Sport Lisboa e Benfica "Juniors" (), commonly known as Benfica Juniors, is the under-19 football team comprised in the youth department of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica. They play their home matches at the Benfica Campus, the club's training ground and youth academy in Seixal.
Benfica's under-19s have won a record 26 Campeonato Nacional de Juniores, one Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup (1996), one UEFA Youth League (2021–22) and one Under-20 Intercontinental Cup (2022). Benfica hold UEFA Youth League records for the biggest win in a final, 6–0 against Red Bull Salzburg, most final appearances (4, joint-record with Chelsea) and most games played (70). They were distinguished for "Best implementation of the UEFA Youth League values" in 2013–14.
There are other development teams below under-19, completing Benfica's youth system: Juvenis "A" and "B"; Iniciados "A" and "B"; Infantis "A", "B", "C" and "D"; Benjamins "A" and "B"; and Traquinas "A". In 2015, Benfica received the Globe Soccer award for Best Academy of the year.
Benfica ranked first in a study analysing football academies, with 93 club-trained players active across 49 leagues. These players averaged 2,582 minutes played in official matches over the previous year, with an average club employment level of 0.81. FC Barcelona ranked second with 76 trained players (average club level of 0.87 and 2,773 minutes played), followed by CA River Plate in third place with 97 players (average club level of 0.81 and 2,305 minutes).
The top ten also included Sporting CP, Real Madrid, CA Boca Juniors, CA Vélez Sarsfield, AFC Ajax, Dinamo Zagreb, and Defensor Uruguay. In total, 30 countries were represented by at least one club in the top 100 rankings, with Argentina (15 clubs) and Brazil (11 clubs) being the most represented nations.
As of 2025: RankClub1 S.L. Benfica2 FC Barcelona3 CA River Plate4 AFC Ajax5 CA Boca Juniors6 Sporting CP7 Dinamo Zagreb8 Defensor SC9 Real Madrid CF10 Vélez Sarsfield
Players
Current players
Key B = current Benfica B player; U23 = player for Benfica's under-23 team
Notable players Over 1,000 players have come through Benfica's youth ranks, but only a small part of them played for the club's first-team. The list below includes former youth players who represented the main team in a minimum of 25 matches, or those that reached 25 caps at full international level. In some occasions, graduates debuted for the first-team but left Benfica before reaching 25 matches and went on representing their national team at full international level. Those players are also listed. (Time periods below correspond to when players joined Benfica youth.)
Pre-1960 Albino Santana
António Mendes Serra Fernando Cruz José Henrique Simões
1960s Diamantino Costa Vítor Martins Artur Correia Nené
João Alves
1970s
Shéu Rui Jordão Eurico Gomes Cavungi Alberto Fonseca Fernando Chalana José Luís Jorge Silva Diamantino Rui Costa
1980s Samuel
José Carlos Kenedy Paulo Sousa Paulo Madeira Rui Bento Bruno Basto Maniche
