© FCB
FC Bayern face Benfica in their third group match of the Club World Cup 2025 – a fixture with history, guaranteed goosebumps and a curse that the Portuguese side would like to break.
Benfica remain the pride of Portugal – even though arch-rivals Sporting snatched the title again a few weeks ago with a 2-0 win over Guimarães. Benfica could only draw 1-1 against Braga in their match despite a numerical advantage, and had to watch as Sporting lifted the league trophy for the 21st time.
Nevertheless, no other club in Portugal has quite the same aura as Benfica. The Encarnados have been national champions a record 38 times, while 26 cup wins adorn the trophy cabinet – also unsurpassed in Portugal. Founded in 1904 by orphans with football dreams, legendary player Eusébio propelled the club to new heights in the sixties, winning the European Cup twice. A golden era – and the beginning of a legend.
In May 1973, Franz Beckenbauer (left) and Eusebio faced each other in a friendly match. Benfica played against a mixed XI of players from FC Bayern and 1. FC Nürnberg. | © Imago
A curse in European club football
Because since then, so they say in Lisbon, there’s been a curse on the club that apparently still grips it in Europe to this day. Despite a number of appearances in finals, Benfica haven’t been able to win any major continental titles. However, according to the fans, this jinx doesn’t apply to everything. Not to the FIFA Club World Cup.
Which is where Benfica are currently competing, and where they come up against Bayern on 24 June (21:00 CEST) at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. A fixture with history – and not a happy one for Benfica fans.
That’s because in the 13 meetings between the two teams in European competition, the Portuguese side have never won. Three draws and 10 defeats – most recently in the last Champions League campaign. Jamal Musiala’s header earned the Bavarians a narrow but deserved 1-0 victory at the Allianz Arena, continuing a run that’s unique in European club football.
Hans Jörg Butt in his farewell at FC Bayern. | © Imago
‘The club means a huge amount to the people’
“Benfica are at home wherever they go,” says Hans Jörg Butt, who spent a season with Benfica from 2007 to 2008 before joining Bayern. “Be it in Faro or Coimbra, the stadium was full with Benfica fans. Only at Sporting or Porto did it get critical.” The ex-goalkeeper recalls the emotional force of the club: “The club means a huge amount to the people.”
Benfica have their next chance in North Carolina: can they finally break their Bayern curse? João Palhinha, Bayern’s Portuguese midfielder, previously described the Champions League clash in Munich as “a very special match”. The 29-year-old was born in Lisbon and there are lots of Benfica supporters in his family, he reveals. He himself played for Sporting, the big rivals. And he says with a grin: “My record against Benfica is good – I’ve won all the recent matches.” From Bayern’s point of view, it should stay that way in Charlotte!
Bayern are already through to the round of 16 after the first two group games – these are the potential opponents:
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