Sport Lisboa e Benfica (), 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. They have won six consecutive First Division titles, one Second Division title, three Portuguese Cup, five League Cups (record) and four Super Cups (record).
Their current home ground is Benfica Campus, in Seixal, with the team occasionally playing at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon.
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. At the time of suspension, the team was tied for first place.
History On 12 December 2017, Benfica publicly confirmed that it was forming a long-mooted women's football team. 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.
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. This mirrored the policy of Benfica's male team, who had a successful policy of importing talented players from the Brazilian transfer market.
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. 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.
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, and the overall tally to 293–0 in 16 matches. 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.
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. 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.
On 18 May 2019, after eliminating Braga on 5–4 aggregate in the Portuguese Cup semi-finals, Benfica beat Valadares Gaia 4–0 in the final to conquer their first trophy, in a Portuguese Cup record attendance of 12,632. Following an 8–0 win over Estoril Praia B on 29 May, Benfica secured promotion to the 2019–20 Campeonato Nacional Feminino. Later, on 23 June, they were crowned second division champions as they beat Braga B on 9–0 aggregate in the finals.
After the departure of head coach João Marques, Luís Andrade took his position, 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. A week later, Benfica debuted in the first division with a 24–0 thrashing of A-dos-Francos. 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.
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). 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.
In the 2023–24 season, Benfica set a Portuguese record by winning all four domestic competitions: 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. This marked the first time a Portuguese team was amongst the final eight teams in the competition.
The 2024–25 season did not start with the same level of success. Benfica lost the Supertaça de Portugal (Portuguese Supercup) to their rivals Sporting, on an unprecedent win by a team that had neither won the league nor made it to the cup final in the previous season. Moreover, Benfica failed to qualify to the UEFA Women's Champions League Group stage, after a surprising 0–2 loss at home saw them losing 3–2 on aggregate against Hammarby in the final qualifying round. However, Benfica managed to pick themselves up and went undefeated for most of the remaining season, picking up a women's record fifth League Cup and a fifth consecutive League title (pentacampeonato) in the process. This resulted in Benfica's first undefeated league title, with a record of 20 wins, 2 draws, and 0 losses. The streak ended at the 30th game mark, where Benfica lost 2-1 against SCU Torreense in the Taça de Portugal final, failing to revalidate the title they had won in the previous season.
Crest and shirt
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.
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. 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 men's team. 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.
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, combined with white shorts and black socks. 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. The women's team follows this tradition since its inception, and as such, the home shirt has always been primarily red.
Benfica have always worn red shirts; for that reason, in Portugal, Benfica and their supporters () were nicknamed (Reds). This changed in 1936 with the start of the Spanish Civil War: the Portuguese Estado Novo's Censorship Commission censored the word "" because the Popular Front communists in Spain were also known by that name. From then on, Benfica became known as – word similar to "reds", but with a different connotation.
Players Current squad
Other players under contract
Out on loan
Former players
Coaching staff {| class="wikitable" |- ! Position ! Name |- | Head coach | Ivan Baptista |- | Assistant coaches | André ValePedro Carneiro |- | Goalkeeping coach | Pedro Espinha |- | Video analyst | Mauro Rodrigues
Records and statistics Competition record Benfica's performance over their completed seasons: SeasonLeagueTop league scorerGoalsTop overall scorerGoalsReferences2018–192D1st20181036531Darlene80Darlene109W———2019–201D1514011014Cloé Lacasse23Cloé Lacasse25RUWW—2020–211D1st2321028115Cloé Lacasse16Cloé Lacasse22—W—R322021–221D1st40285710739Cloé Lacasse11Cloé Lacasse20R16RURUGS2022–231D1st44371617744Cloé Lacasse22Cloé Lacasse35SFWWGS2023–241D1st47339514141Kika Nazareth17Marie-Yasmine Alidou26WWWQF2024–251D1st39315310126Cristina Martín-Prieto19Cristina Martín-Prieto30RUWRU2QR2025–261D1st3523668732Carole Costa10Carole Costa11WSFRULP2026–271D-------------W- Key W = Winners; RU = Runners-up; SF = Semi-finals; QF = Quarter-Finals; R16 = Round of 16; R32 = Round of 32; LP= League Phase; GS = Group stage; 2QR = Second Qualifying Round
Managerial statistics As of match played 12 August 2025. Only competitive matches are included.
NameFromToHonoursJoão Marques8 March 201825 June 2019Campeonato Nacional II Divisão, Taça de PortugalLuís Andrade2 July 201926 December 2020Supertaça de PortugalFilipa Patão27 December 202025 June 2025 5 Campeonato Nacional, 5 Taça da Liga, 2 Supertaça de Portugal, Taça de PortugalIvan Baptista8 July 2025 Campeonato Nacional, Taça de Portugal, Supertaça de Portugal
Honours Campeonato Nacional Winners (6): 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26 Campeonato Nacional II Divisão Winners (1): 2018–19 Taça de Portugal Winners (3): 2018–19, 2023–24, 2025–26 Taça da Liga Winners (5) – record: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 Supertaça de Portugal Winners (4) – record: 2019, 2022, 2023, 2026
Benfica B Campeonato Nacional II Divisão Winners (1): 2023–24
European Record Note: SL Benfica score is always listed first. Season Round Opponent Home Away Agg.UEFA Women's Champions League - 2020/2021 PAOK 3–1 3–1 Anderlecht 2–1 2–1 Chelsea0–50–3 0–8UEFA Women's Champions League - 2021/2022 Maccabi Kiryat Gat4–0 4–0 Racing FC7–0 7–0 Twente4–01–1 5–1 Bayern Munich0–00–43rd place Olympique Lyonnais0–50–5 BK Häcken0–12–1UEFA Women's Champions League - 2022/2023 Hajvalia9–0 9–0 Twente2–1 2–1 Rangers2–1 3–2 5–3 FC Barcelona2–60–93rd place Bayern Munich2–30–2 FC Rosengård3–11–0UEFA Women's Champions League - 2023/2024 Cliftonville8–1 8–1 Rīga4–0 4–0 Apollon Limassol4–07–0 11–0 FC Barcelona4–40–52nd place FC Rosengård1–02–2 Eintracht Frankfurt1–01–1 Olympique Lyonnais1–21–4 2–6UEFA Women's Champions League - 2024/2025 Nordsjælland3–1 3–1 FK Sarajevo4–0 4–0 Hammarby0–22–1 2–3UEFA Women's Champions League - 2025/2026 Juventus 1–216th Arsenal FC0–2 Twente1–1 Paris FC 0–2 FC Barcelona 1–3 Paris Saint-Germain1–1 UEFA Women's Champions League - 2026/2027 Juventus 2–1 Bayern Munich0–3 Arsenal FC Austria Wien AS Roma HB Køge
References
Sources
External links