1990s Pedro Henriques Edgar Hugo Leal Bruno Aguiar José Sousa João Pereira Diogo Luís Sílvio
José Moreira
2000s Miguel Vítor Bernardo Silva Nélson Oliveira Gonçalo Guedes Bruno Varela Renato Sanches João Cancelo Jota Diogo Gonçalves Rúben Dias Ederson
2010s Florentino André Gomes Ferro Victor Lindelöf
João Félix Nuno Tavares
Coaching staff
Competitive record
UEFA Youth League and Under-20 FIFA Intercontinental Cup
Note: Benfica score is always listed first. Season Round Opponent Home Away2013–14 Anderlecht3–06–3 Paris Saint-Germain1–14–1 Olympiacos0–00–1 Austria Wien4–1 Manchester City 2–1 Real Madrid4–0 Barcelona0–32014–15 Zenit Saint Petersburg0–01–5 Bayer Leverkusen4–13–2 Monaco3–01–0 Liverpool2–1 Shakhtar Donetsk1–1 (aet) 2015–16GS Astana8–05–0 Atlético Madrid1–12–1 Galatasaray2–011–1 R16 FK Příbram 1–1 (aet) Real Madrid 0–22016–17GS Beşiktaş0–03–0 Napoli2–03–2 Dynamo Kyiv1–21–2 PO Midtjylland 1–1 (aet) PSV Eindhoven 1–1 (aet) CSKA Moscow 2–0 Real Madrid4–2 Red Bull Salzburg1–22017–18GS CSKA Moscow5–10–2 Basel0–02–2 Manchester United2–21–12018–19GS Bayern Munich3–02–2 AEK Athens3–03–1 Ajax3–30–3 PO Montpellier 1–22019–20GS RB Leipzig2–13–0 Zenit Saint Petersburg1–07–1 Lyon1–23–2 R16 Liverpool4–1 Dinamo Zagreb3–1 Ajax3–0 Real Madrid2–3 2020–21Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe2021–22GS Dynamo Kyiv1–00–4 Barcelona4–03–0 Bayern Munich4–02–0 R16 Midtjylland 3–2 Sporting CP 4–0 Juventus2–2 (4–3 p) Red Bull Salzburg6–02022 Peñarol1–02022–23GS Maccabi Haifa0–16–2 Juventus2–31–1 Paris Saint-Germain0–13–22023–24 Red Bull Salzburg1–12–4 Internazionale1–11–1 Real Sociedad2–11–22024–25 Crvena Zvezda 2–1 Atlético de Madrid2–2 Feyenoord2–0 Bayern Munchen 3–3 Monaco 0–1 Bologna3–0 AZ Alkmaar 2–2 2025–26 Qarabağ FK7–1 Chelsea 2–5 Newcastle 5–1 Bayer Leverkusen5–0 Ajax 4–0 Napoli3–0 Slavia Praga3–2 AZ Alkmaar6–2 Internazionale 3–2 Club Brugge KV1–32026–27 Pafos FC
Under-20 Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup Note: Benfica score is always listed first. Season Round Opponent Match Result1996 Grasshopper-Club0–0 Slovan Bratislava0–0 Bellinzona2–0 Basel2–1 FC Barcelona0–0 Grasshopper-Club0–0 1997 Manchester United0–1 FC Sion1–0 FC Blue Stars Zürich1–0 Ferencvaros1–0 FC Sion2–0 FC Basel0–0 1998 PSV Eindhoven0–0 C.D. Guadalajara0–0 FC Zürich0–0 Atlético Madrid0–1 C.D. Guadalajara0–0 Brøndby IF0–0 2000 FC Luzern2–0 FC Bayern München1–0 Grasshopper-Club2–0 Valencia CF0–1 FC Bayern München2–02001 FC St. Gallen0–0 Newcastle United1–0 Celta de Vigo2–0 Grasshopper-Club0–2 Sparta Praha1–02003 FC Blue Stars Zürich4–0 Levski Sofia0–1 FC Basel2–1 AS Roma0–1 Levski Sofia0–1 FC Zürich1–22014 FC Zürich1–0 Asante Kotoko3–0 Villarreal CF3–0 FC Blue Stars Zürich1–0 Athletico Paranaense0–12015 FC Luzern1–1 Feyenoord Rotterdam1–1 IFK Göteborg4–0 FC Blue Stars Zürich3–1 Bursaspor2–12016 Grasshopper-Club0–3 FC St. Pauli0–0 Feyenoord Rotterdam0–0 FC Blue Stars Zürich1–0 FC Zürich1–1 2017 RSC Anderlecht0–1 FC Zürich0–1 1. FSV Mainz 053–2 FC St.Gallen2–0 West Ham United1–32019 PAOK FC0–1 FC Zürich1–0 FC Basel1–0 Seattle Sounders1–0 Boca Juniors0–22022 FC Zürich0–0 FSV Mainz0–1 FC Blue Stars Zürich6–0 Valencia CF0–1
