1934.

Porto's nicknames are dragões (Dragons), because of the mythical creature on their club badge, and Azuis e brancos (Blue-and-whites), which are their shirt colours. Their uniform is blue and white stripes with blue shorts. Fans of the club are called portistas. Since 2003, Porto has played its home games at the Estádio do Dragão. Before that, they played at the Estádio das Antas for 51 years.

Porto is one of the most successful clubs in Portuguese football. They have won 86 major trophies. In Portugal, they have won 30 league titles (five in a row, which is a record!). They also have 20 Taça de Portugal cups, 4 Campeonato de Portugal cups, 1 Taça da Liga cup, and a record 24 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira cups. Porto is one of only two teams to win the league without losing a single game, which they did in the 2010–11 and 2012–13 seasons.

Internationally, Porto is the most successful Portuguese team, with seven trophies. They won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in 1987 and 2004. They also won the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 2003 and 2011. Other international wins include the UEFA Super Cup in 1987 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1987 and 2004. Porto is the only Portuguese club to have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup. They are also the only Portuguese team to win a continental treble (winning the league, domestic cup, and a European title in the same season) twice (in 2002–03 and 2010–11).

Club History

How it All Started (1893–1921)

António Nicolau de Almeida, the club's founder

FC Porto was founded on September 28, 1893, by António Nicolau de Almeida. He was a local port wine merchant who loved sports and was very interested in football after visiting England. Porto played its first matches against other Portuguese clubs. One famous early game was against Foot-Ball Club Lisbonense on March 2, 1894. Even King Carlos I and Queen Amélie of Orléans came to watch this match!

After a quiet period, the club was brought back to life in 1906 by José Monteiro da Costa. He had also studied in England and loved football. Monteiro da Costa became the club's president. Besides football, Porto also promoted other sports like gymnastics and swimming. Soon after, they got their first rented ground and a French coach named Adolphe Cassaigne.

In 1912, Porto helped create the Porto Football Association. This group started organizing the regional championship. Porto won its first regional championship the next year. By 1921, Porto had won the regional championship six times in seven years!

First National Wins and Tough Times (1921–1977)

The 1921–22 season saw the start of the first nationwide football competition, the Campeonato de Portugal. This tournament brought together regional champions to find the best team in Portugal. Porto won its fourth regional title and then beat Sporting CP in the first edition in 1922. This made Porto the first national champion! They won this cup three more times over the next 16 years.

In 1934, a new league, the "Campeonato da Primeira Liga," was created to make Portuguese football more competitive. Porto won the first edition of this new league. This league later became the official "Primeira Divisão" in 1938–39, replacing the Campeonato de Portugal, which became the Taça de Portugal (the main cup competition). Porto won the first two titles of this new league.

After a 16-year wait for a league title, Porto finally won the 1955–56 Primeira Divisão again. Later that season, they won their first Taça de Portugal, achieving their first "double" (winning both the league and the cup). Porto then played in European competitions for the first time in the 1956–57 European Cup. In 1959, under coach Béla Guttmann, Porto won the league again.

However, the club then went through another tough period. They only won the Taça de Portugal in 1968. Their worst league finish was ninth place in 1969–70. In European games, they didn't get past the third round. A sad moment happened in 1973 when their 26-year-old captain, Pavão, collapsed during a game and later passed away in the hospital.

Becoming Famous Internationally (1977–1988)

Rabah Madjer was a key player when Porto won the 1987 European Cup Final.

The return of José Maria Pedroto as coach in 1976–77 marked a new beginning. He led Porto to win the Taça de Portugal again. The next season, he ended Porto's 19-year wait for a league title! Porto also reached the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, even beating Manchester United.

In 1982, Pedroto returned with the new club president, Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa. In 1984, Porto reached its first major European final, the Cup Winners' Cup final, but lost to Michel Platini's Juventus. After Pedroto stepped down due to illness, Artur Jorge took over. He led Porto to win the Primeira Divisão title again. Striker Fernando Gomes became Europe's top goalscorer for the second time.

Porto won the league again in 1986, which qualified them for the 1986–87 European Cup. They had a huge 9–0 win against Rabat Ajax. They kept winning and reached their first European Cup final against Bayern Munich. Porto was losing 1–0 until the 79th minute, but then scored two goals in two minutes! The first was a famous backheel goal by Rabah Madjer. This amazing comeback secured the European Cup title for Porto!

The next season, under coach Tomislav Ivic, Porto won two more international trophies: the 1987 European Super Cup against Ajax and the 1987 Intercontinental Cup against Peñarol. The 1987–88 season was very successful, as they also won the Taça de Portugal and the league with a record number of goals and points.

Winning Streak: Tri, Tetra, Penta (1988–2001)

Bobby Robson helped Porto win two of their record five league titles in a row.

