As one of Europe’s premier teams, Benfica have often been at the forefront of developing impressive teams to compete at home and abroad, and several of their former players have reached incredible heights after moving on from the Lisbon side.
Benfica’s reach is global and their reputation in football as always been to aim for the sport’s biggest honours. That can only happen by producing a team that is able to compete against the world’s best clubs.
Here, we’ll look at the current Benfica squad and the players handed responsibility to bring glory to their supporters.
Key Squad Members – Pillars of Benfica’s Team
Combining youth and experience, Benfica in 2024 ate a team looking to obtain success at home as they hunt down Sporting Lisbon in pursuit of the Portuguesa title.
Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi are both World Cup winners, and the pair make up a vital part of the current Benfica squad.
Di Maria began his European adventure at Benfica before spells at Real Madrid, Manchester United, and PSG, and now the Argentine winger is back at the club where he made his name as he chases down further glory.
An integral part of Benfica’s attacking play, Di Maria has been able to provide goals and assists since returning to the Stadio Da Luz, and if Benfica are to do well, the form of Di Maria will be vital.
With Di Maria providing contributions in front of goal, it falls on Otamendi at the other end of the pitch. Once a star of Porto, Benfica’s great rival, Otamendi has tested himself at the clubs like Valencia and Manchester City before returning to Portugal.
Famed for his no nonsense approach, Otamendi has been a consistent part of Benfica’s side since joining the club in 2020.
As well as relying on experienced stalwarts who’ve won the game’s most prestigious honours, Benfica also look to youth.
Antonio Silva and Joao Neves are two important figures in the team and at 20 and 19 respectively, they could have a huge part to play in Benfica’s future success after making immediate impacts in the team.
Their contributions to Benfica’s continued success have also earned plaudits from those within the national team and both players are now regular fixtures in the squads of Roberto Martinez.
Emerging Talents – Young Stars on the Rise
The emergence of Antonio Silva and Joao Neves provides a clear motivation to the youth payers of Benfica that a pathway exists between academy and first team.
Since become first team regulars, the pair have gone to win international acclaim and are correctly identified as a major part of Benfica’s ongoing progress.
As well as Silva and Neves, Benfica will also be monitoring the development of other young players who are on the verge of making an impact for the first team.
Marcos Leonardo, a 19-year-old Brazilian, joined the club from Santos in January 2024 and he got his Benfica career off to a great start by scoring on his debut against Rio Ave.
Benfica have often relied on scouring South America for the best talent available and they’ll be confident that Leonardo can be the latest success story.
As well as Leonardo, Benfica will also be hopeful that Tomas Araujo can become a regular starter. A product of Benfica’s youth set up, Araujo has spent time on loan at other clubs but now back at Benfica, he’ll want to earn himself a place in the starting lineup.
Tactical Significance – Player Roles and Strategies
Under the vastly experienced, Roger Schmidt, Benfica are very much a possession-based side who always look to keep the ball.
Pasing out from the goalkeeper and defence, much similar to Pep Guardiola’s approach at Manchester City, Benfica are reliant on the influential Joao Neves to be available for the ball.
With his ability to use the ball well and also carry out, Neves is able to pull players out of position and free up space for attacking players such as Angel Di Maria and Arthur.
Already attracting interest from English Premier League clubs, Neves is vital to Benfica’s success and the earlier his defenders can get him on the ball, the much more fluent their team looks.
When out of possession, Benfica are reliant on the organisational skills of Nicolas Otamendi. Hugely experienced, the veteran defender knows Portuguese football as well as anyone and he’s central to Schmidt’s plans when Benfica are under pressure.
Benfica Fan Tokens are now available, and you can be a part of one of Europe’s most famous clubs
What are Benfica Fan Tokens
A Socios.com Fan Token is a digital asset that transforms your passion into rewards. As a Fan Token holder, you have the potential to access once-in-a-lifetime experiences, exclusive benefits, and other perks for being what you’ve always been – a passionate fan. Fan Tokens empower you to vote in official team polls, predict results, check-in for games, play games, choose your favourite players and more while generating reward points that lead to extraordinary Fan Rewards.
Benfica Fan Tokens Holder Benefits & Rewards
Fan Tokens empower you to reward your passion. Think of unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences like meeting the players, re-creating classic goals or even being a part of matchday in novel and exciting ways. You can win matchday tickets, VIP seats, behind-the-scenes access and more with your Benfica Fan Tokens.
Score Incredible Fan Rewards
Fans earn Fan Rewards by engaging with the team on the Socios.com app. Each time you predict and check into matches, play in-app games or vote in polls, you’ll score points. These points tally and enable you to get SSU. SSU are your in-app loyalty tokens, and you’ll trade these in for Fan Rewards.
Fan Tokens have enabled fans to travel with the first team, win unique match used merchandize and even enjoy VIP matchday experiences with team legends. Are you ready to get rewarded for your loyalty?
Vote In Polls and Make Your Mark on Benfica
Perhaps one of the most commonly used features on the Socios.com app is the voting system. Your Fan Tokens give you a say in your club. You’ll be able to pick shirt designs, stadium murals, official team merch and more. Whenever you use Fan Tokens, you always get to keep them, so keep impacting your side with your Fan Tokens.
Engage with Benfica for Experience and Leaderboard Points
Use your Fan Tokens to score XP and LP on the Socios.com app. XP are experience points, gained every time you level up. LP are leaderboard points, and these stack in Team Leaderboards. Here, you’ll compete with fellow fans to win huge prizes when you rank at the end of the season!
Score points each time you:
- Vote in polls
- Check in to matches – do this each matchday to bag easy points!
- Predict the score – get maximum points for the perfect score, and score when you guess the outcome too
- Play in-app games, Freekick challenge and Pop & Swap.
How To Buy Benfica Fan Tokens
- Download the Socios.com app and follow these three steps to get your first Benfica Fan Tokens:
- Open the Socios.com app and tap on Wallet.
- Top up your Wallet with our in-app currency, Chiliz ($CHZ)
- Tap on Sports, tap on All Teams and then hit Football to filter out football teams. Then search for Benfica and get your Fan Tokens using the $CHZ you just bought.
