Sporting CP, a two-time champion, shattered its own club record for the largest margin of victory in the UEFA Futsal Champions League by defeating Kosovo’s Pristina 19-1 in their opening group stage match.
The dominant performance took place in Makarska, Croatia, as part of the Main Round, Group 4 opener. This marks Sporting’s most significant win in its 17 appearances in Europe’s top club futsal competition.
Despite Pristina scoring the opening goal just 15 seconds into the match, Sporting quickly took control. The Portuguese powerhouse established a commanding 10-1 lead by halftime.
Ten different Sporting players contributed to the historic rout. Coach Nuno Dias, who has led the team since the 2012/13 season, oversaw the record-breaking victory in his 616th official game.
The previous club record for Sporting was a 16-1 win against Romania’s Târgu Mures in November 2016, when the tournament was known as the UEFA Futsal Cup.
This emphatic win provisionally places Sporting at the top of Group 4 with three points. The top three teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16.
Sporting is scheduled to face Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty on Thursday. Their main round campaign will conclude with a match against local hosts Novo Vrijeme on Saturday.
The Portuguese club has a strong European pedigree, having lifted the Champions League trophy in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 seasons.
Another Portuguese representative, Benfica, also began their Champions League campaign with a decisive win. They defeated Serbia’s Loznica 9-0 in their Group 3 opener, held in Malta.
Brazilian pivot Allan Guilherme returned to competition against Pristina. He had been sidelined with an injury since late last year.
The Champions League is set to adopt a new format for the 2025/26 season, which will include a Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals. The Final Four event is scheduled for May 2026 in Pesaro, Italy.