Liga Portugal Overview and Predictions 2025

The 2025-26 Portuguese football league, Liga Portugal, began on August 8 and will continue until May 17, 2026. This season, the title will be defended by Lisbon’s Sporting team, which also won the 2023-24 season.

The Lisbon club has automatically qualified for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, while Benfica, which finished second last year, will participate in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

Two more teams will compete for places in European club tournaments. FC Porto has secured a place in the UEFA Europa League, Braga will play in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, and Santa Clara will compete in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers.

Boavista and Farense were relegated from Liga Portugal after last season and will be replaced by Tondela and Alverca. AFS, which finished in 16th place, played against Vizela for survival in the championship. AFS won the first match at home 3-0, drew 2-2 away, and retained their place, while Vizela will continue to play in Liga Portugal 2.

Liga Portugal will continue with 18 teams. 5 teams changed head coaches in the summer:

As usual, Liga Portugal starts in early August and continues until mid-May. This year, the season begins on August 8 and ends on May 17. Important dates to note for the season:

The Portuguese football league is dominated by several teams: Sporting CP, Benfica, FC Porto, and Braga. Matches between these clubs attract the most interest from both fans and football betting companies.

Make a note and don’t miss out when these teams play each other this season:

Liga Portugal saw two transfers worth €50 million or more this summer. Sporting CP sold striker Viktor Gyokeres to the London club Arsenal for €65.8 million. Benfica sold defender Alvaro Carreras to Real Madrid for €50 million.

• Francisco Conceicao from FC Porto to Juventus for €32 million
• Dario Essugo from Sporting CP to Chelsea for €22.27 million
• Otavio from FC Porto to Paris FC for €17 million
• Joao Mario from FC Porto to Juventus for €12.6 million
• Arthur Cabral from Benfica to Botafogo for €12 million
• Marcus Edwards from Sporting CP to Burnley for €10 million
• Goncalo Borges from FC Porto to Feyenoord for €10 million

• Victor Froholdt from FC Copenhagen to FC Porto for €20 million
• Gabri Veiga from Al-Ahli to FC Porto for €15 million
• Borja Sainz for €13.3 million from Norwich to FC Porto
• Nehuen Perez for €13.3 million from Udinese to FC Porto
• Georgios Vagiannidis for €12.5 million from Panathinaikos to Sporting CP
• Amar Dedič for €12 million from RB Salzburg to Benfica
• Pau Victor for €12 million from FC Barcelona to SC Braga
• Mario Dorgeles for €11 million from Nordsjaelland to SC Braga

Lisbon’s Benfica made the two most expensive acquisitions in the Liga Portugal. They bought midfielder Richard Rios from Palmeiras for €27 million and striker Franjo Ivanovic from Union SG for €22.8 million. Sporting CP acquired 27-year-old Luis Suarez from UD Almeria for €20.2 million.

Before the start of the Liga Portugal season, the only intrigue is which Lisbon team will win the local championship this time. Over the past 5 years, Sporting CP has won 3 times, Benfica once, and FC Porto once. Although FC Porto made quite a few moves this summer, the gap between them and both Benfica and Sporting CP seems too big.

Well-known bookmakers are offering odds of 2.10 for a Benfica victory and 2.20 for Sporting CP to win the Liga Portugal for the third time in a row. The odds are almost identical, but there is slightly more value in one of the options, namely Lisbon’s Benfica.

Both teams lost an essential player in the summer, but the sale of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres is a bigger loss than Benfica’s sale of defender Alvaro Carreras. Sporting CP also said goodbye to a defender and another striker.

Sporting CP will play in the UEFA Champions League next season, but it is not yet clear whether Benfica will qualify. If Benfica does not qualify, it will be able to focus more on the domestic championship. At the same time, Sporting CP will play in the UEFA Champions League, which not only has more games but also higher-level opponents.

Last season, Benfica lost the league in the final rounds. They finished the season with 2 draws, while Sporting CP won in the previous round, which allowed them to overtake their main rival by 2 points. Benfica has retained its core players and is ready to reclaim the title in the 2025-26 season.

In the 2025–26 Liga Portugal season, the primary battle for the title will be between Benfica and Sporting CP, as in recent years. Although both teams lost essential players in the summer, Sporting CP’s losses seem more painful, especially with the loss of striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Benfica has retained the core of its team, strengthened its squad, and, according to bookmakers, has a slightly better chance of regaining the championship title. Sporting CP’s additional workload in the UEFA Champions League could be a decisive factor in the domestic championship, so this season promises to be a fierce and intriguing one.