Sporting CP launched their UEFA Futsal Champions League knockout campaign with an overwhelming 11-0 away victory against Greece’s AEK Athens, signaling their strong intent for another title under the competition’s new format.
The dominant win on Monday puts Sporting, a two-time champion, in a commanding position for the quarterfinals of Europe’s premier futsal competition. It marked the inaugural match of the newly introduced two-legged Round of 16 ties.
Portuguese clubs demonstrated their prowess across the competition, as fellow powerhouse Benfica also secured a decisive 9-0 away win against Azerbaijan’s Araz.
The winner of the Sporting versus AEK tie will face either Benfica or Araz in the quarterfinals, potentially setting the stage for an all-Portuguese clash in the next round.
Sporting’s goals came from a variety of players throughout the match. Rocha, Felipe Valério, Alex Merlim (twice), Diogo Santos (twice), Zicky Té, Tomás Paçó, Bruno Pinto (twice), and Allan Guilherme all contributed to the scoreline.
The Portuguese club led 3-0 at halftime before unleashing a flurry of goals in the second half. This performance continues a season of high-scoring European victories for Sporting, including a 19-1 win over Kosovo’s Pristina earlier in the competition.
The UEFA Futsal Champions League adopted a new format for the 2025/26 season, featuring two-legged Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches. The tournament will culminate in a Final Four event scheduled for May 8-10, 2026, in Pesaro, Italy.
Sporting previously claimed the Champions League title in 2018/19 and 2020/21. Benfica is also a former European champion, having won the competition in the 2009/10 season.
The return leg for Sporting against AEK is set for December 4 in Lisbon. Sporting advanced to this stage by finishing first in Group 4 of Path A, while AEK qualified by winning Group 5 of Path B.