Sport Lisboa e Benfica (), commonly known as Benfica, is a professional roller hockey team based in Lisbon, Portugal.
Founded in 1917, Benfica play in the Portuguese First Division, having won 25 league titles. Moreover, they have won 15 Portuguese Cups, nine Portuguese Super Cups, one 1947 Cup and three Elite Cup.
Internationally, Benfica have won, among other trophies, two WSE Champions League, two WSE Cup, three Continental Cup, two Intercontinental Cup, one CERH Ciudad de Vigo Tournament, one Nations Cup and one Golden Cup.
History
First years
Benfica's roller hockey section was founded in 1917, making it one of the earliest roller hockey clubs in Portugal. The team achieved its first success in 1925–26, winning the Campeonato Regional de Lisboa, the top competition disputed at the time. Following this triumph, the club won the seven subsequent regional titles.
Benfica's first participation in the national First Division came in 1944–45, finishing fourth in their debut season.
National and international success
Benfica's first golden era came in the 1950s, winning four league titles (1950–51, '51–52, '55–56, '56–57), five Campeonatos Regionais de Lisboa (1950–51, '52–53, '53–54, '55–56, '58–59), and six Taças de Honra da APL (from 1951–52 to 1957–58). During the second half of the decade, Torcato Ferreira took charge as coach—a position he would hold until 1970.
Under Torcato Ferreira, with standout players like António Ramalhete and António Livramento, Benfica extended its dominance into the 1960s, winning six league titles (1959–60, '60–61, '62–63, '65–66, '66–67, '67–68), two Campeonatos Metropolitanos de Lisboa (1966–67, 1967–68) — a competition that served as an intermediate stage between the regional leagues and the national championship — the 1963–64 Taça de Portugal (the inaugural edition of the competition), eight Campeonatos Regionais de Lisboa (1959–60 to 1963–64 and 1965–66 to 1967–68), and six Torneios de Abertura da APL (1960–61 to 1963–64 and 1965–66 to 1967–68).
Internationally, Benfica reached its first continental finals, finishing runners-up in the 1961 Nations Cup, winning the 1962 Nations Cup, and later reaching the 1968–69 European Cup final, marking the club’s emergence on the European stage.
Mixed success
Benfica maintained its strong momentum in the early 1970s, winning three of the five league titles contested in that period (1969–70, '71–72, '73–74), along with four Campeonatos Metropolitanos de Lisboa (1969–70, '71–72, '72–73, '73–74), one Campeonato Regional de Lisboa (1969–70), and one Torneio de Abertura da APL (1971–72). Internationally, the team reached the 1972–73 European Cup final.
However, Benfica struggled to maintain the same level of dominance in the latter half of the decade, winning only the 1978–79 league title, two Taças de Portugal (1977–78, '78–79), and three Torneios de Abertura da APL (1974–75, '77–78, '78–79).
The 1980s brought a period of mixed domestic success, with Benfica winning two league titles (1979–80, '80–81), three Taças de Portugal (1979–80, '80–81, '81–82), and four Torneios de Abertura da APL (1979–80, '80–81, '81–82, '85–86). Internationally, the club reached three European finals — the 1979–80 European Cup and the 1982–83 and 1983–84 Cup Winners' Cup.
1990s and decline
The 1990s saw Benfica return to dominance under key players such as José Carlos, Rui Lopes, Luís Ferreira, Paulo Almeida, and Vítor Fortunato, winning five league titles (1991–92, '93–94, '94–95, '96–97, '97–98), three Taças de Portugal (1990–91, '93–94, '94–95), four Supertaças António Livramento (1992–93, '94–95, '96–97, '97–98), and four Torneios de Abertura da APL (1989–90 to 1991–92 and 1994–95). In Europe, the club won its second continental title, the 1991 CERS Cup, and reached the 1992–93 and 1994–95 European Cup finals.
The 2000s marked a period of decline, with Benfica winning only three Taças de Portugal (1999–00 to 2001–02) and two Supertaças António Livramento (2001–02 and 2002–03), with Panchito Velázquez emerging as the team’s star player.
2010s and revival
Benfica started the decade by winning the 2009–10 Taça de Portugal, ending a seven-year trophy drought. The bigger highlights, however, were the victories in the 2010–11 CERS Cup and the 2011–12 league title, which ended a 13-year league drought. During this three-year span, the club also won the 2010–11 Supertaça António Livramento and the 2011 Continental Cup.
The 2012–13 season saw Benfica win its first-ever WSE Champions League title, defeating FC Porto at Dragão Caixa by 6–5 (aet), in an all Portuguese final, along with the Supertaça António Livramento. In the following years, led by key players such as Carlos Nicolia, João Rodrigues, and others, the team captured several major trophies: the Supertaça António Livramento, Continental Cup defeating CE Vendrell, and Intercontinental Cup in 2013, defeating Sport Recife by 10–3 and winning the only missing trophy for the club and the second one for Portuguese roller hockey, after the 1993 Óquei de Barcelos win; the 2013–14 Taça de Portugal; the 2014–15 league title and Taça de Portugal; and the 2015–16 league title, without defeat, totalling 25 wins and one draw, and WSE Champions League, after beating Oliveirense in the final 5–3.
On 15 March 2015, Benfica became the second European club, after CP Voltregà, to win CERH's most important club title in both men and women competitions, after defeating the French team Coutras in the final of the Women's European Cup. Domestically, earlier that season, the women's section had conquered the national Super Cup on 8 November 2014, and later also won their third consecutive national championship on 8 June 2015, and their second consecutive domestic cup on 14 June, accomplishing the treble, and winning all five competitions they played, including the Torneio de Abertura.
