Benfica was formed in 1904 when a group of Portuguese football players wanted to start their own football club with only Portuguese players. They named their new club Sport Lisboa, and things were off to a rocky start when in 1907 several of their players left to join Sporting CP due to poor facilities and game pitches. In 1908 Sport Lisboa…

As part of the Portuguese “Big 3”, Benfica’s main rivals are the other two clubs of the Big 3, Sporting Lisbon and Porto. None of them have been relegated from the Portuguese top flight, and only two seasons have had Portuguese champions outside of these three clubs. Benfica and Sporting Lisbon share an especially intense rivalry as they are both…

Benfica does have a women’s team which was founded in 2017. They reached the top flight in 2019, and since then they have won every league title which they have competed for. They have also gone on to win several domestic cups. They play their home games at Estádio Municipal José Martins Vieira in Almada, although they do occasionally play at the…

Here are the fans doing the club

During the first part of the club’s history, Benfica mainly played on rented fields and did not have a permanent home until 1925 where they moved into the Estádio das Amoreiras. They played there until 1940 and in 1954 they moved into the famous Estádio da Luz, which, after renovations, was the biggest stadium in Europe and one of the biggest in…

GETTING THERE: The stadium is about five miles north of the city’s center, but it’s served well by the subway system. The closest station is Colégio Militar / Luz, which is a short walk from the stadium. PUBS: There really is nothing out by the stadium; if you want a pint or two before the game, do that in the center. GRUB: Along the…