S.L. Benfica (women)

Benfica

Full name	Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Nickname(s)	As Águias (The Eagles) As Encarnadas (The Reds)
Founded	12 December 2017 (7 years ago) (2017-12-12)
Ground	Estádio Municipal José Martins Vieira Benfica Campus Estádio da Luz (selected matches)
Capacity	2,230 2,708 64,642
President	Rui Costa
Head coach	Filipa Patão
League	Campeonato Nacional Feminino
2023–24	Campeonato Nacional Feminino, 1st of 12 (champions)
Website	https://www.slbenfica.pt
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Active departments of S.L. Benfica
Football Football B Football U19 Football (women's) Futsal Roller hockey Basketball Handball Volleyball Athletics Swimming Rugby union Table tennis Billiards Canoeing

Closed departments
Archery Beach soccer Cycling

Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɨˈpɔɾ liʒˈβoɐ i βɐ̃jˈfikɐ] ^ⓘ), commonly known as Benfica, is a Portuguese women's football team based in Lisbon that plays in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino, the top-level women's football league in Portugal, following promotion in the 2018–19 season.

Founded on 12 December 2017, it is the women's team of football club S.L. Benfica.^[1][2] They have won four consecutive First Division titles, one Second Division title, two Portuguese Cup, five League Cups (record) and three Super Cups (shared record).

Their current home grounds are the 2,230-seater Estádio Municipal José Martins Vieira, in Almada,^[3] and Benfica Campus, in Seixal, with the team occasionally playing at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon.

As of 2024, Benfica have won every league title since they arrived at the Portuguese top flight in 2019, with the exception of the 2019–20 season, when the league was suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions.^[4] At the time of suspension, the team was tied for first place.^[5]

On 12 December 2017, Benfica publicly confirmed that it was forming a long-mooted women's football team.^[6] Compiling a squad replete with several international players and a distinctly Brazilian flavour, they entered the Portuguese second division and promptly doled out several comprehensive thrashings to their outmatched opponents.^[7]

The initial squad contained a total of seven players from Brazil (an eighth, Rilany, arrived in December). Brazilians were targeted because many had the required skills and experience. As Lusophones, they were also expected to adapt quickly to Portuguese culture.^[8] This mirrored the policy of Benfica's male team, who had a successful policy of importing talented players from the Brazilian transfer market.^[9]

On 17 September 2018, Benfica made their league debut in the Campeonato Nacional II Divisão and beat UD Ponte de Frielas 28–0. The result established a new record winning margin in Portuguese senior football, surpassing Sporting CP's 21–0 win over CS Mindelense in 1971.^[10][11] Former Benfica player Luís Andrade was appointed as technical co-ordinator of the club's women's section in October 2018. He was tasked with developing a women's B team and revamping the youth structure, which contained approximately 200 players.^[12]

On 26 January 2019, Benfica broke their own Portuguese scoring record by thrashing CP Pego 32–0 at the Estádio da Tapadinha, increasing their league tally to 257 goals scored and none conceded in 14 matches,^[13][14] and the overall tally to 293–0 in 16 matches.^[15] Four days later, Benfica conceded a goal for the first time in their history, in a 5–1 away win over Marítimo in the third round of the Portuguese Cup.^[16]

Campeonato Nacional side Braga inflicted Benfica's first ever defeat on 24 March 2019, winning 2–1 away in the first leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-final.^[17] Six days later, Benfica met Sporting CP in the first but unofficial female Lisbon derby between their main teams. The match was staged at the Estádio do Restelo to raise money for the Cyclone Idai relief effort in Mozambique, attracting 15,204 spectators – a national record crowd at the time for a women's match in Portugal. Despite dominating play, Benfica lost 1–0 to Joana Marchão's 86th-minute penalty kick.^[18]

On 18 May 2019, after eliminating Braga on 5–4 aggregate in the Portuguese Cup semi-finals,^[19] Benfica beat Valadares Gaia 4–0 in the final to conquer their first trophy, in a Portuguese Cup record attendance of 12,632.^[20][21] Following an 8–0 win over Estoril Praia B on 29 May, Benfica secured promotion to the 2019–20 Campeonato Nacional Feminino.^[22] Later, on 23 June, they were crowned second division champions as they beat Braga B on 9–0 aggregate in the finals.^[23][24]

After the departure of head coach João Marques,^[25] Luís Andrade took his position,^[26] and Benfica started their second season by beating Portuguese champions Braga 1–0 with a goal from Pauleta to conquer their first Super Cup trophy.^[27] A week later, Benfica debuted in the first division with a 24–0 thrashing of A-dos-Francos.^[28] On 19 October, Benfica beat Sporting 3–0 at the Estádio da Luz in the first official derby between both sides, played before 12,812 spectators, who set a new attendance record for a women's match in Portugal.^[29][30]

Benfica qualified to UEFA Women's Champions League's group stage for the first time after beating Twente 4–0 on 9 September 2021 (5–1 on aggregate).^[31] Benfica made their debut in the competition with a goalless home draw against Bayern Munich on 5 October. On 17 November, Benfica secured their first victory in the group stage, 2–1 at BK Häcken FF, while scoring their first goal.^[32]

In the 2023–24 season, Benfica set a Portuguese record by winning all four domestic competitions:^[33] the Supertaça de Portugal, the Taça da Liga, the Campeonato Nacional, and the Taça de Portugal. Additionally, Benfica reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League, where they were eliminated by Olympique Lyon.^[34] This marked the first time a Portuguese team was amongst the final eight teams in the competition.

