The Story of SL BENFICA, Portugal’s Greatest Football Club⚽️

To mark Benfica’s 120th anniversary, celebrated on February 28, 2024, I’ll take you to various places in Lisbon where the history of this legendary football club was written, including the locations of all the club’s past stadiums. From its humble beginnings in 1904, when a group of young visionaries laid the foundation for what would become a footballing powerhouse, to the present day, where Benfica remains Portugal’s biggest football club.
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🎦 Jerónimos Monastery: https://youtu.be/P2ixVJzxQes
🎦 Walking tour of Amoreiras: https://youtu.be/lkgu1uovxMw
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This walking tour was filmed in 4K resolution, first-person point of view with captions (no talking), for a more immersive experience!

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▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ⌚ Video chapters ⌚

0:00 Intro
1:16 Neighborhood of Belém
5:57 The first football matches in Portugal
9:29 Returning to Belém
23:40 Benfica’s first pitch
25:57 Neighborhood of Benfica
33:12 Sete Rios
36:35 Returning to Benfica
39:22 Amoreiras Stadium
43:57 Campo Grande Stadium
47:34 The original Stadium of Light
55:22 European Cups
1:02:42 The new Stadium of Light

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 📷 About POV Tours 📷

POV Tours – Portugal in 4K is all about immersive and relaxing walking tours. You’ll experience, as if you’re there in person, lively urban areas, small picturesque towns, historical places, monuments, as well as places of natural beauty.

As I’m based in Lisbon, Portugal, most of my videos will be in this region, but there will be videos from all over Portugal in the future. Is there a special place in Lisbon you’d like to see, or elsewhere in Portugal? Let me know in the comment section below and I’ll see what I can do!

In this video… The story of SL Benfica, Portugal’s greatest football club February 18, 2024 – 2:30 pm – 18 ºC / 64 ºF Hi everyone! The neighborhood of Belém, in Lisbon, stands as a timeless testament to Portugal’s glorious Age of Discovery.

A period when intrepid navigators set sail from these shores… …to chart uncharted waters and forge new pathways to the far reaches of the globe. It was from Belém that legendary explorers like Vasco da Gama, the first European to reach India by sea; and Pedro Álvares Cabral, the discoverer of Brazil;

Embarked on their daring voyages. The heroes who embarked on these perilous journeys in search of new horizons… …forever altered the course of history… …and ushered in a new age of maritime supremacy, when Portugal became a global superpower. But, as significant the Age of Discovery was,

Something perhaps even more important and glorious took place in this neighborhood. Belém was the birthplace of Portugal’s biggest and most successful football club, and one of the greatest in the world: Sport Lisboa e Benfica, simply known as Benfica. A quick clarification for my American and Canadian viewers,

When I say ‘football’ I’m referring to what you probably call ‘soccer’. To mark the club’s 120th anniversary, celebrated on February 28, 2024, I’ll take you to various places in Lisbon where Benfica’s history was written, including the locations of all the club’s past stadiums. Even if you’re not interested in football,

I think you’ll find this video interesting. Let’s start from the beginning: The modern game of football originated in the mid-19th century… …by the efforts of English football clubs to standardize the varying sets of football rules. Football first became known in Portugal in the 1870s, imported by young British residents.

The first place where football was played was in the island of Madeira, in 1875. In mainland Portugal… …the first known football match took place in October 1888, in the town of Cascais. It was simply an exhibition match, a rehearsal for a more competitive match organized three months later in Lisbon.

That match took place right next to where today’s Campo Pequeno Bullring is located. This area became the epicenter of Portuguese football for a few years. However, everything would chang in 1892, when the bullring was inaugurated. Football was seen as a chaotic and loud sport, so it was banned from this area.

Football matches used to be played right here. Football players then moved to Belém, where there was more than enough space for everyone to play the sport. Thai Pavilion, a present of the Thai government… …to celebrate the long standing relationship between Portugal and Thailand.

Soon football was flourishing among the teenagers and young men of Belém, many of them lived near a popular establishment of the neighborhood: Franco Pharmacy. Among them were the Rosa Rodrigues brothers, nicknamed the “Catataus”, who lived in the building where the pharmacy was located. 125 years ago,

This was one of the places where the Catatau brothers used to play football. In the late 19th century, there was a humble but very popular restaurant here: ‘António das Caldeiradas’, one of the two restaurants/cafés that played an important role in this story. Rua Vieira Portuense And this was the former ‘Café do Gonçalves’,

A popular meeting place in Belém in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Take a good look at this building, because it’s probably important to this story… Rua de Belém Jerónimos Monastery, one of Portugal’s greatest monuments, the final resting place of the explorer Vasco da Gama.

