Torrense Makes History in Portugal and Shakes Up Benfica's Plans

Torrense achieved a historic milestone by winning the Portuguese Cup with a victory in the final against Sporting Lisbon with a score of 2-1 after extra time, and at the same time secured direct qualification to the league stage of the UEFA Europa League, marking their first-ever participation in European competitions.

The club, currently active in the Portuguese second division, is also fighting for promotion to the top flight, competing with Casa Pia for the last qualifying spot to the Portuguese Premier League.

Torrense's triumph not only granted them glory but also caused significant changes in the European spots map for Portuguese clubs. After Porto and Sporting Lisbon secured direct qualification to the league stage of the UEFA Champions League, Sporting also benefited from Aston Villa securing fourth place in the English Premier League, which spared them from the preliminary rounds.

On the other hand, Benfica received an unexpected blow, as they believed that finishing third would grant them a direct ticket to the league stage of the UEFA Europa League. Instead, they will now have to start their campaign from the second preliminary round on July 23, just four days after the World Cup final.

Meanwhile, Sporting Braga will participate in the UEFA Europa Conference League instead of the UEFA Europa League, while Famalicão has lost its entire chance of European participation next season.

While both Benfica and Braga will begin their continental campaigns early in July, Porto, Sporting, and Torrense can wait for the league stages to start in September, with the Champions League matches taking place between September 8 and 10, and the Europa League on the 16th and 17th of the same month.