Area 1. YESTERDAY, TODAY
Presenting the contrast between the early times of Benfica and what the Club
became. On one side the first testimonies of Benfica’s identity. On the other, the real dimension of
this institution displaying its sporting, social and patrimonial features.
All the sports, all the age groups: last season’s trophies are all here. This is today’s Benfica! Yet, the Club possesses also many other titles. Such as the Club with the most affiliates in the whole world! That one and other
awards help shape the strongest traits of the Club’s identity. By contrast, yesterday’s Benfica. Unique documents illustrate the difficulties of the beginnings, a parade of memories from our pioneers. Among them, the trophy offered by
Bernardino Costa – the collection’s ex libris which documents the Club’s popularity since 1911. This ancient capacity to attract finds a modern correspondent in our social commitment, led by Benfica Foundation.
Area 2. ECLECTIC JEWELS – Sports international trophies and heroes
Here are displayed the symbols of 19 international victories of several
sporting categories, side by side with some of the most famous athletes from different sports whose
feats have enriched the history of the Club and the history of the national sport..
Following the pioneer conquest – the rugby Iberian Cup, 1971 – new international trophies have been achieved. But it wasn’t just the sport that uses the oval-shaped ball that reached an international dimension. Athletics, rink-hockey,
basketball and futsal have also met success at the highest levels. These conquests have been the zenith of a glorious path and portrayed by top-heroes. Throughout the years some of the greatest athletes of all times have represented Benfica
in several sports. They are true eclectic jewels and this is the place where we make a tribute to their names and their memories.
Area 3. PROUDLY ECLECTIC – The sections’ official titles
More than five hundred trophies are displayed in a structure that goes through all
the three floors of the Museum. These are symbols of great national conquests, by all of Benfica sports.
Football has been played since the first day, on 28th February 1904, but the Club has soon embraced the practice of many other sports. In many of them, the Club has reached a status worth remembering and that became part of the
national and international sports history. Their successive victories are the foundations of an ever-growing building which turned all Benfica supporters and the Portuguese people proud of. From cycling to futsal, from the oldest to the
most recent sport, a true “dream ark” was built! To see, feel and gaze upon!
Area 4. UNIQUE MOMENTS – Eclectic achievements
An interactive table allows our visitors to discover some of the greatest
moments of Benfica eclectic triumphs. There are 96 videos available recorded between 1912 and 2013,
displaying 24 different sports.
A tribute to the memory of those unique, magical moments that entitled their authors to be described with the same adjectives. The shot in the last second of the match which offered the basketball team one more title, the try
needed for the rugby team to get to the triumph, the billiard ace’s unbelievable shot, the hockey player’s devilish slalom and phenomenal goal, the victory in the Tour, Zé Maria style, Leitão’s Olympic achievement... Straight off from
the memory chest, you’ll find here the most stunning feats! One hundred unparalleled memories! A hymn to sports and Benfica’s eclecticism!
Area 5. THE “CUP” – Portuguese Championship / Portuguese Cup
The 28 trophies conquered by the Club in the competition that it’s known as the “Queen” in the national football history are exhibited in this area. Overall Benfica won 3 Portuguese Championships and 25 Portuguese Cups.
When the first round-robin system competition (the 1st League Championship)
was introduced in 1934/35, the ancient Portuguese Championship had its days numbered. Having started
in 1921/22 as a round-robin type of event, it would be renamed Portuguese Cup in 1938/39. The
concept remained much the same, but the competition proved successful and established itself as a
one of a kind event in the national panorama. It would soon earn the nickname “football
celebration”, and Benfica have the most victories! A fantastic opportunity to check out all the
trophies and find the stories behind “Glorioso”’s great achievements.
Area 6. FOREVER CHAMPIONS – The National Championship
This area is dedicated to the National Championship victories. All the
trophies conquered in the most important Portuguese football competition are here.
After having accomplished their first National Championship title in 1936, Benfica have forged a brilliant course in the most important competition, currently standing as the record-holders for the most titles conquered. All alike,
but still very different. The first trophy, the first double, the one of the “Latin” season, the one of the “European” year, the one in which Sporting got their payback served, the one with more than one-hundred goals scored, the one without
defeats, the last one in the old Estádio da Luz), and many, many others. Each one unique and memorable, all of them a part of a singular parade which can bring you to tears or put a smile on your face, and make you want to say: “Forever
Champions”!
Area 7. TRAINED TO WIN – Formative football
This is the area were the display cases exhibit the trophies of Sport Lisboa
e Benfica youth teams (Under-19/17/15/13) from official national competitions.
Artur Santos, Humberto Coelho, Nené, Shéu, and Rui Costa are only some of the “poppies” which have grown here! Ever since their first National Under-19 title in 1943/44, Benfica have written an amazing history in the youngster
classes. This old tradition of a “trained to win” mentality led to innumerable trophy victories across the years in all age groups. It is that motto which inspires a whole Club whose ultimate natural ambition is never stop growing. “Trained
to win”: to feel and get acquainted with the amazing feats of Benfica’s youths.
