10 Most Valuable Football Clubs In Portugal With Net Worth 2023

The club’s youth academy has been a fertile ground for producing football legends like Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Founded on July 1, 1906, Sporting holds a distinguished status among the “Big Three” clubs in Portugal, never having faced relegation from Primeira Liga alongside rivals Benfica and Porto.

Sporting is popularly known as Leões (Lions), symbolizing the majestic creature at the center of the club’s crest, and Verde e Brancos (Green and Whites) for their distinctive horizontally striped shirts.

They stand among the top three Portuguese sports clubs in terms of non-affiliated fans.

Since 2003, Sporting has called the Estádio José Alvalade their home ground, replacing the previous stadium built in 1956. The club’s indoor arena is the Pavilhão João Rocha multi-sports pavilion.

Sporting ranks as the third most decorated Portuguese football team, having 54 major trophies.

Domestically, their impressive record includes 19 League titles, 17 Taças de Portugal, a joint record of 4 Campeonato de Portugal, 4 Taças da Liga, and 9 Supertaças Cândido de Oliveira.

In European competitions, they secured the 1963–64 European Cup Winners’ Cup and were runners-up at the UEFA Cup in 2005.

The club’s success in domestic competitions and its impact on player development contribute to its overall value.

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4. Sporting Braga (131m)

Braga’s recent successes have elevated its status and commercial appeal.

Founded on January 19, 1921, Braga goes by the nicknames Braguistas and Os Arsenalistas (The Arsenalists), owing to their shirt color resembling that of the English club Arsenal.

Since 2003, Braga has hosted its home matches at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, a replacement for the Estádio 1º de Maio, now used by the club’s reserve team.

What sets Braga apart is that, unlike most European sporting entities, its members (sócios) have owned and operated the club throughout its history.

In the 2000s, Braga emerged as one of Portugal’s most decorated clubs (ranking 7th) after the Big Three.

They’ve enjoyed success in European competitions, notably winning the last UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2008 (a unique feat among Portuguese clubs) and reaching the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2011.

This has solidified their reputation as the fourth-strongest club in Portugal.

Locally, Braga has secured another six trophies, including three Taça de Portugal titles in 1965–66, 2015–16, and 2020–21, along with two Taça da Liga victories in 2012–13 and 2019–20.

5. FC Famalicao (45m)

Despite being a smaller club in terms of historical significance, has made waves with its recent performances. Their ability to compete with larger clubs adds to their attractiveness in terms of potential growth.

Founded on August 21, 1931, by six friends, Futebol Clube de Famalicão’s senior team currently competes in the Primeira Liga, the top tier of Portuguese football.

Since 1952, Famalicão has played its home matches at the Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho, having a capacity of 5,307 seats.

The club experienced its most successful period in the early 1990s, with four seasons in the Primeira Liga between 1990 and 1994, tallying seven Primeira Liga appearances to date.

Quantum Pacific Group owns the club and holds a 30% share in Atlético de Madrid.

Famalicão spent a total of six years in the Primeira Liga—1946–47, 1978–79, and four consecutive seasons from 1990 to 1994.

However, the 2000s witnessed a rapid decline, leading the club to regional championships and even the fifth-tier Braga Football Association district league in 2008–09.

Yet, in May 2015, Famalicão marked a triumphant return to the Segunda Liga after 19 years, winning their group in the Campeonato Nacional de Seniores.

Particularly, during this time, the club set records for supporter attendance, whether playing at home or away

6. Vitória Sc Guimarães (39m)

The club has a passionate fanbase and has enjoyed periods of success in Portuguese football. Their consistent presence in the Primeira Liga adds to their commercial viability.

Vitória was established in 1922, and while its name originally seemed a nod to Vitória de Setúbal, a former strong contender for the Campeonato de Portugal, Guimarães supporters today downplay this connection.

After enduring seasons in the Braga FA leagues, the Vimaranenses earned their first promotion to the Primeira Liga in 1941.

Two seasons later, they faced off against Setúbal’s Sadinos for the first time in the League.

Vitória Sport Club has achieved third place in the Primeira Liga on four occasions, with the most recent being in 2007–08.

Their trophy cabinet includes one Taça de Portugal (2013) and one Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (1988), along with six runner-up finishes in the former.

The club has been a regular participant in European competitions, reaching their peak in the quarter-finals of the 1986–87 UEFA Cup.

In the early 2000s, Vitória faced challenges in maintaining its status in the top Portuguese division, then known as the Superliga.