Benfica women's team uses the same crest as the rest of the club. Benfica's crest is composed of an eagle, as a symbol of independence, authority and nobility, positioned atop a shield with red and white colours, symbolizing bravery and peace respectively; the motto "E pluribus unum" ("Out of many, one"), defining union between all members; and the club's initials, "SLB", over a football – all this superimposed on a bicycle wheel representing one of the club's first sports, cycling.^[35][36]

The club has had four main crests since its inception in 1904. The origin of the current crest goes back to 1908, when Sport Lisboa absorbed Grupo Sport Benfica. Afterwards, the shape of the crest was changed in 1930 and 1999. The most significant of the latest changes were the modification and repositioning of the eagle and the reduction of the wheel's size.^[37]. Seeing as the women's team has been established in 2017, it has always used the latest club crest.

Since the 2008–09 season, Benfica football shirts have displayed three stars above the crest, with each star representing ten league titles won by the club. These stars were initially adopted by women's team as well, even though the rationale behind them would not be applicable. Starting in the 2024/2025 season, the stars over the crest were removed from the women's football team's shirt.

• 
  1904–1908
  (Sport Lisboa)
• 
  1906–1908
  (Grupo Sport Benfica)
• 
  1908–1930
• 
  1930–1999

José da Cruz Viegas was the person responsible for the selection of Benfica's kit in 1904. Red and white colours were chosen for being the ones that stood out better to players' eyes. One year after its inception, the club opted for red shirts with white collars, pockets and cuffs,^[38] combined with white shorts and black socks.^[39] Benfica's white alternative kit was officially used for the first time in 1944–45, when Salgueiros, who also wore red, were promoted to the first division.^[40] The women's team follows this tradition since its inception, and as such, the home shirt has always been primarly red.

Benfica have always worn red shirts; for that reason, in Portugal, Benfica and their supporters (benfiquistas) were nicknamed Vermelhos (Reds). This changed in 1936 with the start of the Spanish Civil War: the Portuguese Estado Novo's Censorship Commission censored the word "vermelhos" because the Popular Front communists in Spain were also known by that name. From then on, Benfica became known as Encarnados – word similar to "reds", but with a different connotation.^[41][42]

As of 24 August 2024^[43]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  GER Lena Pauels 3 DF  POR Joana Silva 5 DF  NOR Marit Bratberg Lund 6 MF  POR Beatriz Cameirão 7 FW  ESP Cristina Martín-Prieto 8 MF  POR Andreia Norton 9 FW  BRA Nycole Raysla 10 MF  POR Andreia Faria 11 FW  JAM Jody Brown 12 GK  POR Thaís Lima 13 DF  POR Lúcia Alves 14 MF  POR Letícia Almeida

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 DF  POR Carole Costa 16 DF  NGA Christy Ucheibe 19 DF  POR Catarina Amado 20 FW  POR Lara Martins 21 MF  ESP Pauleta 22 MF  CAN Marie-Yasmine Alidou 23 MF  GER Anna Gasper 25 FW  CAN Chandra Davidson 28 FW  ESP Andrea Falcón 66 GK  POR Rute Costa 80 DF  BRA Lais Araujo

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  POR Lara Pintassilgo — MF  ROU Madalina Tatar — MF  POR Carolina Tristão — MF  POR Luana Rafael — DF  POR Inês Meninas — MF  POR Mafalda Mariano — MF  POR Matilde Matos — FW  POR Érica Silva — FW  POR Neide Guedes

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  POR Marta Salvador (at Damaiense) — FW  POR Beatriz Nogueira (at Estoril) — DF  POR Matilde Silva (at Valadares Gaia) — MF  POR Érica Ventura (at Valadares Gaia)

Benfica's performance over their completed seasons:

Key

W = Winners; RU = Runners-up; SF = Semi-finals; QF = Quarter-Finals; R16 = Round of 16; R32 = Round of 32; GS = Group stage; 2QR = Second Qualifying Round

As of match played 21 May 2022. Only competitive matches are included.

Name	Nat	From	To	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Win %	Honours	Refs
João Marques		8 March 2018[63]	25 June 2019[25]	36	34	1	1	452	6	094.44	Campeonato Nacional II Divisão, Taça de Portugal	[45]
Luís Andrade		2 July 2019[26]	26 December 2020	35	30	1	4	171	28	085.71	Supertaça de Portugal	[64][65]
Filipa Patão		27 December 2020	Present	99	79	7	13	335	93	079.80	4 Campeonato Nacional, 5 Taça da Liga, 2 Supertaça de Portugal, Taça de Portugal	[66]

• Campeonato Nacional

Winners (4): 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24

• Campeonato Nacional II Divisão

Winners (1): 2018–19

• Taça de Portugal

Winners (2): 2018–19, 2023–24

• Taça da Liga

Winners (5) – record: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25

• Supertaça de Portugal

Winners (3) – shared record: 2019, 2022, 2023

Benfica B

• Campeonato Nacional II Divisão

Winners (1): 2023–24

• Oliveira, Mário Fernando de; Silva, Carlos Rebelo da. História do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (1904–1954) [History of Sport Lisboa e Benfica (1904–1954)] (in Portuguese). Preface by Lieutenant Colonel Ribeiro dos Reis. Lisbon, Portugal.
• Pereira, Luís Miguel (November 2009). Bíblia do Benfica [Benfica Bible] (in Portuguese) (7th ed.). Carcavelos, Portugal: Prime Books. ISBN 978-989-655-005-9.

• Official website (in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French)
• S.L. Benfica at thefinalball.com