Wild summer in the market: Liga Portugal smashes its spending record
Portuguese clubs have already spent around 352 million on signings, beating last year's record. Porto, Benfica and Sporting are opening the wallet.
Anyone who says Portuguese football pinches pennies hasn’t been watching this summer’s market. Liga Portugal clubs have already spent around 352 million euros on signings, comfortably beating the 274-million record set just one year ago. The wallet is open from north to south.
The big three on the move
Sporting wrapped up Greek striker Fotis Ioannidis from Panathinaikos, filling the gap left by Conrad Harder’s move to Germany. FC Porto pushed for young centre-forward Eliezer Mayenda from Sunderland in a deal worth around 25 million. And Benfica is juggling several files at once, between incoming reinforcements and managing its most coveted departures — with English and Saudi clubs eyeing players from the Luz.
What it means
Spending big is no guarantee of trophies, but it signals ambition and, above all, the financial health of a league that sells dear and buys strong. For the fan, it’s the most fun part of the year: dreaming up next season’s starting eleven before the ball has even rolled.
The lingering question is whether this level of investment translates into better results in Europe, where Portuguese clubs tend to shine more at selling than at winning. The summer will tell.
See also: Portugal at the 2026 World Cup. The official calendar is at Liga Portugal.
By Vasco Almada
Image: Florent Dusonchet / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
