WIf they manage to overcome the ‘canarinhos’, the ‘dragons’ open the 2026/27 edition with 10 triumphs in as many rounds, a feat that the ‘blue and white’ club only achieved once, reaching 13, in the distant 1939/40 season, 86 years ago.
The ‘big ones’ from Lisbon have also started, twice each, with at least 10 victories: Benfica in 1972/73, with a record of 23, and in 1982/83, with 11, and Sporting in 1990/91 and, more recently, in 2024/25, in both cases also with 11.
In the second season under Farioli’s command, FC Porto beat Alverca (2-0), Arouca (2-0), Moreirense (2-1) and Benfica (3-1) at home and, at home, beat Rio Ave (2-0), Académico de Viseu (3-0), Casa Pia (4-1), Marítimo (2-1) and Gil Vicente (1-0).
All in all, the ‘dragons’ have nine victories, with 21 goals scored – the same as Sporting, third placed, and five less than Benfica – and only four conceded, being the defense least leaked in the championship.
If they add a 10th ‘flurry’ victory, Farioli’s team still does not, however, enter the top-5 of the competition, nor does it match the club’s best record, since, in 1939/40, on their way to their third title, FC Porto started the competition with 13 victories.
Led by the Hungarian Mihaly Siska, the ‘blue and whites’, then defending champions, reached the end of the first 13 rounds with a 100% victorious record, in a series that began with a relentless 11-0 home victory over Vitória de Setúbal.
In a championship with just 18 rounds, FC Porto lost its perfection in the 14th round, falling 4-3 against Sporting, at Lumiar, in a game decided in favor of the ‘lions’ thanks to a goal scored in the 90th minute, by Mourão.
The ‘dragons’ would end that championship with four more victories, for a final record of 17 wins and one defeat, with 76 goals scored and 21 conceded.
This FC Porto record remained a championship record for 32 years, until Benfica managed, in 1972/73, to start the competition with no less than 23 consecutive victories, to ensure victory in the competition with seven rounds to play.
The incredible run of Englishman Jimmy Hagan’s men ended in the 24th round, when the ‘eagles’ drew 2-2 with FC Porto, in Antas, where they led 1-0 and 2-1, with goals from Nené and Eusébio, but ended up ‘tied’ by Flávio, in the 86th minute.
Benfica would finish the competition as undefeated champions, with 28 wins and two draws, which continues to be the best record ever for a winner of the competition.
This was also the second record of 10 or more victories to open the competition, with the third coming exactly a decade later, again led by Benfica, in 1982/83, in the first season under the command of Swede Sven-Göran Eriksson.
The Reds reached 11 victories, before drawing 1-1 against Alcobaça, thanks to a goal from Nelito, in the 88th minute, after Nené put the Eagles ahead, in the 40th minute.
In the last four decades, only Sporting achieved starts with 10 or more victories to open, the first in 1990/91, led by Brazilian Marinho Peres.
The ‘lions’ – who would lose ‘gas’ and end up in third place in the championship – won the first 11 clashes, only yielding on the 12th round, when they drew 2-2 at Desportivo de Chaves, in a game in which they were leading 2-0 at half-time.
The series ended because of goals in the second half by Filgueira (53 minutes) and Gilberto (71), canceling out those achieved in the first by Oceano (25) and Fernando Gomes (28).
Sporting’s record thus stood at 11 triumphs, with the 11th being achieved against Sporting de Braga, as would happen 34 years later, in 2024/25, now with Ruben Amorim at the helm.
In what was his 231st game in charge of the ‘lions’ (164 wins, 34 draws and 33 defeats, with 510 goals scored and 199 conceded, and five titles), the Portuguese coach led Sporting to a 4-2 victory in Braga, after losing 2-0.
There were 11 wins in 11 games in the championship, with 39 goals scored, 16 of which were scored by the Swede Viktor Gyökeres, and five conceded.
Amorim delivered a team on the rise, but João Pereira, his successor, did not continue, losing the first game in the championship, for the 12th round, against Santa Clara (0-1).
Now, just two years later, it is FC Porto that is one triumph away from completing the first 10 rounds with a perfect record.