Area 8. OTHER CONQUESTS – Tournaments and other events
This area displays nine distinct objects which form a vast set of trophies
the Club conquered in tournaments and other private events.
Side by side with the most well-known Portuguese competitions there is an extensive record of rare and friendly, though historic, events, and of majestic and unrepeatable trophies: here is the excuse to be introduced to exclusive
memories and attain the diversity of our collection. Nine “pearls” are shown in “Other Conquests” displaying all kinds of events: from festive celebrations to a derby match celebration, from premiers at our opponents’ stadiums to the title
of the club with the best goal average, from tributes to the press to pre-season tournaments. All of them glorious, unique, and unrepeatable!
Area 9. HONOURING THE CITY – Lisbon Championship and Lisbon Honour Cup
Through its history Benfica competed in the major official regional football
competitions in Portugal: the Lisbon Championship and the Honour Cup. Its trophies are exhibited in
this area.
Lisbon Championship was launched in 1906/07 as the first official competition to be held in Portugal, attended by the most important teams of those days. Benfica, solely constituted by Portuguese players, soon became a symbol of
the City and of the Nation, as they faced other teams such as Carcavellos that included English players. It was the beginning for “Glorioso”. In 1914, Lisbon Football Association added the Honour Cup to its competitive calendar. It was
a different concept, but both events (which have long been discontinued) retain unforgettable memories of the “capital emblem”.
Area 10. A TRIBUTE TO THE “MASTER” – “Cândido de Oliveira” Super Cup
This area is devoted to the victories the Club achieved in Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup.
Opposing the National Championship and the Portuguese Cup winners, the Super
Cup is held yearly since 1979. The first editions were unofficial, but now the competition is under
the Portuguese Football Federation since 1981, the same year it was given its name, “Cândido de
Oliveira”. A name which honours this great Portuguese football figure (a Benfica player from 1914/15
to 1919/20), and also a great sports commentator, long since referred to as the “Master”.
Area 11. PLANTING TRADITION – The League Cup
Here you will encounter the trophies Benfica conquered in the youngest
football competition in the country: the League Cup.
Created in 2007/08 by the Portuguese Professional Football League, the League Cup has come a long way towards capturing the public’s attention and gaining importance in the national competitive scenery. The rules of the competition
have been improved and the trophy itself has been worked on to enhance its desirability and relevance. Similarly to what happened at some period with the Lisbon Championship, the Portuguese Cup and the National Championship, Benfica’s
relentless winning streaks are planting the seed of tradition, celebrating the present and aiming to the future.
Area 12. HONOURING THE COUNTRY – International triumphs
The Latin Cup and two European Champions Clubs’ Cups are the ex-libris of
this area. However you can also discover a vast set of international trophies Benfica conquered in
official and private events.
Winning the Latin Cup in 1950 – the first great international trophy to be won by a Portuguese team – was Benfica’s first step in a trail that would have its culmination in the following decade when they would reach Europe’s highest
peak. The conquest of the European titles of 1961 and 1962 would concede Benfica and Portugal international fame and admiration. Albeit, this centennial institution’s international glory does not end here. It is a bigger flag, a flag first
waved in 1913 with the triumph in the first tournament to feature a foreign club. A narrative written in gold has been in the making ever since. “Honouring the Country” is a revival of its finest chapters.
Area 13. JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF BENFICA
An area dedicated to all of Benfica fans. Accessing an elevating platform and
a video wall, our visitors will have an extraordinary audiovisual experience to free the true
Benfica supporter within.
No matter their origin, upbringing or age, Benfica supporters are the Club’s foundation, its driving force! To uncover this grand machine of emotions is a unique challenge. It is a test for our senses, beginning under a surprising
scenario. Sent from all over the world and at any time numerous faces are flashing on display: famous or anonymous, all these people unite under one motto: “E Pluribus Unum”. This is the true beginning of the journey, through your eyes
and straight to your heart, with an arrival which compares to a moon landing, a unique realisation. From this day on the emotion of one scored goal will never be the same!
Area 14. LISBON AND BENFICA
This area had the collaboration of Olisiponenses Studies Office and it
establishes a parallel between important events in the history of Benfica and in the history of
Lisbon. You can also discover objects that represent each decade.
The capital of the country, which witnessed the birth of Benfica long before the Club has taken this very name, gave Sport its first surname. The mother-city’s name was speaking louder then. Born in Belém, Sport Lisboa was the
pioneer name that spread among the “alfacinhas”, until the lack of a field of their own suggested another location. Along came Benfica that on 12th September 1908 celebrated a perpetual union with the acronym born in Belém. The father’s
name was in. Since then, Lisbon and Benfica have never driven apart and the history of that union is still being written today as a diary, with their future wide open.