After a tough season, Porto brought back Artur Jorge, who won the Primeira Divisão title again in 1990 and added the Taça and Supertaça in 1991. His replacement, Carlos Alberto Silva, won two league titles in a row and led Porto to the first UEFA Champions League.

In 1994, Porto hired former England manager Bobby Robson. He helped the club win the Taça de Portugal final. In Robson's first full season, Porto won the 1994–95 Primeira Divisão title. Sadly, the season started with the death of 26-year-old midfielder Rui Filipe. Robson continued to lead Porto to another league title in 1996.

After Robson left, António Oliveira became coach. Under him, Porto made history by winning a third consecutive league title (the Tri). They also won the Supertaça against Benfica with a huge 5–0 score. Brazilian players Artur and Mário Jardel were very important, especially Jardel, who won the "Bola de Prata" (top scorer award) four times in a row while at Porto. In Oliveira's second season, Porto won the Primeira Divisão for the fourth straight season (the Tetra), matching a record. They also secured their third double.

For the 1998–99 season, Fernando Santos became coach. He led Porto to win its fifth successive Primeira Divisão title (the Penta), which is a Portuguese football record! Jardel's 36 goals that season won him the European Golden Shoe. Porto didn't win the league in the next season but did win their tenth Taça de Portugal trophy.

Mourinho's Amazing Years (2001–2004)

José Mourinho led Porto to win the UEFA Cup and then the UEFA Champions League.

After a disappointing season, Porto hired José Mourinho as coach in 2002. Mourinho famously promised that the club would win the league title the next season, and he delivered! With key players like Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Maniche, and new signings like Paulo Ferreira, Porto won the 2002–03 Primeira Liga easily. The club also won the UEFA Cup, beating Celtic in an exciting final. Mourinho then completed an amazing "treble" for Porto by winning the Taça de Portugal final.

The 2003–04 season started with another Supertaça win. Striker Benni McCarthy joined and scored 20 league goals, helping Porto defend its league title.

Porto played in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. They finished second in their group and then faced Manchester United. After winning 2–1 at home, Porto was losing 1–0 in the second game until the very last minute, when they scored to make it 1–1 and win on aggregate! They then beat Lyon and Deportivo La Coruña to reach the Champions League final. Porto defeated Monaco 3–0 to win their second European Champion Clubs' Cup! They almost won another treble, but lost the Taça de Portugal final to Benfica.

After Mourinho (2004–2010)

After Mourinho and some key players left, the next season was a bit chaotic with three different coaches. Porto won the 2004 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira and the 2004 Intercontinental Cup, but lost the league title. During this time, the club faced issues off the field related to a football investigation, which resulted in a fine and points deduction.

In 2005–06, Dutch coach Co Adriaanse helped Porto win the Primeira Liga title again and secure their fifth domestic double. The next season, Jesualdo Ferreira became coach. He led Porto to win the national championship for the first time in his career. The club won the league title three times in a row (the Tri) from 2006 to 2009.

In the 2008–09 season, Porto won another league and cup double. They were hoping to win five league titles in a row, but Benfica stopped their streak in the next season. Even though Ferreira won the Supertaça and defended the Taça de Portugal, he resigned at the end of the season.

Villas-Boas, Pereira, and Recent Years (2010–2017)

André Villas-Boas won four trophies in one season with Porto, including the UEFA Europa League.

In 2010, André Villas-Boas, a former assistant coach to Mourinho, became Porto's head coach. This led to a very successful 2010–11 season. They started by winning the Supertaça against Benfica. Led by players like João Moutinho, Hulk, and Falcao, Porto won its 25th league title with five games left to play. They broke several records, including the biggest points difference to the runner-up (21 points) and finishing the league without any defeats for the first time!

Eight years after their 2003 win, Porto returned to the UEFA Cup (now called UEFA Europa League). They reached the final and beat Braga in an all-Portuguese match. Villas-Boas became the youngest coach to win a UEFA competition. A few days later, Porto won its third consecutive Taça de Portugal, securing their fourth trophy of the season!

When Villas-Boas left, his assistant, Vítor Pereira, took over. Porto won another Supertaça but lost to Barcelona in the 2011 UEFA Super Cup. They won the Primeira Liga title again but were knocked out of the cups and Champions League early. In the 2012–13 Primeira Liga, Porto had a dramatic win against Benfica in the second-to-last game, which helped them win their 27th league title – their second without any defeats!

The 2013–14 season started with a new coach, Paulo Fonseca, and another Supertaça win. However, this was the only trophy they won that season. Porto struggled in the league and European competitions, leading to Fonseca's departure. The next two seasons (2014–15 and 2015–16) were also tough, with no trophies won.

The Conceição Era (2017–2024)

Former Porto player Sérgio Conceição won eight trophies as the club's manager, including three league titles

In the 2017–18 season, after almost five years without a trophy, Porto won its 28th league title under coach Sérgio Conceição, who used to play for the club. The next year, in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, Porto reached the quarter-finals but lost to Liverpool.

