Eusébio Cup

The Eusébio Cup was a pre-season friendly football match hosted by Portuguese club S.L. Benfica. It was played mostly at their home stadium, Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, with the only exceptions being the 2015 and 2018 editions. The two-team competition was inaugurated in 2008 and was 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.

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
Eusébio with the trophy of the fourth edition (2011)
Poster for the ninth edition of the Eusébio Cup (2016)

The invitational match was played in late July and early August, and Benfica opponents were Inter Milan, A.C. Milan, Tottenham, Arsenal, Real Madrid, São Paulo, Ajax, Monterrey (at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer), Torino, and Lyon (at the Estádio Algarve), respectively.

It was played annually and without interruption until 2016. Despite two tries,[3][4] there was no edition in 2017. A year later, the Eusébio Cup was played as part of the 2018 International Champions Cup, and after that, it was not played anymore.

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,[5] the 2012 edition on RTP1,[6] 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'
Rafael Tolói  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
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. "CBF "inviabiliza" Chapecoense" [CBF make Chapecoense "infeasible"]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 14 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  4. "ESE assumes responsibility in the Eusébio Cup". S.L. Benfica. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. Lourenço, Tiago (4 August 2011). "TVI transmite Eusébio Cup" [TVI broadcasts Eusébio Cup]. Propagandista Social (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  6. "Eusébio Cup: SL Benfica x Real Madrid". RTP Desporto (in Portuguese). July 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
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