PortuGOAL predictions for the 2025/26 Portuguese football season | OneFootball

Come May 2026, will Sporting fans be celebrating a third straight championship triumph at the Marquês de Pombal roundabout? Will Lisbon rivals Benfica bounce back to paint the town red? Will the good times return to Porto relocating the title party up north on the Avenida dos Aliados?

The writers of PortuGOAL.net give their thoughts on what lies ahead in Liga Portugal and in Europe for the nation’s representatives over the next nine months, putting forward the following predictions:

Albert Carter-Phillips (Long Ball Futebol podcast)

Champions: Sporting CP

For the first time in many years, we enter a Primeira Liga season where strong arguments could be made for any of the traditional big three clubs becoming champions by the end of the season.

Sporting are the reigning champions but lost talismanic striker Viktor Gyökeres in the summer and his could be a huge loss for the Lions. It’s also Rui Borges first full season at the helm and the first time we’ll see a Sporting side truly in his image, and not somewhat in the shadows of Ruben Amorim. That said their squad remains one of the strongest in the league and, barring any late window departures, they’ll be in a great position to attack the title once again.

Benfica remains, as always, the most powerful club in the league off the field, and can boast a squad of high-quality players, as well as a very experienced manager. However the squad still does have big holes, particularly in the attacking and creative areas (Pavlidis aside).

Porto were ranked outsiders until the appointment of Francesco Farioli and a few eye-catching signings made them contenders again, but perhaps their lack of depth will see them fall just short. Whatever happens it could well be a three-horse race for the first time in many seasons, and my money is on Sporting – with the most well-balanced squad and a host of quality players – to once again take the league title..

European football – who will go deepest? Benfica

Revelation team: Estoril

Player of the Season: Francisco Trincão (Sporting)

Young Player of the Season: Rodrigo Mora (Porto)

Andrew Batista

Champions: FC Porto

Francesco Farioli is a gifted manager and has already established his playing style centring on the much-improved midfield of Victor Froholdt, Gabri Veiga and Alan Varela, who looks back to his best. The additions of Luuk De Jong and Jan Bednarek bring experience and quality.

Relegated: Estrela da Amadora and Tondela

European football – who will go deepest? Benfica

Revelation team: Arouca

Player of the Season: Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica)

Young Player of the Season: Victor Froholdt (Porto)

José Ricardo Leite

Champions (and why): FC Porto

New manager, new life, new approach and new players. The Dragões are the ones making the best market out of the main candidates for this seasons’ title. Sporting lost Gyökeres and Benfica are going through an internal war.

Farioli is known for getting his teams playing amazing football and teaching them to never take their feet off the gas. Porto will be champions by April.

European football – who will go deepest? Porto

Revelation team: Alverca

Player of the Season: Borja Sainz (Porto)

Young Player of the Season: Rodrigo Mora (Porto)

Kevin Fernandes

Champions: Sporting CP

Thus far, Sporting’s squad looks the most settled, losing ‘only’ Viktor Gyökeres. Considering Benfica’s current lack of creators (losing Orkun Kökçü, Ángel Di María and Álvaro Carreras) and Porto being difficult to judge at this stage of Francesco Farioli’s tenure, I believe that Sporting can do the relatively unexpected with Luis Suárez, Georgios Vagiannidis and potentially another attacking option integrated.

Relegated: AFS and Alverca

European football – who will go deepest? Porto

Revelation team: Nacional da Madeira

Player of the Season: Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting)

Young Player of the Season: Rodrigo Mora (Porto)

Matthew Marshall

Champions: FC Porto

Francesco Farioli’s Ajax threw away the Eredivisie title last season and the Italian manager can learn a lot from that experience.

Porto may have addressed their issues in central defence after signing Jan Bednarek and Dominik Prpić. Diogo Costa is the best goalkeeper in Portugal and Alan Varela is an elite holding midfielder, so there is a potential for plenty of clean sheets.

Alberto Costa and Victor Froholdt are great additions to the squad alongside Gabri Veiga and Borja Sainz. Luuk de Jong might be the next Bas Dost, Samu should benefit from Farioli’s appointment and Rodrigo Mora could have a standout season if utilised properly by the young Italian manager.

If Farioli and Porto get off to a fast start there is no reason why they can’t go toe to toe with Sporting Clube de Portugal and Benfica and emerge victorious in what should be a tight title race.

Relegated: AVS and Tondela

European football – who will go deepest? Porto

Revelation team: Alverca

Player of the Season: Samu Aghehowa (Porto)

Young Player of the Season: Rodrigo Mora (Porto)

Miguel Lourenço Pereira

Champions: FC Porto

Portuguese clubs that tend to trust their fates to foreign managers are often rewarded in their first season in charge with honours. Porto has invested heavily in their squad, and Francesco Farioli’s back-to-basics approach might be what the Dragões needed to claim their first league win in years.

Relegated: AVS and Alverca, Nacional da Madeira in the playoff

European football – who will go deepest? Benfica

Revelation team: Tondela

Player of the Season: Enzo Barrenechea (Benfica)

Young Player of the Season: Victor Froholdt (Porto)

Sahir Bhojwani

Champions: FC Porto

Porto have not won the league since 2022, which means they are entering their fourth season without a Liga title. Since 1984, the Dragons have only once gone four seasons without conquering the league (Benfica won the title four straight times between 2013-2017)

The pressure will be on André Villas-Boas and Francesco Farioli to restore some balance of power between the Northern and Southern clubs in Portugal.

The loss of highly-successful manager Rubin Amorim and star striker Victor Gyökeres should see Sporting drop down a level. Benfica has depth and some emerging young talent, but it remains to be seen whether their new-look midfield can function with the fluidity it did last season.

Porto have been the most active of Portugal’s big 3 over the summer, with some astute signings that should see the club elevate themselves on par with Sporting and Benfica.

Former Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga returns to the Iberian peninsula after failing to find his rhythm in Saudi Arabia. Alberto Costa, who broke into Juventus starting 11 last season, could be one of the buys of the summer. 19-year-old midfielder Victor Froholdt is one of Europe’s most exciting young prospects. Jan Bednarek, Borja Sainz, Luuk de Jong and Dominik Prpić also joined the club.

Relegated: Nacional, Tondela, Estrela da Amadora

European football – who will go deepest? Benfica

Revelation team: AFS

Player of the Season: Samu Aghehowa (Porto)

Young Player of the Season: Sandro Vidigal (Braga)

Tom Kundert

Champions: Sporting CP

Benfica and Porto have strengthened impressively in the summer transfer market but Sporting have retained the core of the two-time championship winning squad. In Ousmane Diomande, Morten Hjulmand and Pedro Gonçalves the Lions have the best centre-back, best holding midfielder and best creative attacker in Portugal, and an entire squad that knows what it takes to win the league.