Benfica closed the decade by adding the 2017 Continental Cup, beating Óquei de Barcelos (9–2) in the second leg of the Continental Cup, and won the trophy for a third time, and the 2018 Intercontinental Cup, beating Reus Deportiu (3–5), thus becoming the second team with most trophies in the competition.
Recent years In the first three years of the 2020s, Benfica only won the 1947 Cup in 2020. In the following seasons, the team regained momentum, winning the 2022–23 league title, two Supertaças António Livramento (2022–23 and 2023–24), and three Elite Cups (2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25).
Season to Season
Key The Campeonato Metropolitano qualified for the national league.
Season Cup Super Cup European competitions Other competitions League Competition Result Competition Result 1917–18 1918–19 1920–21 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 2nd 1921–22 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 2nd 1922–23 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 2nd 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1926–27 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1927–28 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1928–29 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1929–30 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1930–31 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1931–32 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1932–33 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1933–34 1934–35 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1935–36 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 3rd 1936–37 Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 2ndW 1937–38 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1938–39 Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 2ndW 1939–40 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 4th 1940–41 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 3rd 1941–42 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 4th 1942–43 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 4th 1943–44 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 3rd 1944–45 4th Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 3rd 1945–46 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 3rd 1946–47 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 7th 1947–48 Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 6th 1948–49 3rd Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 3rd 1949–50 3rd Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 3rd 1950–511st Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1951–521st Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 2ndW 1952–53 4th Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 1stW 1953–542nd Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 1stW 1954–552nd Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 2ndW 1955–561st Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 1stW 1956–571st Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 2ndW 1957–582nd Campeonato Regional de LisboaTaça de Honra da APL 4thW 1958–594th Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1959–60 2nd W Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 1st 1960–611st Nations Cup RU Campeonato Regional de LisboaTorneio de Abertura da APL 1stW 1961–622nd Nations Cup W Campeonato Regional de LisboaTorneio de Abertura da APL 1stW 1962–63 W Campeonato Regional de LisboaTorneio de Abertura da APL 1stW 1963–642nd RU Campeonato Regional de LisboaTorneio de Abertura da APL 1stW 1964–65 4th Torneio de Abertura da APL 1965–661st Campeonato Regional de LisboaTorneio de Abertura da APL 1stW 1966–671st Campeonato Regional de LisboaCampeonato Metropolitano 1st1st 1967–681st European Cup QF Campeonato Regional de LisboaCampeonato Metropolitano Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st1st1st 1968–69 European Cup RU Campeonato Regional de Lisboa 4th 1969–701st Campeonato Regional de LisboaCampeonato MetropolitanoTorneio de Abertura da APL 1st1st3rd 1970–71 3rd (1st Phase) European Cup SF Campeonato Metropolitano 3rd 1971–721st Campeonato Metropolitano Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st1st 1972–732nd European Cup RU Campeonato Metropolitano 1st 1973–741st Campeonato Metropolitano 1st 1974–75 7th (1st Phase) European Cup SF Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1975–76 7th R32 1976–77 6th R32 1977–78 4th W Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1978–791st W Cup Winners's Cup QF Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1979–801st W European Cup RU Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1980–811st W European Cup QF Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1981–822nd W European Cup SF Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1982–83 3rd RU RU Cup Winner's Cup RU 1983–84 4th SF RU Cup Winner's Cup RU 1984–85 5th European Cup QF 1985–86 4th RURU CERS Cup QF Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1986–87 4th SF R32 RU European Cup R16 1987–88 5th SF CERS Cup R16 1988–89 3rd QF CERS Cup QF 1989–90 3rd SF CERS Cup SF Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1990–91 3rd W CERS Cup W Torneio de Abertura da APL 1st 1991–921st SF RU Cup Winner's Cup QF Torneio de Abertura da APL1st 1992–932nd RU W European Cup RU 1993–941st W RU Cup Winner's Cup QF 1994–951st W W European Cup RU Torneio de Abertura da APL1st 1995–962nd SF European Cup SF 1996–971st 1R W Champions League 1R 1997–981st RU W Champions League 2R 1998–99 3rd R16 RU Champions League GS 1999–00 3rd W Champions League 4th 2000–012nd WRU Champions League 4th 2001–022nd W W Champions League SF 2002–03 3rd RU W Champions League GS 2003–04 7th QF Champions League GS 2004–05 7th RU CERS Cup QF 2005–062nd SF RU Champions League 2R 2006–07 2nd RU R32 2007–08 2nd RU QF 2008–09 3rd RU 2009–10 5th W RU CERS Cup SF 2010–112nd QF W CERS Cup W 2011–121st RU Champions League QF Continental Cup W 2012–132nd QF W Champions League W 2013–142nd W W Champions League SF Continental CupIntercontinental Cup WW 2014–151st W RU Champions League QF 2015–161st RU RU Champions League W 2016–172nd SF RU Champions League SF Continental CupW 2017–182nd QF Champions League QF Intercontinental Cup W 2018–19 4th RU Champions League SF 2019–20 N/A N/A Champions League N/A 2020–21 4th SF N/A Champions League SF 1947 Cup W 2021–22 3rd RURU Elite Cup QF 2022–23 1st W R16W Champions League QF Elite CupRU 2023–24 2nd RU SFW Champions League QF Elite CupW 2024–25 1st SF SF Champions League SF Elite CupW 2025–26 1st WUndefeated championship run SF Champions League Elite CupW
Results in international competition
Source: