The Lisbon side are our home opponents from Pot 2 and visit London on Tuesday 30 September.

The teams, of course, met at the Club World Cup, when a weather-affected contest in Charlotte was eventually won 4-1 by the Blues after extra-time. This will be our first meeting in European competition since the 2013 Europa League final, and our first in the Champions League since 2012.

Let’s find out a little more about our Portuguese opponents…

Factfile

Full name: Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Country: Portugal
City: Lisbon
Formation: 1904
Major honours: 38 Primeira titles (most recently 2023), two European Cups (1961, 1962), 26 Portuguese Cups (most recently 2017), 8 Portuguese League Cups (most recently 2025)
Head coach: Bruno Lage
2024/25 league finish: 2nd
Stadium: Estadio da Luz
Colours: Red and white
Nickname:As Aguias (The Eagles)
Rivals: Sporting Lisbon, Porto

Champions League history

Benfica won consecutive European Cups in 1961 and 1962, defeating Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, but have not won the competition since, despite featuring in five more finals (1963, 1965, 1968, 1988, 1990).

In the Champions League era, Benfica have reached the quarter-finals on six occasions but have never progressed past that stage, including in 2012 when we beat them 3-1 on aggregate.

2024/25 season

Benfica were pipped to the Portuguese title by Sporting Lisbon, who finished two points clear of the Eagles. Benfica’s fate was in their own hands with two games remaining, but they could only manage a draw with Sporting in their penultimate fixture, handing their great rivals the initiative.

They also faced Sporting in the final of the two domestic cup competitions, losing 3-1 in the Taca de Portugal but winning on penalties in the Taca da Liga.

In the Champions League, they lost to Barcelona in the last 16, the same stage of the Club World Cup we defeated them in.

2025/26 season so far…

Benfica have yet to drop a point in the league, beating Estrela da Amadora, Tondela and Alverca, while they also defeated Sporting in the Portuguese Super Cup.

They had to qualify through two rounds to reach the Champions League proper, beating Nice 4-0 on aggregate and then edging past Fenerbahce 1-0 following a narrow second-leg success in Lisbon.

*correct at 4 September

Current squad

Captain Nicolas Otamendi spent several years in the Premier League with Manchester City, while another Argentine, Enzo Barreneachea, joined on loan from Aston Villa and has featured in every game so far.

Andreas Schjelderup, a Norwegian attacker, scored the winner against Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup group stage, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin catching the eye in the same game.

Angel Di Maria scored his penalty against Chelsea at the end of June but has since departed to Rosario Central in his native Argentina, and left-back Alvaro Carreras sealed a big-money move to Real Madrid.

Notable former players

Eusebio is Benfica’s all-time record goalscorer and surely their greatest ever player having won the Ballon d'Or in 1965.

Nene’s 575 appearances makes him the club’s record appearance maker, while more recently the likes of Luisao, Rui Costa and Oscar Cardozo have all made the mark.

Scott Minto, David Luiz and Enzo Fernandez are among the players to have represented both Benfica and Chelsea.

Previous Champions League meetings

2011/12 quarter-final

Benfica 0-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-1 Benfica (Chelsea win 3-1 on aggregate)