Paulo Novais / Lusa
Vitória de Guimarães players lift the first League Cup in the club’s history
We are not talking about Belenenses and Boavista… but rather those who have stood out the most compared to the ‘big three’ in the recent past. Vitória de Guimarães and Sporting de Braga played an unprecedented final (and a crazy game until the end).
O Vitória de Guimarães won for the first time the League Cup football, this Saturday, in Leiria, by beating arch-rivals Sporting de Braga, 2-1.
Yesterday everyone forgot FC Porto, Sporting and Benfica. Football was theirs, the other two greats from the more recent past (but not forgetting that, besides the ‘big three’, only Belenenses and Boavista managed to become national champions).
In the unprecedented final between the Minho rivals, Sporting de Braga took the lead, in the 17th minute, due to Dorgeleswith a direct free kick, with Vitória de Guimarães winning with goals from Finda penalty, at 59, and Ndoyeat 83.
Ndoye in the heights to drive the people of Guimarães in Leiria crazy ✈️
— sport tv (@sporttvportugal)
The Senegalese was a hero again. He had already scored twice against Sporting, in the semi-final (2-1), to take the conquerors to the final game of the competition.
But, even when the curtain fell, there was a hero who stood out even more…
D. Charles, or Conqueror 2.0
Sporting de Braga, who were looking for their fourth trophy, in their sixth final, could have relegated the decision to penalties… if it weren’t for the goalkeeper Charles saved a penalty taken by Zalazar, at 90+11.
And so a hero is born in Guimarães ⚔️
Decisive Charles!
— sport tv (@sporttvportugal)
After the third turnaround in the race – now had won 3-1 on the ground of the leader of the I League, FC Portoin the quarter-finals, and Sporting (2-1), in the semi-finals – Vitória de Guimarães, which succeeds Benfica in history, record holder of titles, with eight, becomes the seventh club to lift the League Cupin 19 editions.
This is the Guimarães’ third national trophy, after the Super Cup Cândido de Oliveira de 1988 and from 2012/13 Portuguese Cup.
Thousands fill Toural
Thousands of supporters of Vitória de Guimarães met in the early hours of Sunday at Toural Squarein the city center, to celebrate the title.
After lifting the trophy in Leiria, the team arrived in the hometown at around 3:30 am, in a open-top bus despite the rainand came across a crowd as soon as he entered Rua Paio Galvão, heading towards Toural.
Among the thousands of fans who awaited the arrival of the League Cup winners, children, adults and older people, Luna Oliveira he was already at Toural as soon as the game ended, with a flag from the municipality of Guimarães on his back, and he couldn’t hide his joy at the outcome of the race.
“We were confident that it was going to be a winnable game, but Braga scored first and we were a little doubtful. In the end, everything went well. We were quite happy, we screamed a lot. We had a lot of faith that we would win. As soon as the game ended, I put up the flag and came to Toural”, the 17-year-old fan describes to Lusa.
Next to, Jose Silvaalso 17 years old, had just returned from Leiria, after a game where he experienced a carousel of emotions, without ever stopping believing in the triumph.
“I felt like we were going to turn the result around, like in the game against Sporting. We started to lose and turned it around at the end. I always believed in Vitória. It’s a proud to be Victorian“, he stressed.
The most memorable moment of the final for José Silva was goalkeeper Charles’ save from a penalty taken by Zalazar, in the 90+11 minute.
“When Charles saved the penalty, the stadium collapsed. Before the referee blew the whistle, I felt a lot of nerves. Tears came to my eyes. In the end, it was total euphoria”, he confesses.
Upon arrival at Toural, the Vitória bus was treated to a chants noisy, scarves up and pyrotechnicsand it was up to the coach, Luis Pintoa brief celebratory speech, recalling what he gave at the team presentation at the start of the season, on July 28, 2025.
“I said, at the time, that we were going to achieve many things that those who were present did not believe in. We are all to be congratulated. What I ask of you is that you continue to support the team”, he stressed.