A couple of years ago I made a video about this stunning monastery, the link to that video is in the description below. Here in Belém, right behind the monastery, there’s an institution called Casa Pia, founded in the 18th century. Casa Pia is dedicated to helping and educating orphaned children,

And youngsters without parental support, or at risk of social exclusion. In the late 19th century, the boys from Casa Pia quickly became very good at football. In 1898, they defeated the Carcavelos Club, a team of English players living in Portugal, who, until then, had been invincible.

It was an incredible feat that would win over the public for the sport of football. “Long live the brave lads who have achieved so much in so few years”, was the headline of a magazine from that time. In December 1903, the Catataus’ Group (the Catataus brothers and their friends),

And the boys from Casa Pia, including alumni, joined forces for a match against a team made up essentially of English players. The final score was 1-0, another historic win for the Portuguese boys. After the match they all went to “Café Gonçalves”, right in front of Franco Pharmacy, to celebrate the victory.

They realized that with a team made up of only Portuguese players… …they could have a very good football team. The planning took place over a period of two months. In the morning of February 28, 1904, the boys had a training session right here, where the Belém Cultural Center now stands.

Meawhile, the name of the club had been chosen: Sport Lisboa (SL); the colors would be red and white, symbolizing bravery and peace; the emblem would be an eagle, symbolizing the club’s high aspirations; and the Latin motto “E Pluribus Unum”, which means “out of many, one”,

Symbolizing the unity and the family spirit that characterized the founding of the club. Rua de Belém Following the training session, they had lunch at either Café Gonçalves or António das Caldeiradas (we’ll never tknow). After lunch, 24 young men met at Franco Pharmacy, which was right here, the building where the Catatau brothers lived.

Café Gonçalves It was here that Sport Lisboa, later changing to SL Benfica, was founded. The list of founders and the very simple and basic minutes of the meeting. Franco Pharmacy doesn’t exist anymore, this is now a bank. Calçada da Ajuda It is important to note that Cosme Damião,

Who was credited with writing the minutes, is not named or signed in the document, probably because he forgot to include his own name on the list. Cosme Damião would go on to become the main driving force… …in the first decades of the club’s life, as player, captain, board director and coach.

Travessa das Zebras In 1904, the club focused mainly on training, with a view to building a great team. January 1, 1905 was the day of the club’s first formal match, beating Grupo Campo de Ourique 1-0. The club didn’t have its own pitch,

So the match was played at Campo Terras do Desembargador, a public pitch. The pitch, which still exists, although completely abandoned, is located within facilities belonging to the Army, which, unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to film. Of the all the historic stadiums and pitches where Benfica played, this is only one that still exists today.

Travessa das Zebras, 29A, the first headquarters of the club. This pitch had only the bare minimum needed to play football, and, as it was public land, its various uses made the conditions even worse, which, in 1906, led Sport Lisboa to stop training and playing here. Estrada de Benfica

This is the neighborhood of Benfica. As you may have guessed, looking at the name, it is very important to this story. During the 1906/1907 season, Sport Lisboa played in different pitches in and around Lisbon. This building and the church we just saw,

Were the only buildings that were already here in the early 20th century. In 1907, Sport Lisboa was going through a very difficult financial situation, and, without its own pitch, saw eight of its best players move to Sporting Clube de Portugal (SCP), another football club in Lisbon.

This gave rise to a fierce rivalry that continues to this day. SCP, a club founded in 1906 by aristocrats and businessmen, was, by far, the richest football club in Portugal, with wealthy benefactors donating money and land to the club. Despite all that money, SCP didn’t have good football players.

After losing those important players, Sport Lisboa was on the brink of extinction, so the reserve players were promoted to the first team. Sport Lisboa was seriously wounded, but still alive. Rua Emília das Neves Meanwhile, in 1906, another club had been founded: Grupo Sport Benfica, later changing to Sport Clube de Benfica,

In this neighborhood, Benfica. It was a club mostly dedicated to cycling and athletics, of which some Sport Lisboa players were members. They rented a little “stadium” called Campo da Feiteira. which was literally here. Grupo Sport Benfica tried to have a football team too, but that was proving more difficult.

