Portuguese Cup: Benfica's history-making numbers

ACHIEVEMENTS

In the last chapter of the national competitions of the 2024/25 season, Benfica and Sporting will face each other at 5:15 pm this Sunday, May 25, at the Estadio Nacional, for the 9th time in the Portuguese Cup final.

Finalists in the Portguese Cup for the 39th time, the Glorioso are the competition's most successful side and are looking to win their 27th title against an opponent against whom they have played 8 times, lifting the trophy in 6 of them. But there are plenty of other numbers to keep track of, come to that...

26

Portuguese Cups won by Benfica, the club that has won the trophy the most times. This success story began in the 1939/40 season with a 3-1 triumph over Belenenses at the Estádio do Lumiar. The 26th title was won in the 2016/17 season with a 2-1 victory over Vitória SC at the Estadio Nacional. Salvio and Raúl Jiménez scored the goals that clinched the double in a four-times championship year. Glorioso was also the club that won the most titles in the 1950s (5), 1960s (4) and 1980s (5).

39

The pilgrimage to Jamor represents a high point for all Benfiquistas, who have a special affection for the Portuguese Cup, a competition in which the club's achievements are expressed in the record number of appearances in finals: this Sunday, May 25, will be the Glorioso's 39th.

474

Since the first edition of the Portuguese Cup in 1938/39, the eagles have played 474 matches, a record that is unparalleled. The season with the most games for Benfica in the competition (12) was 1961/62, when all the knockout rounds were played two-legged and which ended with Benfica lifting the trophy after a 3-0 win over Vitória FC in the final. Remember that in 1959/60 (10 matches) and 1963/64 and 1964/65 (11) the Reds reached or exceeded ten matches.

365

Nobody has won the Portuguese Cup as much as Benfica. In total, there have been 365 victories, divided into 194 as hosts, 143 as visitors and 28 on a neutral field, including finals and ties. In 1963/64, Benfica achieved 10 wins in an edition and, by beating Sporting this Sunday, they will reach their 10th season without defeat in the competition, and in 2024/25 they can match the achievements of 1939/40, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1982/83 and 1984/85, seasons in which they won 7 out of as many games.

1508

With 1,508 goals scored, Benfica have an average of 3.18 goals, making them the competition's most prolific scorers. At home, the Glorioso have scored on 889 occasions and away, there have been 515 celebrations. On a neutral pitch, the tally stands at 104.

56

The 1963/64 season went down in history for the number of victories achieved in a single edition, but it was also the one in which the most goals were scored. In the 11 matches played, 56 goals were scored, with Benfica winning by 3 goals or more in 7 of them. Highlights include the 6-2 win over FC Porto in the final, but also the 1-8 wins over Lusitano de Évora and Vianense, who were also beaten 9-0 at the Estádio da Luz.

98

Goals in the Portuguese Cup are synonymous with Eusébio. The King is Benfica's top scorer in the competition, with an impressive record of 98 goals in just 61 games played, an average of 1.61 per match. In 1968/69, Eusébio scored 18 goals in a single edition and, in 1963/64, he scored 14. In 1961/62 and 1964/65, he scored 12 times.

4

Benfica is also the only club to have won the Portuguese Cup in four consecutive editions. The four cups in a row were won between 1948/49 and 1952/53: the 1949/50 edition wasn't played because the Estadio Nacional hosted the Latin Cup, which the Reds won. This journey began with a 2-1 win over Atlético in the final of the 1948/49 edition. From then on, it was top five! In 1950/51, 1951/52 and 1952/53, wins over Académica (5-1), Sporting (5-4) and FC Porto (5-0), respectively.

8-0

In 1943/44, Benfica and Estoril played out the most lopsided final in the history of the Portuguese Cup. The eagles won 8-0 with goals from Rogério Carvalho “Pipi” (13', 56', 69', 75' and 86'), Julinho (15' and 29') and Arsénio (35'). On their way to the decisive match, played at Campo das Salésias, the Eagles eliminated Luso Beja (1-4 and 4-1), Belenenses (1-2 and 8-2) and Académica (6-1 and 1-1).

15

In addition to his 5 goals in the 1943/44 final, Rogério Carvalho “Pipi” added 10 more in the 1950/51 (4), 1951/52 (3), 1942/43 (1), 1948/49 (1) and 1952/53 (1) finals, making the club legend the best ever scorer in Portuguese Cup finals.

5-4

A derby is always a derby, but at Jamor it takes on an even more special relevance. And, of course, the final with the most goals ever was precisely in the form of a Lisbon derby: 5-4 in Benfica's favor. Rogério Carvalho “Pipi” (11' pk, 69' and 90'), Corona (49') and José Águas (73') scored the goals that sent the Eagles to their 6th Portuguese Cup.

14-1

Benfica's biggest win in the competition came in the 1988/89 season. On January 11, 1989, the Estádio da Luz witnessed a historic 14-1 triumph over Riachense in a match valid for the 16th round. Ricky (6), Lima (2), Ademir (2), Pacheco (2), Garrido (1) and Miranda (1) scored the goals.

4

With four Portuguese Cups won with Benfica, Otto Glória is the most successful coach in the history of the competition. The Brazilian coach lifted the trophy in 1954/55, 1956/57 and 1968/69, and took part in the winning run in 1958/59: he only missed the final, where the team was coached by José Valdivieso.

7

Invaluable figures in the history of the Glorioso, José Águas and Nené have a special history with the Portuguese Cup and won it 7 times each: José Águas in 1950/51, 1951/52, 1952/53, 1954/55, 1956/57, 1958/59 and 1961/62, and Nené in 1969/70, 1971/72, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1982/83, 1984/85 and 1985/86.