The Portuguese government presented its 2026 State Budget proposal to Parliament today. Instantly, the sports world reacted, especially the Portuguese Sports Confederation (CDP). Its president, Daniel Monteiro, quickly called for crystal-clear details on how much money is truly earmarked for sports. He stressed the need to know if the announced funding boost is a real increase or just a clever way of moving money around on paper.
Monteiro explained the challenge. He noted that the budget lines for sports currently seem too vague. They do not clearly show what will happen in the coming year. Understanding the exact nature of this “increase” is crucial for everyone involved in Portuguese sports.
The CDP is hoping that any new money will actually help sports federations. These groups still find it tough to keep their daily operations going. They also struggle to send national teams to international events. Monteiro recalled that the budget from 2024 to 2025 saw an 8.5% increase. However, that boost did not directly help federations on the ground.
Right now, neither the budget proposal nor its official report clearly shows specific areas for investment. Because of this, the CDP is waiting for the government to explain the new funding. They especially want to know how it will directly support federations and help develop various sports.
The Portuguese Sports Confederation has been talking closely with the government, the IPDJ (Portugal’s Institute for Sport and Youth), and political parties in Parliament. They aim to work together openly. It’s within this spirit of cooperation that they hope to get the answers they need. This will allow them to properly judge the budget’s impact on Portuguese sports.
As part of these discussions, the CDP will soon present a package of financial and tax measures for sports. Their goal is to help build a more competitive and open sports scene. They hope these ideas will be considered when the 2026 budget proposal goes through its detailed discussion phase in Parliament.
The government’s budget proposal states that 155.5 million euros will go to sports and youth in 2026. This number marks a 9.1% jump compared to the estimated spending in 2025.