Gondomar roars as Sporting humbles Benfica to claim Futsal Super Cup

The northern city of Gondomar turned into a cauldron of noise this week as Sporting Clube de Portugal dismantled SL Benfica 6-1 to lift Portuguese futsal’s season-opening Supertaça. For residents who are still decoding their adopted country’s sporting culture, the scoreline is the latest chapter in a rivalry that can feel as intense indoors as it is on the grass pitches of the Primeira Liga. Beyond the fireworks on the court, the one-night show also pumped fresh euros into local businesses and offered a reminder that smaller municipalities often host some of Portugal’s most electric events.

A spotlight on Gondomar’s indoor temple

Designed by Pritzker Prize architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, the Pavilhão Multiusos sits fifteen minutes from Porto’s riverside cafés, yet the venue rarely grabs tourist itineraries. That changed when the Supertaça’s 5 € tickets sold out in days, sending thousands of supporters—and a healthy contingent of expats—toward the A43 motorway. Hotéis along the Douro reported near-full occupancy, and the city council highlighted a spike in restaurant turnover, ride-share demand and last-minute souvenir sales. For newcomers, the lesson is simple: Portugal’s secondary cities regularly land marquee fixtures, and the low ticket prices create easy weekend getaways.

Sporting’s ruthless performance, minute by minute

Coach Nuno Dias set an aggressive, high-press tone that Benfica never solved. Alex Merlim cracked open the scoring inside ten minutes; Diogo Santos doubled the lead moments later. A red card to Benfica’s Diego Nunes on 13' left the champions a man down, and Sporting poured on two more before halftime through Tomás Paçó, whose second strike kissed the crossbar on the buzzer. In the second half Taynan hammered in a fifth, while goalkeeper-turned-goalscorer Bernardo Paçó sealed the rout with a last-second long-range lob. Benfica’s lone reply, a toe-poke from Arthur, arrived too late to shift the narrative or numb the roar of the leões behind the goal.

What the result means for the 2025-26 campaign

Sporting’s twelfth Supertaça trophy widens the all-time gap to Benfica and sets an early psychological marker for the domestic Liga Placard. The Lisbon giants will meet at least three more times this season across league and cup play, but the scale of Wednesday’s defeat forces coach Joel Rocha to rethink defensive rotations and perhaps dip back into the transfer window when it reopens in January. Meanwhile, Sporting’s back-to-back captures of the Taça da Liga, Taça de Portugal and now Supertaça put the club within reach of a rare clean sweep if they can reclaim the league crown.

Why expats should care about Portuguese futsal

Unlike many European countries where futsal is a niche pastime, Portugal has embraced the indoor variant as a feeder for its World Cup-winning national side. Matches are fast, affordable and family-friendly, with beer prices inside arenas often under 2 €. For new arrivals looking to practise Portuguese in a lively environment, chanting with the claques can be more interactive than watching top-flight football from the nosebleeds of a 60,000-seat stadium. Canal 11’s English-friendly graphics—and the streaming option on its official site—also make it easier to follow the league once the Supertaça confetti has been swept away.

Planning your own trip up north

Gondomar is connected to Porto’s Campanhã station by frequent CP suburban trains; from there, taxi or bus lines reach the arena in under 10 minutes. Parking around the Multiusos fills quickly, so locals often park at Rio Tinto and hop on the metro. Ticket sales for federation events appear first on the FPF portal, then in club stores; signing up for each club’s newsletter guarantees early notice. Finally, remember that Portuguese indoor venues enforce strict clear-bag policies, a rule that caught many visiting holidaymakers off guard on match-day.

Whether you are here for one semester, one contract or for good, the futsal Supertaça offers a crash course in the passions that animate Portugal after the beaches empty and the autumn rains arrive. The next derby may not finish 6-1, but it will almost certainly sell out just as fast.