Otten Innovation Cup (Under-19)
Note: Benfica score is always listed first. Season Round Opponent Match ResultOtten Innovation Cup - 2013 (Special 100 years anniversary) Glenavon F.C.8–0 Widzew Łódź12–0 Eintracht Braunschweig3–1 PSV Eindhoven2–1 Real Madrid2–4 SC Bastia1–1 Otten Innovation Cup - 2024 Manchester United FC1–0 FC Kobenhavn0–1 Jeonbuk Motors3–0 PSV Eindhoven0–1 RB Bragantino1–5Otten Innovation Cup - 2025 PSV Eindhoven1–3 Club Brugge KV1–1 RB Leipzig3–1 Jeonbuk Motors4–1 RB Leipzig1–1 Otten Innovation Cup - 2026 Chelsea FC2–3 Club Brugge KV0–1 AS Monaco2–1 Adelaide United FC4–0 Manchester United FC5–1
Geneva Cup (Under-17)
Note: Benfica score is always listed first. Season Round Opponent Match ResultGeneva Cup 2015 AC Milan1–0 FC Basel1–1 FC Meyrin1–1 Arsenal FC2–1 Atlético Madrid0–1Geneva Cup 2017 Atlético Madrid0–1 FC Meyrin1–2 Grasshopper-Club2–2 KRC Genk4–0 Grasshopper-Club1–1 Geneva Cup 2019 Cerezo Osaka1–0 Sampdoria0–0 FC Meyrin3–0 Servette FC3–0 Parma4–0Geneva Cup 2022 Young Boys1–1 AC Monza2–1 FC Meyrin4–0 Juventus FC1–1 Fluminense1–4Geneva Cup 2025 Everton FC2–2 FC Meyrin3–1 FC Basel2–2 Internazionale1–0 Everton FC1–2
Youngster Cup - Berlin (Under-17)
Note: Benfica score is always listed first. Season Round Opponent Match ResultYoungster Cup 2022 Hertha BSC2–3 FC Bayern Munich2–1 FC Bayern Munich1–0 1. FC Union Berlin1–0Youngster Cup 2023 Galatasaray2–1 Borussia Monchengladbach0–1 FC Basel3–1 Galatasaray2–1Youngster Cup 2024 1. FC Union Berlin1–0 Flamengo3–0 FC Basel3–1 Real Sociedad4–1 Flamengo4–1Youngster Cup 2025 Borussia Dortmund2–1 Paris Saint-Germain0–2 FC Kobenhavn1–1 Eintracht Frankfurt1–1 FC Kobenhavn1–0Youngster Cup 2026 Juventus FC1–1 FC Basel2–0 Eintracht Frankfurt1–0 FC Kobenhavn1–0 Eintracht Frankfurt3–2
Shanghai Future Star Cup (Under-17)
Note: Benfica score is always listed first. Season Round Opponent Match ResultShanghai Future Star Cup 2025 RB Leipzig4–1 Shanghai FA1–0 Manchester City2–0 Chelsea FC2–1 Fluminense0–2
Honours Portuguese Championship Winners (26) – record: 1943–44, 1944–45, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2012–13, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2024–25 UEFA Youth League Winners (1): 2021–22 Runners-up (3): 2013-14, 2016–17, 2019–20 Under-20 Intercontinental Cup Winners (1): 2022 Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup Winners (1): 1996 Runners-up (3): 1997, 2014, 2019
Other youth honours Juvenis (under-17) Portuguese Championship Winners (22) – record: 1963–64, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1982–83, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
Iniciados (under-15) Portuguese Championship Winners (13): 1978–79, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1988–89, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
Infantis (under-13) Portuguese Championship Winners (3) – shared record: 1988–89, 1989–90, 1995–96
References
External links Departamento de Formação How Benfica became a global figurehead in player development – These Football Times (2017)