In the 2019–20 season, Porto won the league title for the 29th time and also won the Portuguese cup, which was their first double in eleven years. In the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, Porto reached the quarter-finals by beating Juventus. That season, they also won the Supertaça.

After losing the league title in the previous season, Porto had a very successful 2021–22 season. Under Conceição, they won the Primeira Liga with a record 91 points. During this season, they also set a new national record of 58 matches without losing in the league! A week after winning the league, they added the domestic cup, securing another double under Conceição.

On January 28, 2023, Porto won their first-ever Taça da Liga title, beating Sporting CP in the final. This meant they had won every national trophy available! In December 2023, the team qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup for the first time. At the end of the 2023–2024 season, after winning the Taça de Portugal and coaching the team for seven years, Sérgio Conceição left the club.

New Club President, André Villas-Boas (2024–Present)

On April 27, 2024, André Villas-Boas, who had coached Porto in the 2010–2011 season, was elected the 32nd president of FC Porto. He won with a huge 80% of the votes. Villas-Boas quickly started making changes. He chose Vitor Bruno, who was previously an assistant coach, as the new head coach. Villas-Boas also started the first women's football team for FC Porto, promoted young players from the B team and U-19 teams, and created new ways to bring fans closer to the club.

Club Badge and Kit

Porto's first club badge was made in 1910. It was a blue football with white seams and the club's initials. On October 26, 1922, the badge was changed to what it looks like today. A graphical artist and player named Augusto Baptista Ferreira designed it. He added the city's coat of arms on top of the old badge. This coat of arms includes a green dragon with a red banner that says "Invicta" (Undefeated city).

In 1906, the team wore different coloured kits, including white shirts with red collars or blue stripes, and even red shirts. In 1909, Monteiro da Costa decided the official uniform should be "a shirt with blue vertical stripes, black shorts, and personal footwear." Some people thought the kit should use the city's colours, green and white. But Monteiro da Costa believed the colours should be those of the country's flag, blue and white, to show that the club would represent Portugal.

In 1975, Adidas started making kits for the club. Eight years later, Porto became the first Portuguese team to have a shirt sponsor, Revigrés. This deal lasted for 20 years!

Home Stadiums

The old Campo da Constituição ground is now home to the Vitalis Park, the club's youth training camp.

Porto's first home ground was the Campo da Rainha (Queen's Field), opened in 1906. It was located near Monteiro da Costa's home. It was the first dedicated football pitch in Portugal. The ground could hold 600 people and had changing rooms, a bar, and a gym.

By 1911, the Campo da Raínha became too small. So, the club moved to a new ground called the Campo da Constituição (Constitution Field) in January 1913. This stadium was bigger, but eventually, it also became too small for the growing crowds.

Estádio do Dragão during a UEFA Champions League match

In 1933, Porto planned to build a new stadium. Construction of the Estádio do Futebol Clube do Porto, better known as Estádio das Antas (Antas Stadium), began in 1950. It was opened on May 28, 1952, with a match against Benfica. Over the years, the stadium was expanded and changed. By 1997, its capacity was 55,000.

When Portugal was chosen to host UEFA Euro 2004 in 1999, Porto decided to build a new, modern stadium. The new stadium, called Estádio do Dragão (Dragon Stadium), cost €98 million and took two years to build. It was officially opened on November 16, 2003, with a match against Barcelona. Porto won 2–0, and it was also Lionel Messi's professional debut! In June 2004, the stadium hosted the opening ceremony and match of the UEFA Euro 2004. Its current capacity is 50,431.

Museum

The FC Porto Museum opened on September 28, 2013, to celebrate the club's 120th anniversary. The museum has an auditorium, a club store, a coffee shop, and spaces for learning and special exhibitions.

Club Rivalries

Porto has big rivalries with the other Big Three clubs: Benfica and Sporting CP. These rivalries come from the historical differences between the cities of Porto and Lisbon, where the other two clubs are based. These rivalries became even stronger after Pinto da Costa became Porto's president in 1982.

Porto's rivalry with Benfica is the strongest. This match is called O Clássico (The Classic). It's a clash between the most famous football clubs from each city. The first match between Porto and Benfica was on April 28, 1912. Porto's first win against Benfica was in 1920.

Porto's first game against Sporting CP was in 1919. Their first official match was in the 1922 Campeonato de Portugal final, which Porto won.

The club also has a strong rivalry with city neighbours Boavista, sometimes called O Dérbi da Invicta.

Records and Statistics

Radamel Falcao holds the club record for top goalscorer in European competitions.

Former defender João Pinto has played the most matches for Porto (587). Former goalkeeper Vítor Baía has played the most international matches (99) and won the most trophies (25) for the club. Portuguese striker Fernando Gomes is the club's all-time top goalscorer with 352 goals. In European competitions, Radamel Falcao holds the record with 22 goals.