Area 15. A VOYAGE THROUGH TIME
Through multiple items, this area allows our visitors to discover several
events that marked Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal and the world’s history.
What was Lisbon like in 1910 when the already popular “Glorioso” celebrated their first regional championship? What was Portugal like in 1936, the year Benfica became national champions for the first time? What was Europe awakening
to in 1961, the day José Águas showed the world the greatest smile in the history of the Club? Day after day, year after year: Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal and the world in a voyage through time. It is time to revisit the facts and figures
of old days. A journey through history under an unimagined scenario. A thrilling experience of emotion and knowledge!
Area 16. OTHER VENTURES – Membership and culture
Dedicated to Benfica cultural universe and membership, this area allows you
to explore the several compartments of the exhibition’s cabinet. A surprising experience
altogether.
Benfica has got their place in every cultural universe, from arts and literature to cinema, bullfighting and philately. The Club launched its own newspaper in 1913, a pioneer in the kind, and a promise that other ventures would
come. Time gave wings to new dreams: the first Trophy Room in 1934, Sport Lisboa e Saudade (the veterans’ team) in 1943, the Orfeão (choral group) in 1957, and many others, all the way to the modern television channel which today carries
the Club’s news across the globe. In this space you’ll meet this other “Eagle”, an “Eagle” of words, sounds, and images. An “Eagle” of other ventures.
Area 17. SACRED GROUNDS – Territory and heritage
Throughout its history, Benfica met several facilities and wandered around
the city for many years without a stronghold. This area shows you objects that represent such places
as well as events associated to them.
One cannot separate the Club’s memory from the memory of the city where the Club shaped its territory and patrimony over more than one hundred years. For half a century that was a true story of travelling players who wandered around
the capital until they finally settled in the current stronghold. The Club head offices and other facilities and recreational areas have visited many different locations too. After Belém, where the Club was born and where the team played
their first matches they moved to Benfica, downtown Lisbon, Sete Rios, Amoreiras, Campo Grande and, finally, Benfica once more. “Sacred grounds” covers all of this heroic journey.
Area 18. “E PLURIBUS UNUM” – Cosme Damião
Cosme Damião has the main role in this area but like himself, many other
personalities such as Manuel Gourlade and Félix Bermudes, deserve a part in the history of Benfica’s
early days.
Player, captain, manager, director: Cosme Damião was everything there was to be in Benfica! An early 20th century sportsman, he became the soul of a Club that was born in poverty and grew up on the backs of men to whom dreams
commanded life. And these dreams did unite people like himself: Félix Bermudes and Manuel Gourlade, among others, gathered around the idea of building the greatest club in Portuguese history. A tribute to the man and to the athlete who
best represents the “Reds’” spirit. Without ever forgetting those who joined him in that mission of raising that flag.
Area 19. THE CLUB’S FOREIGN LEGIONS – Footballers from abroad
Until 1979 Benfica squad was formed with Portuguese players only. But since
then, several foreign players joined the Club. This is the area where you can meet them all.
Until 1979 one could not imagine a space such as this one in Benfica Museum. To wear the “Eagle” across the heart was a privilege reserved to Portuguese athletes alone. It all changed with a Brazilian named Jorge Gomes, who wore
the sacred vest that year, the year of the Club’s Diamond Jubilee. After him came Swedes, Danish and other players from all around the world, about forty nationalities up to today. Many of them helped write some of the most brilliant pages
in our history and conquered their eternity in every supporters’ hearts. This is the just tribute to the “Eagles” from across the world!
Area 20. OUTSTANDING EAGLES – Captains, top scorers, players with international appearances
This is an area dedicated to Benfica top scorers, captains and Portuguese and
foreign players with international appearances.
To wear the captain’s armband, become the top scorer or represent the National Team; these are the greatest honours reserved for any football player. Captains Mário Coluna, Humberto Coelho, and António Veloso; top scorers Eusébio,
José Águas, and Nené; the international players Rui Costa, Simão Sabrosa, and João Pinto: all of them fated to greatness! They are all-time leaders in their categories. How did they reach their reference status among the supporters? The
stories, the figures, the pictures and unique objects which document the lives and careers of these “Outstanding Eagles”.
Area 21. MY ELEVEN – All-time favourites
All of the players who worn Benfica’s jersey are available in an interactive
platform. You only have to choose your dream team.
What would Benfica become of if Vítor Silva, Eusébio and Chalana could play side-by-side? What would happen if we could play with the greatest names along with other less notorious but by far funnier names which populate Benfica
supporters’ imagination: Mendes “Pé Canhão” (“Cannon Foot”), Barros “Barbudo” (“Bearded”), “Folha das Cambalhotas” (“Backflip Folha”),... They can all play in “My Eleven”! Your idols are waiting in this “timeless selection” too. You control
the pick, and your choices will be ranked automatically to uncover the best eleven. Designed to appeal to the football manager that lives inside every one of us...
