Portuguese football club Benfica shattered a global record for member participation in club elections, with 93,081 members casting ballots.
The turnout surpassed the previous world record held by Spanish giant Barcelona, which saw 57,088 members vote in its 2010 elections. This achievement has secured Benfica’s entry into the Guinness World Records.
Members voted for the club’s social bodies, which will serve for the next four years.
While the club had set an ambitious goal of reaching 100,000 voters, that target was not met, though the final tally came very close.
The recent turnout also exceeded Benfica’s own previous record of 86,297 voters from a prior election round.
A significant portion of the votes were cast at the club’s Estádio da Luz, where 24,973 people participated.
Internationally, Geneva, Switzerland, recorded the highest overseas participation, with 566 votes.