Benfica schedule for the 2025-26 season released

The Portuguese League has released the schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season yesterday and Benfica has learned their path to recapturing the league title once again.

Benfica will open the season at home against Rio Ave on the weekend of August 9-10, they will then travel to Amadora for their first road game the following weekend.

Benfica will face FC Porto in the Classico in Week 8 (October 4-5) when they travel to the Dragao with the return affair at the Luz taking place in Week 25 (March 7-8).

The Lisbon Derby with defending league champions Sporting will go in Week 13 (December 6-7) at the Luz and Week 30 (April 18-19) in Alvalade. 

Other notable games that the club will play during the 2025-26 season will be against Braga at home in Week 33 (May 9-10), while they travel to the Azores to take on Santa Clara in Week 22 (February 14-15) and Madeira to face Nacional in Week 12 (November 29-30). Benfica will wrap up their season against Estoril on the road in Week 34 (May 16-17). 

Game dates and times are yet to be confirmed and subject to change depending on the club's schedule and how they fair in certain competitions.

Click Here for Full Schedule 

Antonio Silva turns down Al-Hilal approach

Saudi club Al-Hilal is said to have made an approach for Benfica center back Antonio Silva and the offer was a lucrative €45M to acquire the players services but the Portuguese center back declined to make the move to Saudi Arabia as he felt it is too early in his career to change continents.

The 21 year old is once again on teams radars, after a strong performance at the Club World Cup, which Benfica were just eliminated from in the round of 16 a few days ago. Benfica is open to listening to offers for Silva who looks to have regained his confidence this season but the player would also have to agree to the potential destination.

Silva has been with Benfica since an early age, having come up through the club's famous Seixal academy. He got his big break with the club during the 2022-23 season when Benfica where hit with a rash of injuries to their back line and has never looked back.

Silva has appeared in 140 games with Benfica across all competitions, scoring nine goals and providing three helpers in those games. He was a key piece of Benfica's youth squad along with Tomas Araujo when they captured the 2021-22 UEFA Youth League title, snapping Benfica's run without a European trophy since the 60's. 

Benfica could still get Felix if they get creative

Benfica have not given up on their pursuit of Joao Felix but the club will need to get creative if they are going to land their former Seixal academy player to the squad for the upcoming season.

The current stumbling block of any move the club is to make for Felix is his current annual salary which stands at around €9M per season, way over what the club could handle for a full season.

Benfica has been linked with both a loan move and permanent move of Felix during this off season, but with the player signed until the summer of 2031. It would make sense that the club go the route of a loan spell with Chelsea.

Chelsea is a club that could use a stronger back line and Benfica have two players that have already been linked to the London club in center backs Tomas Araujo and Antonio Silva.

Could Benfica get Felix on a full season loan, with almost all expenses paid if they are to move one of their young center backs to the London side? 

Benfica value both defenders at around €30M to €40M euros but could look at making a sweeter deal with Chelsea if they where to cover at least 75% of Felix's contract for the upcoming season.

If Benfica where to move either defender to Chelsea, they could make the move for €25M and have a Felix loan as part of the deal, if they really want to push the button, they can look at a two year loan spell for Felix with 75% of his salary covered.

Benfica have hope for a reunion with Felix this summer but unless there is a creative way to make the move, the club may be best suited to look elsewhere to bolster their squad this summer.