In the summer of 1908, due to the extreme financial difficulties Sport Lisboa was going through, and the fact that Grupo Sport Benfica didn’t have a football team, the two clubs merged, becoming Sport Lisboa e Benfica, or SL Benfica. It was decided that the colors, motto, symbol of the eagle…

And founding date of Sport Lisboa (the club founded in Belém)… …would carry over to SL Benfica. SL Benfica played at Campo da Feiteira until the 1910/1911 season, severing all ties with the neighborhood of Belém, where it all began. This mural seeks to keep the memory of Campo da Feiteira alive.

Avenida Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro However, the inability to pay the rent made it impossible to stay at Campo da Feiteira, with Benfica using pitches owned by other clubs, after 1911. Finally, in 1913, Benfica moved to Campo de Sete Rios, another rented pitch, where the club stayed for four seasons.

The Campo de Sete Rios was located exactly where these buildings now stand. Rua Dr. António Martinis History repeated itself in 1917, and SL Benfica was once again forced to find another home, due to an exorbitant rent increase. SL Benfica was never a rich club. While all this was going on,

SL Benfica had established themselves as a powerhouse in Portuguese sport, winning numerous trophies throughout the years, in various sports, not just football. In 1916 the club returned to the neighborhood of Benfica, to inaugurate its new headquarters, which was located here. This building is now the headquarters of the local parish council.

Rua Fernanda Botelho In 1917, SL Benfica rented another pitch nearby, where they stayed until 1923. the Campo de Benfica, which was located between these buildings on the left, and this school on the right. In 1923 the club had to leave this pitch…

…because it was going to be demolished to make way for a new school. At the time there was a considerable shortage of pitches in Lisbon, so Benfica spent two seasons playing in other clubs’ facilities, including the pitch owned by their rivals, Sporting Clube de Portugal. As early as 1920, the club knew that they would have to leave this pitch in a few years’ time,

So SL Benfica began making contacts… …to find a location where they could build a stadium. In 1921 Benfica acquired a plot of land… …where the club would build a remarkable stadium for the time: Amoreiras Stadium. Avenida Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco The big difficulty was, as always, insufficient funds.

This is the neighborhood of Amoreiras, one of Lisbon’s most modern districts. Finally, after years of hard work, Benfica inaugurated a magnificent stadium on December 13, 1925. The stadium was located… …where the Lycée Français (French School) and this road are today. The dream had come true,

The club had its own stadium for the first time! It was during the club’s stay in Amoreiras that Benfica won its first national titles. The first official national football competition was only created in 1922, all the other competitions had been regional until then. As Benfica was not a rich club,

All the money needed to build this stadium had to be borrowed, at a huge cost. The relative weakening of Benfica’s football team during the 1930s and 1940s… …was largely due to these loan payments. In 1939, the club’s board was informed that this stadium would have to be demolished,

To give way to this road. In 1940 Benfica moved out of Amoreiras… …and temporarily set up home at Campo Grande Stadium. The Campo Grande Stadium had been disused since 1937, after being abandoned by Sporting Clube de Portugal. SCP had moved to Lumiar Stadium, which was right next door.

The two fierce rivals were separated by… 100 yards. This is the Campo Grande metro and bus station. Sporting’s current stadium is still located here, which means that now I have to wear a mask, so that I don’t catch any weird diseases. The Campo Grande Stadium, which stood right here, needed urgent work,

And while this was going on Benfica used various stadiums in Lisbon, including the stadium of their rivals, Sporting. In the inaugural match of Campo Grande Stadium, Benfica beat Sporting 3-2. However, the upkeep of the stadium was very expensive, and it wasn’t even owned by Benfica. The stadium also couldn’t be expanded,

So Benfica had to look for an alternative (again!). These weird colors and patterns are giving me a headache. In terms of sporting performance, this not the greatest period for Benfica, but the club still won several national titles. It was also during this time…

…that Benfica won one of the most important trophies in its history: the Latin Cup, in 1950. The Latin Cup was a tournament for football clubs from France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, a predecessor to the European Cup and to today’s Champions League, the most important club competition in the world.

