Taça de Portugal

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The Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) is an annual football tournament played by Portuguese teams. This event is open to professional and amateur clubs from the top four league divisions in this country and is the nation’s premier knockout competition.

While the cup had its first season back in 1938, the competition initially began in 1922 as the Campeonato de Portugal. In fact, the same trophy that was handed out back then is awarded to the Taça de Portugal champion. However, the titles in each competition are counted separately, hence why Académica is the official winner of the inaugural season, beating Benfica 4-3 in the 1939 final.

Primeira Liga clubs enter the competition in the third round. Teams from LigaPro, Portugal’s second division, enter the mix in the second round while third and lower level clubs kick things off from the first round. A total of five rounds are played before reaching the quarter-final stage. All matches in this tournament are one-off ties, with the sole exception being the two-legged semi-finals.

The winner of this competition earns a spot in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League unless qualification for Europe has already been secured via the league. On top of that, the champion earns a ticket to the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, an annual Portuguese match played between the league and cup winners. If one club lifts both the Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal titles in the same season, then the Super Cup slot goes to the Portuguese Cup runner-up.

While this tournament isn't as popular as the top-flight league, it remains a relevant competition in Portuguese football. The Europa League ticket is a huge attractor as it offers smaller clubs a shot at qualifying for Europe as achieving that via the Primeira Liga is difficult. Additionally, since the tournament is dominated by the country’s top teams, the Taça de Portugal often sees the likes of Benfica, Porto, Sporting CP, and Sporting Brage reignite their rivalries in the cup. As a result, licensed broadcasters offer coverage of this competition via TV broadcasts, live streaming options, and on-demand services.