Lisbon's Sporting Showcases 27-Man Roster, Hands No.9 to Harder

For anyone new to Portuguese football – or new to Lisbon altogether – Sporting CP just offered a crash-course in how seriously the city’s green-and-white half treats the beautiful game. On Friday night the club lit up Estádio José Alvalade with a ceremonial roll-call of its 27-man first-team squad, introduced three fresh signings and, for good measure, handed the coveted No. 9 shirt to 20-year-old Danish striker Conrad Harder. The pageantry signalled both stability and bold change as Sporting fine-tunes its roster for the 2025-26 campaign.

Why the pre-season parade matters to newcomers

For locals the annual apresentação is a rite of summer, but for expats settling in Lisbon it doubles as a cultural decoder: you learn the club’s hierarchy, the fans’ expectations and even a little Portuguese vocabulary (camisola means jersey). Friday’s turnout underlined why Sporting is a pillar of the city’s social fabric. Season tickets remain among the most affordable in Europe’s top leagues, and home matches often morph into impromptu language classes – after ninety minutes you will know the words for offside, foul and goal in Portuguese, whether you planned to or not.

Meet the three newest faces

Manager Rúben Amorim nodded to both the present and the future by unveiling Giorgi Kochorashvili, Alisson Santos and the returning João Virgínia. Kochorashvili, a 25-year-old Georgian midfielder poached from Levante, arrives with a reputation for tireless pressing and a €80 M release clause that speaks volumes about Sporting’s faith in him. Brazilian winger Alisson, only 22 yet already electric down either flank, joins after a productive loan at União de Leiria. In goal, Virgínia – an Everton academy product who first wore the lion crest during a loan spell in 2021 – is back permanently and eager to challenge Rui Silva for the No. 1 spot. Each newcomer signed a five-year deal, suggesting the club is betting on long-term chemistry rather than quick flips.

A Danish prodigy inherits the famous No. 9

The headline news, though, was the reallocation of the jersey most strikers dream about. With Viktor Gyökeres departing for Arsenal in a transfer worth up to €76 M, Sporting needed a new focal point. Harder – plucked from FC Nordsjælland last September and already valued at €24 M – gladly stepped up. At 1.85 m he offers the physical presence fans loved in Gyökeres, yet his heat-map from last season shows surprising mobility, drifting wide to create overloads. In 18 Primeira Liga appearances he averaged 0.66 goals per 90 minutes, fifth-best in the division for players logging at least 3 matches. Club insiders say his finishing in closed-door friendlies has been “ruthless”.

Who made the 27-man sheet – and who did not

Sporting’s roster announcement mixed household names with academy hopefuls. Gonçalo Inácio and Ousmane Diomande anchor a defence that now also includes Belgian prospect Zeno Debast. The midfield core of Morten Hjulmand, Hidemasa Morita and fan-favourite Pedro Gonçalves stays intact, while the wings belong to Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincão and Uruguayan newcomer Maxi Araújo. Up front, Harder will rotate with Rodrigo Ribeiro until Colombian forward Luis Javier Suárez completes a medical. Notably omitted were teenage trio Rayan Lucas, David Moreira and Manuel Mendonça – each may yet feature in cup fixtures or depart on loan before the 31 August deadline.

What the shake-up says about Sporting’s finances

Selling Gyökeres for a potential club-record fee has given Sporting breathing room under UEFA’s new squad-cost controls. President Frederico Varandas chose to reinvest part of the windfall, activating release clauses rather than relying solely on loans. The club insists it will remain sustainable; amortisation on incoming transfers is expected to stay below 55 % of projected revenue, comfortably under the 70 % ceiling imposed by European rules. That prudent stance should reassure foreign residents curious about Portugal’s broader economic climate: even in football, spending is increasingly tethered to fiscal reality.

Looking ahead: tickets, fixtures and the expat angle

Sporting’s first competitive match comes on 10 August in the Supertaça against Benfica, a derby that rarely needs introduction. Single-match tickets for league games start around €20 and can be bought via the club’s bilingual website, though high-demand fixtures sell out weeks in advance. If you are weighing season-ticket options, note that Portuguese tax numbers (NIF) are now required for online purchase – a quick trip to Finanças will sort that out. The atmosphere at Alvalade is family-friendly but passionate; earplugs for younger children are advised. And if you are new in town, remember: Metro’s green line drops you right at the stadium doors, sparing you Lisbon’s infamous traffic.

Sporting’s summer showcase ultimately offered more than new shirts and fireworks. For long-time fans it rekindled belief after a trophyless spring; for Lisbon’s growing expatriate community it extended an open invitation: come for the football, stay for the culture that swirls around it.