Viktor Gyökeres (foto: Getty Images)
Benfica and Sporting players make up nine of Portugal’s Team of the Season, with only Porto's Diogo Costa and Vitoria Guimaraes’ Tiago Silva breaking the Lisbon monopoly.
Lisbon clubs Benfica and Sporting have dominated the Portuguese league’s Team of the Season, contributing a combined nine out of eleven players to the ideal lineup. Sporting, the newly crowned champions, and Benfica, their main title challengers, showcased their strength across every area of the pitch.
Sporting CP claimed the championship in dramatic fashion. After a mid-season dip following the departure of coach Ruben Amorim, they recovered form and sealed the title in the final round. Benfica pushed them to the limit, finishing just two points behind and also making a solid impression in the Champions League.
Porto, by contrast, endured a disappointing campaign. They finished third, trailing Sporting by 11 points. Their only representative in the team of the season is goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who became familiar to Slovenian fans after a key role at the recent Euro tournament.
The other non-Lisbon inclusion is Tiago Silva of Vitoria Guimaraes, whose performances helped his club finish sixth and earn a place in European qualifiers.
Portugal’s Ideal XI of the 2024–25 Season:
- Goalkeeper: Diogo Costa (Porto)
- Defenders: Carreras (Benfica), Inacio (Sporting), Otamendi (Benfica), Diomande (Sporting)
- Midfielders: Hjulmand (Sporting), Aursnes (Benfica), Tiago Silva (Vitoria Guimaraes)
- Forwards: Pavlidis (Benfica), Gyökeres (Sporting), Trincao (Sporting)
The list highlights the growing influence of Sporting and Benfica in the domestic game, with standout performers like Viktor Gyökeres, Francisco Trincao, and Otamendi leading the way. With both Lisbon giants looking strong ahead of the new season, Porto faces a major challenge to reassert their place at the top.