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, in Lisbon, with the only exceptions being the 2015 and 2018 editions. 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.
 Eusébio Cup logo | |
| Organising body | Benfica |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Current champions |  |
| Most successful club(s) |  |
| Television broadcasters | Benfica TV |
The invitational match takes place in late July or early August, and it is usually Benfica's last pre-season match. So far, Benfica's opponents have been 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, 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.
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 |  |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
|
4–5 |
|
2009
2010
| Benfica | 0–1 |  |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Bale  |
2013
| Benfica | 0–2 |  |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Aloísio Rafael Tolói |
2014
2016
Performance by team
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Year(s) won | Year(s) runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3 | 7 | 2009, 2011, 2012 | 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 |
|
1 | — | 2008 | — |
|
1 | — | 2010 | — |
|
1 | — | 2013 | — |
 |
1 | — | 2014 | — |
 |
1 | — | 2015 | — |
|
1 | — | 2016 | — |
|
1 | — | 2018 | — |
|
— | 1 | — | 2009 |
|
— | 1 | — | 2011 |
 |
— | 1 | — | 2012 |
References
- "Planet Benfica: Eusébio Cup 2008". Planet Benfica. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- Mira, Luís (7 August 2008). "Eusébio Cup Preview: SL Benfica – AC Milan". Goal. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- "CBF "inviabiliza" Chapecoense" [CBF make Chapecoense "infeasible"]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 14 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- "ESE assumes responsibility in the Eusébio Cup". S.L. Benfica. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- Lourenço, Tiago (4 August 2011). "TVI transmite Eusébio Cup" [TVI broadcasts Eusébio Cup]. Propagandista Social (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- "Eusébio Cup: SL Benfica x Real Madrid". RTP Desporto (in Portuguese). July 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2018.