Eusébio Cup
38°45′13″N 9°10′57.5″W / 38.75361°N 9.182639°W
Eusébio Cup logo | |
| Organiser(s) | Benfica |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Teams | 2 |
| Current champions | Benfica (6th title) |
| Most championships | Benfica (6 titles) |
| Broadcaster | BTV |
The Eusébio Cup is a pre-season friendly football match hosted by Portuguese club S.L. Benfica since 2008. It has been played mostly at their home stadium, Estádio da Luz, with the two exceptions being the 2015 and 2018 editions (played at Estadio BBVA and Estádio Algarve, respectively).
The two-team competition is named after former Benfica player and Portugal international Eusébio,[1][2] who presented the trophy to the winning team until 2013, before his death in January 2014. There were plans to extend the number of participants to four,[3] a move that Eusébio himself was in favor of,[4] but no changes were ever made in that regard.
The cup's first edition was won by Inter Milan, with the other winners being Benfica (2009, 2011, 2012, 2022, 2024, 2025), Tottenham (2010), São Paulo (2013), Ajax (2014), Monterrey (2015), Torino (2016) – in a match that also served to honour the memory of the Grande Torino team who died in the Superga air disaster[5] – and Lyon (2018). No invited team, also including runners-up AC Milan, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Feyenoord and Fenerbahçe, has participated in more than one edition.
The invitational match has been played in late July and early August, and it was played annually and without interruption until 2016.[6] Despite two tries,[7][8] there was no edition in 2017. A year later, the Eusébio Cup returned as part of the 2018 International Champions Cup.[6] The competition was revived after a three-year hiatus, in 2022.[9] The match was not played in 2023 and returned once again the following year.[10]
Trophy
The Eusébio Cup trophy is made out of glass and bears the name of the match and its winners. Moreover, it features a figure of Eusébio, on the top, performing his trademark shooting technique. The figure is similar to Eusébio's statue outside Estádio da Luz. The trophy is symbolic because it is dedicated to Eusébio, who is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, and Benfica's greatest.
Broadcasters
The following is a list of television channels who broadcast the matches for Portugal.
| Year | Broadcaster | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | SIC | |
| 2010 | Benfica TV | |
| 2011 | TVI | [11] |
| 2012 | RTP | [12] |
| 2013–2016 | Benfica TV | |
| 2018 | Sport TV | |
| 2022, 2024 | Benfica TV |
Matches
2008
| Benfica | 0–0 | Inter Milan |
|---|---|---|
| Penalties | ||
| 4–5 | ||
2009
2010
| Benfica | 0–1 | Tottenham Hotspur |
|---|---|---|
|
2011
| Benfica | 2–1 | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
2012
| Benfica | 5–2 | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
|
2013
2014
2015
| Monterrey | 3–0 | Benfica |
|---|---|---|
|
2016
2017
| 22 July 2017 | Benfica | Cancelled | Chapecoense | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon |
| 19:45 WEST | ||||
| Note: The Brazilian Football Confederation did not authorize Chapecoense's participation due to the overlapping dates with Brazilian competitions.[13] | ||||
| 6 October 2017 | Benfica | Cancelled | Rangers | Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton |
| 19:00 EST | ||||
| Note: The match was cancelled due to Elite Soccer Entertainment not being able to meet the contractual obligations and the commitments established with both clubs.[14] | ||||
2018
2022
| Benfica | 3–2 | Newcastle United |
|---|---|---|
|
2024
2025
| Benfica | 3–2 | Fenerbahçe |
|---|---|---|
|
Performance by team
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Year(s) won | Year(s) runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benfica | 6 | 7 | 2009, 2011, 2012, 2022, 2024, 2025 | 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 |
| Inter Milan | 1 | — | 2008 | — |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1 | — | 2010 | — |
| São Paulo | 1 | — | 2013 | — |
| Ajax | 1 | — | 2014 | — |
| Monterrey | 1 | — | 2015 | — |
| Torino | 1 | — | 2016 | — |
| Lyon | 1 | — | 2018 | — |
| Milan | — | 1 | — | 2009 |
| Arsenal | — | 1 | — | 2011 |
| Real Madrid | — | 1 | — | 2012 |
| Newcastle United | — | 1 | — | 2022 |
| Feyenoord | — | 1 | — | 2024 |
| Fenerbahçe | — | 1 | — | 2025 |
References
- ^ "Planet Benfica: Eusébio Cup 2008". Planet Benfica. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ Mira, Luís (7 August 2008). "Eusébio Cup Preview: SL Benfica – AC Milan". Goal. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ Neves, Pedro (30 June 2008). "Inter Milão joga no Estádio da Luz" [Inter Milan plays at the Estádio da Luz]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Eusébio gostava de ver quadrangular na Luz" [Eusébio would like to see a four-way at Luz]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 August 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Benfica e Torino recordam tragédia de 1949: «Dignos destes campeões»" [Benfica and Torino remember 1949 tragedy: "Worthy of these champions"]. Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). 27 July 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ a b Silva, Flávio (13 June 2021). "Eusébio Cup será realizada "sempre que for possível"" [Eusébio Cup will be held "whenever possible"]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ "CBF "inviabiliza" Chapecoense" [CBF make Chapecoense "infeasible"]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 14 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ "ESE assumes responsibility in the Eusébio Cup". S.L. Benfica. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ Gomes, Rui Miguel (25 July 2022). "Eusébio Cup: regresso à Luz para homenagear o Rei" [Eusébio Cup: return to Da Luz to honour the King]. S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "Eusébio Cup: Benfica defronta Feyenoord no dia 28 de julho". S.L. Benfica. 21 May 2024.
- ^ Lourenço, Tiago (4 August 2011). "TVI transmite Eusébio Cup" [TVI broadcasts Eusébio Cup]. Propagandista Social (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ "Eusébio Cup: SL Benfica x Real Madrid". RTP Desporto (in Portuguese). July 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^ "CBF inviabiliza Chapecoense na Eusébio Cup". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 14 June 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ "ESE assumes responsibility in the Eusébio Cup". S.L. Benfica. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ "Com a dupla Prestianni-Pavlidis em destaque, Benfica goleia e conquista Eusébio Cup". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 28 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Benfica: já há data e adversário na Eusébio Cup". Record (in Portuguese). 11 July 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.