Benfica did what had never been done in Europe: undefeated, 3rd place and an encore without a title

11 draws are 22 points lost over the course of a season. Benfica hasn’t lost in the League for almost a year and a half.

The championship ended and confirmed: with the 3-1 victory against Estoril in the last round, the Benfica finished the 2025/26 I Liga without any defeat.

Were you champion? No. But then you came in 2nd place? Neither.

Benfica achieved the (unwanted) feat of finishing the championship without losing any game and, even so, only finishing in 3. place. It had never happened – not in Portugal, not in Europe.

Around here, Benfica itself had already finished a championship without defeats (1977/78) but without being champion. It came in 2nd place at the time, behind FC Porto.

Abroad too: last season, Sheriff Tiraspol did the same in Moldova. Among other similar examples, in Serbia, Bulgaria or Italy.

But, as , these undefeated teams always finished in 2nd place. Or they were champions, of course.

Finishing the season without defeat and, even so, in 3rd place… It had never happened in Europe.

And the Rio club reached another record it didn’t want: it’s the first European team to finish a championship twice without defeat and without being champion those two times.

It is worth noting that Benfica hasn’t lost in the championship for almost a year and a half. The last defeat was in January 2025, at Casa Pia. But he wasn’t champion, neither last year nor this year.

What failed?

Os draws. There were many: 11. And for many years, drawing 11 games has been synonymous with losing 22 points.

Santa Clara, Rio Ave, FC Porto (twice), Casa Pia (twice), Sporting, SC Braga (twice), Tondela and Famalicão.

All spread throughout the season. THE Benfica never achieved more than 4 consecutive victories in the championship (and only reached this stage once).

There was no phase of many draws in a few games. There was only two draws in a row – and it was precisely in the final stretch, against Famalicão and SC Braga, that made Sporting return to 2nd place.

We repeat: 22 points lost by Benfica.

FC Porto lost twice but only drew on four occasions: they lost 14 points.

Sporting also lost twice and drew seven: they lost 20 points throughout the championship – interestingly they finished with 82 points, the same as last year (which at the time were enough to become champions).

Another unwanted record in Luz: Benfica is in 3rd place. The last time was in 2022.