The Campeonato Nacional de Juniores is the top level of the Portuguese football league system for youth players (19-year-old and under). It is administrated by the Portuguese Football Federation. The league started in 1938 and has been historically dominated by the Big Three clubs, with Benfica having the most titles won (26).
Format The Campeonato Nacional de Juniores begins in the first weekend of September and ends in June. The Nacional de Juniors season is similar to the senior players' Primeira Liga playing a double round-robin points based system. There are two groups composed of 12 teams, North and South. The top four teams with the most points in each group progress to the Apuramento de Campeão, where they face each other in a similar way to the first round, to determine the champion.
The bottom eight teams of each group, progress to the Apuramento de Manutenção, where they face each other. The bottom three of each group are relegated.
Winners Source: Season Champions 1938–39 Sporting CP 1939–40 Unidos Barreiro 1940–41 Not played 1941–42 Leixões 1942–43 Not played 1943–44 Benfica 1944–45 Benfica (2) 1945–46 Sporting CP (2) 1946–47 Belenenses 1947–48 Sporting CP (3) 1948–49 Benfica (3) 1949–50 Académica 1950–51 Benfica (4) 1951–52 Académica (2) 1952–53 Porto 1953–54 Académica (3) 1954–55 Benfica (5) 1955–56 Sporting CP (4) 1956–57 Benfica (6) 1957–58 Benfica (7) 1958–59 Benfica (8) 1959–60 Benfica (9) 1960–61 Sporting CP (5) 1961–62 Benfica (10) 1962–63 Benfica (11) 1963–64 Porto (2) 1964–65 Sporting CP (6) 1965–66 Porto (3) 1966–67 Not played 1967–68 Benfica (12) 1968–69 Porto (4) 1969–70 Benfica (13) 1970–71 Porto (5) 1971–72 Benfica (14) 1972–73 Porto (6) 1973–74 Sporting CP (7) 1974–75 Benfica (15) 1975–76 Benfica (16) 1976–77 Braga 1977–78 Benfica (17) 1978–79 Porto (7) 1979–80 Porto (8) 1980–81 Porto (9) 1981–82 Porto (10) 1982–83 Sporting CP (8) 1983–84 Porto (11) 1984–85 Benfica (18) 1985–86 Porto (12) 1986–87 Porto (13) 1987–88 Benfica (19) 1988–89 Benfica (20) 1989–90 Porto (14) 1990–91 Vitória Guimarães 1991–92 Sporting CP (9) 1992–93 Porto (15) 1993–94 Porto (16) 1994–95 Boavista 1995–96 Sporting CP (10) 1996–97 Boavista (2) 1997–98 Porto (17) 1998–99 Boavista (3) 1999–2000 Benfica (21) 2000–01 Porto (18) 2001–02 Alverca 2002–03 Boavista (4) 2003–04 Benfica (22) 2004–05 Sporting CP (11) 2005–06 Sporting CP (12) 2006–07 Porto (19) 2007–08 Sporting CP (13) 2008–09 Sporting CP (14) 2009–10 Sporting CP (15) 2010–11 Porto (20) 2011–12 Sporting CP (16) 2012–13 Benfica (23) 2013–14 Braga (2) 2014–15 Porto (21) 2015–16 Porto (22) 2016–17 Sporting CP (17) 2017–18 Benfica (24) 2018–19 Porto (23) 2019–20 Not awarded 2020–21 Not played 2021–22 Benfica (25) 2022–23 Famalicão 2023–24 Braga (3) 2024–25 Benfica (26) 2025–26 Porto (24)
Performance by club Club Winners Seasons Benfica 26 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, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2012–13, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2024–25 Porto 24 1952–53, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2006–07, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2025–26 Sporting CP 17 1938–39, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1955–56, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1973–74, 1982–83, 1991–92, 1995–96, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2016–17 Boavista 4 1994–95, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2002–03 Académica 3 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54 Braga 3 1976–77, 2013–14, 2023–24 Unidos Barreiro 1 1939–40 Leixões 1 1941–42 Belenenses 1 1946–47 Vitória Guimarães 1 1990–91 Alverca 1 2001–02 Famalicão 1 2022–23
Notes
References