Benfica are the only Portuguese club to have won the Latin Cup. Plans for a new stadium began to be drawn up at the end of the 1940s. with the club intending to return to its neighborhood: Benfica. The club’s president, Joaquim Bogalho, had a set of principles that he sought to implement:

The stadium should befit the best and most popular Portuguese club, but loans that would mortgage the future of the club should be avoided. Cosme Damião roundabout A mural depicting some of SL Benfica’s greatest figures, mostly in football, but also in other sports. Benfica is much more than just a football club.

Rui Costa, the current president of the club, a former attacking midfielder who had a great career as a player. And, of course, Eusébio as the number one. “Dare to take a place in our history” The 1972/73 team, The Invincibles, finished the league with 28 wins and 2 draws.

Still the best performance of any team in the history of Portuguese football. I’ve already show you these badges. Avenida Machado Santos In the early 1950s, the club ran an intense fundraising campaign, which quickly gained a lot of support from thousands of the club’s members. Fans and supporters of the club would literally pay…

…for the privilege to work on the construction of the new stadium, while countless others donated all kinds of building materials. A stadium built and financed entirely by the club’s members and fans! This is not a for-profit club owned by some greedy businessman, the fans own the club.

Finally, at 11 am on December 1, 1954, the new stadium was inaugurated, called Estádio da Luz, and known abroad as Stadium of Light. The stadium stood right here, originally with a capacity for 40,000 spectators. Cosme Damião and Franco Pharmarcy, where it all began, in 1904.

In 1960, the stadium was expanded, taking the capacity to 66,000… …and finally 120,000 in 1985, making it one of the largest and most intimidating sports venues in the world. It was nicknamed The Cathedral. The inauguration of the stadium marked the beginning of Benfica’s golden age, both nationally and internationally,

Turning the club into one of the biggest in the world, and, by far, the most successful in Portugal. In 1961 Benfica reached the final of the European Cup (today’s Champions League), the first for a Portuguese club, where they faced FC Barcelona. Benfica won 3-2 and was crowned European Champions!

A club of very humble origins, of the people, by the people, for the people, from a country on the periphery of Europe, economically and geographically, had become the best football club in Europe. In 1962, Benfica once again reached the European Cup final!

Benfica recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat the mighty Real Madrid 5-3. Between 1961 and 1968 Benfica reached the final of the European Cup 5 times, leaving all the other clubs far behind. A young star emerged in 1961, Eusébio, also known as the Black Panther.

Born in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique, in southeast Africa, Eusébio is considered one of the greatest players of all time, and Benfica’s best player ever. Before Cristiano Ronaldo, Eusébio was the undisputed best Portuguese player ever. Eusébio is still Benfica’s all-time top scorer, with 473 goals in 440 competitive matches,

A record that, most likely, will never be beaten. Eusébio passed away in 2014. Benfica returned to European success in the 1980s, reaching the UEFA Cup final in 1983, the 2nd most important European competition. In 1988, Benfica once again reached the European Cup final, a scenario that was repeated two years later,

After a dramatic semi-final against the French team Olympique de Marseille. In 1987, in a match against FC Porto, Estádio da Luz recorded its biggest attendance ever: over 135,000 people! When the stadium was converted to all-seater, plus other improvements, in 1994, capacity was reduced to 78,000. Mural of the founders. When the current stadium was built (not the one from 1954), thousands of club members bough the most expensive season tickets, helping fund the construction. The statue of Eusébio.

In 1999, Portugal were announced as hosts for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, the most important competition in Europe for national teams. In order to meet the requirements on venue capacity and infrastructure, new stadiums would have to be built, as the existing ones were completely outdated.

At first, it was suggested that the Estádio da Luz would undergo extensive renovation work. But, on September 28, 2001, a general assembly of the club’s members voted for the construction of a new stadium, meaning that the old, iconic one would be demolished. The new Estádio da Luz was inaugurated in October 2003.

This giant eagle was at the main entrance of the old stadium. Stay tuned for a tour of the new Estádio da Luz that I’ll publish soon. After the construction of the new stadium, Benfica also needed a new training center and youth academy. In 2006, Benfica Campus was inaugurated,

One of the most modern training centers in the world. It is located in the municipality of Seixal, south of Lisbon. The top 20 players in the new stadium, chosen by the club’s members. Supporting Benfica is a bond that connects fans from all walks of life,

From Lisbon to the farthest corners of the globe. It’s a lifelong commitment, passed down through generations, binding families and communities together. It’s about being part of a legacy that stretches back 120 years, woven with the blood, sweat, and tears of men who dared to dream.

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