Torreense Clinch the Taça de Portugal at Jamor on a 113th-Minute Stopira Penalty — First Liga Portugal 2 Side to Lift the Trophy in 86 Editions and an Automatic Europa League League-Phase Ticket

Torreense became the first Liga Portugal 2 side ever to lift the Taça de Portugal on Sunday 24 May at the Estádio Nacional in Jamor, beating Sporting 2–1 after extra time in the 86th edition of the cup final and walking away with an automatic ticket into the Europa League league-phase for 2026/27.

The Torres Vedras club had last reached the final 70 years ago — a 2–0 defeat to FC Porto in 1955/56 — and had been outside the top flight for 34 seasons. Sporting, the reigning league runners-up, entered as overwhelming favourites under Rui Borges; Torreense, mid-table in the second tier and still fighting for promotion under Luís Tralhão, were the secondary-division underdog the cup format has never previously rewarded with the trophy.

How the Match Unfolded

Kevin Zohi opened the scoring at the third minute, finishing inside the box after left-wing pressure from Dany Jean — a set-piece-adjacent move that exposed Sporting's defensive concentration before the lions had touched the ball with any rhythm. The favourites controlled possession from the eighth minute onwards but converted only one of the chances Pedro Gonçalves and Luis Suárez generated through the first half. Suárez levelled at 47 minutes off a defensive misread from Torreense midfielder Ali-Diadié, sending the tie into the second period with Sporting expected to push through.

The push never landed. Pedro Gonçalves missed two clear opportunities at 20 and 33 minutes, Suárez wasted a near-post chance shortly after the equaliser, and Torreense regrouped to hold the line through 90 minutes at 1–1. In extra time, a high-tempo Sporting press finally cracked in the 108th minute when Maxi Araújo was sent off for fouling Seidy on the edge of the area. Stopira stepped up and converted the resulting penalty at 113 minutes to win the cup.

What the Cup Win Buys

The trophy carries three tangible consequences for the Torres Vedras club. First, a guaranteed slot in the Europa League league-phase for 2026/27 — a group-stage berth worth a base UEFA participation fee of roughly €4 million plus per-match performance payments, broadcasting and market-pool revenue. For a Liga 2 budget, the envelope is transformative. Second, automatic qualification for the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira against the league champion (FC Porto) ahead of the 2026/27 season. Third, the historical line: no Liga 2 side had won the Taça de Portugal in the modern format, and the asterisk on the 86th edition will follow this Torreense roster for the rest of their playing careers.

What Sunday Means for Sporting

For Sporting the defeat compounds an already mixed end-of-season — Rui Borges's side finished the Liga Portugal Betclic in second place and lost the only domestic silverware on the table at Jamor. The lions had previously lost finals in 2012 to Académica and 2018 to Desportivo das Aves; Sunday's loss adds a third secondary-division opponent to that list. The European silver lining arrived three hours after the final whistle when Aston Villa's win at Manchester City tipped Sporting into the Champions League league-phase without pre-season play-offs.

What This Means for Expats

• Calendar: Torreense will play in the 2026/27 Europa League league-phase from September; the Supertaça against FC Porto traditionally opens the season in early August.
• Promotion file: the Taça win does not promote Torreense — that path runs through the remaining Liga 2 fixtures and the play-off bracket. The European money does, however, reshape what the club can spend on a top-flight squad if promotion lands.
• Ticket-market signal: Liga 2 visiting fixtures at Estádio Manuel Marques in Torres Vedras carry a different demand curve from August onwards as the Europa League draw nears.
• Historical asterisk: the 1955/56 final remains the only previous Torreense Taça appearance; Sunday's win is the club's first major trophy.