Eusébio Cup

The Eusébio Cup is a pre-season friendly football match hosted by Portuguese club S.L. Benfica. It has been played mostly at their home stadium, Estádio da Luz, with the two exceptions being the 2015 and 2018 editions (played at the Estadio BBVA and at the Estádio Algarve, respectively). The two-team competition was inaugurated in 2008 and is named after Portuguese international and former Benfica player Eusébio,[1][2] who presented the trophy to the winning team until 2013, before his death in January 2014. There were plans to extend the number of participants to four,[3] a move that Eusébio himself was in favor of,[4] but no changes were ever made in that regard.

Eusébio Cup
Eusébio Cup logo
Organising bodyBenfica
Founded2008
Number of teams2
Current champions Lyon (1st title)
Most successful club(s) Benfica (3 titles)
Television broadcastersBenfica TV
Poster for the ninth edition of the Eusébio Cup (2016)

The cup's first edition was won by Inter Milan. The other winners were Benfica (2009, 2011, 2012), Tottenham (2010), São Paulo (2013), Ajax (2014), Monterrey (2015), Torino (2016) – in a match that also served to honor the memory of the Grande Torino team who died in the Superga air disaster[5] – and Lyon (2018). No invited team, also including AC Milan, Arsenal and Real Madrid, has participated in more than one edition.

The invitational match has been played in late July and early August, and it was played annually and without interruption until 2016. Despite two tries,[6][7] there was no edition in 2017. A year later, the Eusébio Cup returned as part of the 2018 International Champions Cup, and has not been played since. In 2021, Benfica stated that the competition "will be held whenever possible, with opponents of international renown".[8]

Trophy

The Eusébio Cup trophy is made out of glass and bears the name of the match and its winners. Moreover, it features a figure of Eusébio, on the top, performing his trademark shooting technique. The figure is similar to Eusébio's statue outside Estádio da Luz. The trophy is symbolic because it is dedicated to Eusébio, who is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, and Benfica's greatest.

Broadcasters

The Eusébio Cup editions of 2008, 2009 and 2010 were broadcast on SIC, the 2011 edition on TVI,[9] the 2012 edition on RTP1,[10] and the 2013 edition on Benfica's own channel, Benfica TV, which then broadcast the next three editions.

Matches

2008
Benfica 0–0 Inter Milan
Report
Penalties
 4–5
Attendance: 54,001
Referee: Bruno Paixão (Portugal)

2009
Benfica 1–1 Milan
Cardozo 58' Report Sidnei 87' (o.g.)
Penalties
 5–4
Attendance: 62,342
Referee: João Ferreira (Portugal)

2010
Benfica 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur
Report Bale 55'
Attendance: 30,215
Referee: Pedro Proença (Portugal)

2011
Benfica 2–1 Arsenal
Aimar 49'
Nolito 60'		 Report Van Persie 34'
Attendance: 40,833
Referee: Duarte Gomes (Portugal)

2012
Benfica 5–2 Real Madrid
García 4'
Witsel 22'
Pérez 53', 85'
Martins 58'		 Report Callejón 18', 20'
Attendance: 35,476
Referee: Bruno Paixão (Portugal)

2013
Benfica 0–2 São Paulo
Report Aloísio 53'
Toloi 63'
Attendance: 30,638
Referee: Duarte Gomes (Portugal)

2014
Benfica 0–1 Ajax
Report Kishna 41'
Attendance: 25,240
Referee: Hugo Miguel (Portugal)

2015
Monterrey 3–0 Benfica
Montes 49'
Funes Mori 58' (pen.)
Rivera 81'		 Report
Attendance: 51,000
Referee: Francisco Chacón (Mexico)

2016
Benfica 1–1 Torino
Vives 11' (o.g.) Report Ljajić 32'
Penalties
 5–6
Attendance: 45,818
Referee: Fábio Veríssimo (Portugal)

2018
International Champions Cup
Benfica 2–3 Lyon
 Report
Attendance: 17,510
Referee: Hélder Malheiro (Portugal)

Performance by team
Eusébio with the trophy of the fourth edition (2011)
Team Winners Runners-up Year(s) won Year(s) runners-up
Benfica 3 7 2009, 2011, 2012 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
Inter Milan 1 — 2008 —
Tottenham Hotspur 1 — 2010 —
São Paulo 1 — 2013 —
Ajax 1 — 2014 —
Monterrey 1 — 2015 —
Torino 1 — 2016 —
Lyon 1 — 2018 —
Milan — 1 — 2009
Arsenal — 1 — 2011
Real Madrid — 1 — 2012

References
  1. "Planet Benfica: Eusébio Cup 2008". Planet Benfica. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  2. Mira, Luís (7 August 2008). "Eusébio Cup Preview: SL Benfica – AC Milan". Goal. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  3. Neves, Pedro (30 June 2008). "Inter Milão joga no Estádio da Luz" [Inter Milan plays at the Estádio da Luz]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  4. "Eusébio gostava de ver quadrangular na Luz" [Eusébio would like to see a four-way at Luz]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 August 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  5. "Benfica e Torino recordam tragédia de 1949: «Dignos destes campeões»" [Benfica and Torino remember 1949 tragedy: "Worthy of these champions"]. Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). 27 July 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  6. "CBF "inviabiliza" Chapecoense" [CBF make Chapecoense "infeasible"]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 14 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  7. "ESE assumes responsibility in the Eusébio Cup". S.L. Benfica. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  8. Silva, Flávio (13 June 2021). "Eusébio Cup será realizada "sempre que for possível"" [Eusébio Cup will be held "whenever possible"]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  9. Lourenço, Tiago (4 August 2011). "TVI transmite Eusébio Cup" [TVI broadcasts Eusébio Cup]. Propagandista Social (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  10. "Eusébio Cup: SL Benfica x Real Madrid". RTP Desporto (in Portuguese). July 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
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