Area 22. EAGLES FROM THE HEART – Players’ album
You can meet every single football player who represented Benfica accessing
our digital encyclopedia.
Since the very day the Club was born, since the very first training session in which ten players took part, over one thousand players have worn Benfica’s colours! Nené is the one with the most appearances with the “Eagle” across
the heart, so he leads the “book” of athletes who represented Benfica. The seasons in which they played, the matches they participated in, the goals they scored. Everyone is here, from the grandest star to the unknown player. This is a
tribute to everyone who contributed to make Benfica a symbol of strength, union and belief. To everyone who helped to fulfil Benfica’s emblem!
Area 23. UNFORGETTABLE – Benfica’s football stars
A spinning wheel allows you to know all about Benfica football stars.
This is where you will get to know the greatest football players who represented Benfica: Vítor Silva in the ’30s, Rogério in the ’40s, Águas in the ’50s, and many, many others who compose an unmatchable Hall of Fame! These heroes
do not belong to Benfica alone. They are Portuguese football legends that left an inerasable trail of magic inside and outside our borders. “Unforgettable” is a journey through this world of stars and its splendour. Here is a way to honour
these football poets.
Area 24. THE “BLACK PANTHER” AND OTHER LEGENDS – Eusébio
Eusébio, the “Black Panther” and several other legends are the main
characters in this area. You can see objects that belonged to these idols, and you can also watch
and hear Eusébio and his teammates in a hologram.
“When Eusébio was around, Eusébio was all around!” was historic journalist Carlos Pinhão’s description of the influence the “King” had in its time as a player. Magical, mythical, sensational! An athlete who gave Benfica and Portuguese
football an unrepeatable notoriety. This is his space and where along with other legends they will uncover the veil of memory. No spectator has ever been this close to him. An intimate encounter with the best Portuguese player of all times,
along with other faces who also inscribed their names in the golden book of world football.
Area 25. MASTERMINDING VICTORY ON THE FIELD – Managers
Until today, Benfica had 48 managers: 23 were Portuguese while 25 were
foreigners. This area is a tribute to them.
Upon his arrival to retake the spot as manager in 1979, renowned Mário Wilson used a sentence that we still remember today: “Any Benfica manager risks becoming champion”. From pioneer Manuel Gourlade, the Club has had tenths of
managers, and most of them have confirmed this saying by the “Great Captain”. Beginning with the Lisbon Championships won by Cosme Damião, passing through Béla Guttmann’s European titles of and ending with Jimmy Hagan’s National conquests,
Benfica’s patrimony is in great debt to these “masterminds” who have taken their chances for over a century, and reaped the rewards for their stubbornness!
Area 26. BENFICA AROUND THE WORLD – Tours and popularity
This area will show you how Benfica started its world odyssey. Presenting the
number of its fans, pictures of its Houses and Branches, places where the team played, and objects
brought from all of five continents. Proofs of its popularity are the three magnificent trophies
that Benfica won through a public voting system.
The first international tour happened in 1912 (A Coruña, Spain) and it set the beginning for a world odyssey through which Benfica carried the name of Portugal to dozens of countries in every continent. That epic odyssey is documented
by a collection of remarkable memories which reveal a truly captivating Club whose achievements as well as the passion and strength from our fans have given us a unique charisma. Benfica is also popularity champion, a title awarded in
several fronts. The monumental trophies shown here, Ramos Pinto, Simpatia and Época are the true evidence of this fact.
Area 27. GRANDEST AWARDS – Honourable distinctions
Here are the symbols of the public recognition given to the Club: 11
honourable distinctions to reward its commitment for the development and valorization of sports,
solidarity and charity services, and its role as an ambassador, honouring the country abroad.
Benfica has been honoured ten times with various awards since 1932 when the Club’s services to Portuguese sport granted it the distinction of Commander of the Military Order of Christ. The commitment to the valorisation and expansion
of the physical culture, educational actions, contributes to tighten relations between peoples, services provided in solidarity and charity actions, achievements honouring the Nation abroad, and the general contribution to the development
of sports have been publicly recognised throughout time. To admire, acknowledge and be proud of.
Area 28. MEN AT THE HELM – Presidents
This area is dedicated to the 33 presidents who directed the Club’s
centery-old history.
Portuguese society has always paid a close attention to Benfica’s leadership. The Club’s elections stir up the Nation, easily becoming national events just as our Presidents become public figures. Our members have always directed
the Club, an achievement our supporters have always been proud of (after 1964, ten years before democracy was re-established, it was common to have more than one candidate to presidency). To the memory of all those who captained the “red
ship” into the future...
