One of the more prominent clubs in Portugal can be found in Porto and goes by the name of Futebol Clube do Porto, or just FC Porto for short. This is one of the oldest football teams along with being one of the Os Três Grandes in the country.

Interestingly enough, it is not the team with the most titles. With its 28 wins, it falls behind Benfica, who has 37. However, it is the team with the most international wins. FC Porto won several cups, including the UEFA Super Cup in 1987 and the Europa League in 2003 and 2011. What more is there to know about this club? Join us and we’ll find out.

The Early Years of the Club

English football fascinated the Portuguese, so it was natural that the club was founded back in 1893. António Nicolau de Almeida is said to be the founder of the club, though he was originally trading with port wine and only took on football as a hobby. After a falling out with his family, he gave up trying to promote the game in Porto. He was succeeded by José Monteiro da Costa, who became the president of Foot-Ball Club do Porto, as it was called then. Through da Costa’s leadership, the city of Porto expanded its interests in other sports as well.

A mere year after da Costa took over, in 1907, the club that would one day become FC Porto had its first international match. Real Fortuna came from Spain to take on the team. In a few decades, FC Porto had the opportunity to compete in the Campeonato de Portugal, which was the first national football competition. It gives us great pleasure to say that Porto won the title.

The club was quickly recognized as a force to be reckoned with, though they were not very much fortunate between 1940 and 1955. There were no notable victories for the team until they won the 1955-56 Primeira Divisão, snatching the victory away from their rivals, Benfica.

Rivals

Apart from Benfica, Porto also has a long rivalry against Sporting FC. The three clubs are known as the Big Three, or Os Três Grandes. Sporting FC and Benfica are located in Lisbon, so the politics, culture, and economy all clash when Porto plays against them.

The first time FC Porto and Benfica played against one another was in 1912 when Benfica won with a 6-goal difference. The match is referred to as The Classic, or O Clássico. Though Sporting FC comes from the same city as Benfica, it didn’t stop them from forming an alliance with FC Porto. Another nemesis worth mentioning is Boavista, another football club in Porto.