José Maria Pedroto is the longest-serving coach, managing the team for 327 matches over nine seasons. Jesualdo Ferreira was the first Portuguese coach to win three league titles in a row for Porto (2006–2009). André Villas-Boas became the youngest coach to win a European competition when Porto won the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League.

The 2010–11 season was full of records for Porto. They played the most matches (58), had the most wins (49), and the highest winning percentage (84.4%). In the league, they had the most consecutive wins (16) and didn't lose any games. In Europe, they won 14 out of 17 matches and scored 44 goals on their way to the UEFA Europa League title.

In April 2022, Porto set a national record of 58 matches without losing in the Primeira Liga. This amazing unbeaten run started in late 2020.

Recent Seasons

Here's how the club has performed in the last ten seasons:

UEFA Club Ranking

Rank	Team	Points
9	Chelsea	79.000
10	Inter Milan	76.000
11	Bayer Leverkusen	72.000
12	Porto	70.000
13	RB Leipzig	70.000
14	Manchester United	70.000
15	Benfica	69.000

Trophies and Achievements

As of August 3, 2024, Porto has won 86 major trophies in football. In Portugal, they have won:

• 30 Portuguese league titles
• 20 Taça de Portugal cups
• 1 Taça da Liga cup
• 4 Campeonato de Portugal cups (a record shared with Sporting CP)
• A record 24 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira cups

Porto is the most successful Portuguese team in international competitions, having won:

• 2 European Cup / UEFA Champions League titles
• 2 UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League titles
• 1 UEFA Super Cup
• 2 Intercontinental Cup trophies

They are also the only Portuguese team to have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, or the Intercontinental Cup.

Porto has won four titles in a single season twice:

• In 1987–88: UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Primeira Liga, and Taça de Portugal.
• In 2010–11: Supertaça, Primeira Liga, UEFA Europa League, and Taça de Portugal.

The 2010–11 season also included the club's second "continental treble" (winning the league, domestic cup, and a European title). The first treble was in 2002–03.

•      record
• ^s shared record

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 3 DF Tiago Djaló (on loan from Juventus) 4 DF Otávio 5 DF Iván Marcano 6 MF Stephen Eustáquio 8 MF Marko Grujić 9 FW Samu Aghehowa 10 MF Fábio Vieira (on loan from Arsenal) 11 FW Pepê 12 DF Zaidu Sanusi 13 FW Galeno 14 GK Cláudio Ramos 15 MF Vasco Sousa 16 MF Nico González 17 FW Iván Jaime 18 DF Wendell 19 FW Danny Namaso 20 MF André Franco

No. Position Player 21 FW Fran Navarro 22 MF Alan Varela (vice-captain) 23 DF João Mário 24 DF Nehuén Pérez (on loan from Udinese) 27 FW Deniz Gül 49 FW Gonçalo Sousa 51 GK Diogo Fernandes 52 DF Martim Fernandes 70 FW Gonçalo Borges 73 DF Gabriel Brás 74 DF Francisco Moura 84 DF Martim Cunha 86 MF Rodrigo Mora 91 GK Gonçalo Ribeiro 94 GK Samuel Portugal 97 DF Zé Pedro 99 GK Diogo Costa (captain)

Players on Loan

No. Position Player DF Fábio Cardoso (at Al Ain until 30 June 2025) MF Romário Baró (at Basel until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player FW Gabriel Veron (at Cruzeiro until 31 December 2024) FW Francisco Conceição (at Juventus until 30 June 2025)

Club Staff

Technical Staff

Vítor Bruno is the current head coach of the club

2024–25 FC Porto season

Management Team

Club Organization

Since 1997, Porto has created several companies to manage different parts of the club:

• FC Porto – This part handles youth football, basketball, handball, roller hockey, athletics, the club's magazine, and more.
• FC Porto – Futebol SAD – This is the company for professional football.
• Porto Estádio – Manages the stadium.
• Porto Multimédia – Handles the official website and other digital products.
• Porto Comercial – Manages merchandising (selling club products).
• Porto Seguro – Deals with insurance.

The FCPorto SAD company is listed on the Euronext Lisbon stock exchange, which means you can buy shares in it.

Club Media

Porto Canal is a television channel owned by FC Porto. It shows general programs, regional news, and content related to the club. You can watch it through cable, satellite, and IPTV. The channel broadcasts live matches of the reserve and youth football teams, as well as the senior basketball, handball, and roller hockey teams. Porto bought the channel completely in 2015.

The club also publishes Dragões, an official monthly magazine with articles and interviews about the teams and players. They also have a daily newsletter called Dragões Diário.

Other Sports at FC Porto

See also

In Spanish: Fútbol Club Oporto para niños