This period was marked by the deep decline of Pimenta Machado’s leadership, the former club president, who faced charges of embezzlement.

In February 2008, he received a suspended prison sentence of four years and three months, though a year later, he was cleared of this charge and instead ordered to pay a €4,000 fine for falsifying a document.

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7. Boavista FC (23m)

Despite facing financial challenges at times, the club’s legacy and potential for resurgence contribute to its market value.

Boavista is a Portuguese professional sports club based in the city of Porto.

Founded on August 1, 1903, by British entrepreneurs and Portuguese textile workers, the “FC” in its name follows the British convention (appended) rather than the more common Portuguese style of prepending.

It stands as one of the country’s oldest clubs and competes in the Primeira Liga, the top tier of Portuguese football.

Boavista has won nine major domestic trophies, including 1 Championship, 5 Portuguese Cups, and 3 domestic Super Cups, all achieved during the presidencies of Valentim Loureiro or João Loureiro, from the Loureiro family.

After the “Big Three” (Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP), Boavista holds the record of being the most decorated Portuguese football club.

The team enjoyed an impressive 39 consecutive seasons in the Primeira Liga (50 in total) and, alongside Belenenses, stands as the only team outside the “Big Three” to have secured the Portuguese Championship, accomplished in the 2000–01 season.

Boavista shares a notable rivalry with the fellow city club Porto, and the matches between them are often referred to as “O Derby da Invicta.”

8. FC Arouca (23m)

Founded in 1951, the club competes in the Primeira Liga, hosting its home games at the Estádio Municipal de Arouca, which has a capacity of 5,000 seats.

For the initial five decades of its existence, Arouca participated in the Aveiro regional leagues.

In a remarkable two-year span from 2006 to 2008, the club swiftly ascended to the third division, notably under the management of television presenter Jorge Gabriel for a brief period.

Arouca achieved its fourth promotion in just seven years by the conclusion of the 2012–13 season, marking its debut in the Primeira Liga.

Following this historic achievement, the Arouca Municipality honored the club with the Medal of Gold Merit, providing additional financial support for the renovation and expansion of its stadium.

During the 2015–16 season, under the guidance of Lito Vidigal, Arouca secured its best-ever fifth-place finish, earning qualification for the UEFA Europa League for the first time in the club’s history.

9. Gil Vincente (21m)

Gil Vicente Futebol Clube was founded on May 3, 1924, following the brief existence of other clubs in Barcelos like Barcellos Sporting Club and União Foot-ball Club Barcellense.

The club derived its name from a group of friends who congregated in the theater square (Largo do Teatro, currently Largo Doutor Martins Lima), naming it after the theater itself, which, in turn, honored the Portuguese playwright.

Originally named Gil Vicente Football Barcelense, including a reference to its city, this part of the name was eventually lost over time.

Although founded in 1924, the club officially registered with the Braga Football Association only in 1931.

The following year, Gil Vicente participated in the district league after a city cup match against Barcelos Sporting Club. The first recorded international game took place in April 1953 against Tuy Racing Club.[2]: 50

In the 1976–77 season, Gil Vicente achieved a historic club record by reaching the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup, narrowly losing to SC Braga after a replay match.

In the subsequent edition, the club advanced to the quarter-finals but faced defeat against FC Porto.

10. GD Estroril (20m)

Their ability to compete at a high level while nurturing young talents enhances their financial value.

Founded on May 17, 1939, Grupo Desportivo Estoril Plage had notable figures among its founders, including Joaquim Cardim, José Ereia, João Rebelo, Armando Vilar, Ernesto Tomás, and Joaquim Nunes.

Fausto Cardoso de Figueiredo, a prominent and affluent individual owning the Lisbon-Cascais railway, the city’s English hotels (Paris and the Palace), the bath building, and the Estoril Casino, played a crucial role in promoting the club.

Inspired by Estoril’s picturesque beaches, considered the finest in Portugal, the club’s badge and kit colors were crafted.

Since its establishment, the senior football team has won nine secondary trophies, the most recent being the 2011–12 Liga de Honra.

Particularly, during the 2011–12 season, several club members received awards for their outstanding contributions, including Licá, who was named the LPFP Liga de Honra Player of the Year, Vagner, recognized as the LPFP Liga de Honra Goalkeeper of the Year, and Marco Silva, honored with the title of LPFP Liga de Honra Coach of the Year.