Benfica Breaks World Record with 86,000 Voters in Election

Lisbon, November 8, 2025 - Sport Lisboa e Benfica made history on Saturday as more than 86,600 members cast their votes in the second round of the club's presidential elections, securing a place in the Guinness World Records for the most participated election in any sports club worldwide.

Breaking World Records

By 7:00 PM, with just over two and a half hours remaining before polls closed, 86,600 Benfica members had voted, surpassing both the first round's 86,297 votes from October 25 and, crucially, breaking FC Barcelona's 2010 world record of 57,088 voters when Sandro Rosell was elected president.

"86,600 members have voted. It's an absolutely extraordinary number," announced José Pereira da Costa, President of the General Assembly. "The growth curve has been maintained. We will definitely reach 90,000 and continue to exceed that."

The path to Guinness recognition was not straightforward. Despite the extraordinary turnout in the first round, Guinness World Records could not validate it as an official record because no president was elected in that vote. Richard Stenning, a Guinness World Records representative, explained the situation to Portuguese media: "Two weeks ago, the vote registered 86,000 votes, which would be a record if it resulted in a winner. But we have another guideline that says we only have a winner if they become president, so two weeks ago, this vote didn't count."

However, Stenning clarified that Saturday's second round could change everything: "If tomorrow it is repeated, we can validate it as a Guinness world record title." This meant that Benfica had a second chance to officially claim the title as the sports club with the highest election turnout in history.

Unprecedented Mobilization

The turnout figures throughout the day demonstrated extraordinary member engagement:

• 10:00 AM: 15,340 votes, double the first-round turnout at the same time

• 2:00 PM: Over 48,000 votes, 16,000 more than the first round at the equivalent hour

• 4:00 PM: 63,502 votes, officially surpassing Barcelona's world record

• 7:00 PM: 86,600 votes, exceeding the first round total

Benfica already held one Guinness World Record, having registered as the football club with the most members a decade ago. Now, the club was poised to add another historic achievement to its name.

The club had prepared 108 voting sections across Portugal and internationally, ready to accommodate all 160,000 eligible voting members. Voting began at 8:30 AM and queues would close at 10:00 PM (Continental Portugal time). The club implemented several improvements based on first-round experience, including reinforced staffing at high-traffic locations to ensure waiting times remained under 20-30 minutes at all sections.

The Contenders

Current club president Rui Costa faced challenger João Noronha Lopes in this decisive runoff. Costa received 42.13% in the first round, while Noronha Lopes secured 30.26% of the vote.

Both candidates voted at the iconic Estádio da Luz. Costa arrived early, expressing optimism about both the election outcome and the historic turnout. Noronha Lopes emphasized that "today is a day of union among Benfiquistas" and that whoever wins must prioritize uniting the club's massive supporter base.

Campaign Controversies

The final days of campaigning were not without controversy. Noronha Lopes filed a formal complaint with the General Assembly president regarding a message Rui Costa sent to leaders of Benfica supporter clubs on Thursday, characterizing it as "electoral propaganda disguised as institutional communication."

The message, which encouraged mobilization to reach 100,000 voters, concluded with "The 'Only Benfica Matters' Candidacy", Costa's campaign slogan.

Additionally, Nuno Gomes, former Benfica striker and Noronha Lopes's vice-presidential candidate for football, addressed allegations that he attempted to coerce former teammate Pedro Mantorras into supporting his ticket, calling it "another attempt to denigrate my image."

Notable Voters and Calls for Unity

The election drew participation from across Benfica's football family. The entire first-team squad voted in the morning at the Seixal training center, led by manager José Mourinho. Captain Nicolás Otamendi, suspended for Sunday's match against Casa Pia due to yellow card accumulation, voted separately at the Estádio da Luz in the late afternoon.

Former president Luís Filipe Vieira, who finished third in the first round with 13.86%, declined to publicly state his preference, saying only that "everyone knows who I'm voting for" and emphasizing that the priority must be to "unite Benfica."

Martim Mayer, who placed fifth in the first round, also refused to reveal his choice between the two finalists but stressed the critical need for unity: "It's extremely important for the club. The great strength of Benfica comes from being united and cohesive. It has always been this way, historically, since 1904."

A Democratic Powerhouse

With over 200,000 registered members, Benfica has long been one of the most democratic sporting institutions in the world. Saturday's record-breaking turnout, potentially reaching 90,000 or even the symbolic 100,000-vote milestone, demonstrates the passionate engagement of its membership and the weight they place on determining the club's leadership.

As Pereira da Costa noted earlier in the day: "We have everything prepared so that all 160,000 can vote. We believe the members will come to vote in great numbers."

What's Next

The new president will lead Benfica through the 2025-2029 quadrennium, a critical period for one of Portugal's most decorated clubs. Both candidates campaigned on platforms emphasizing sporting success, financial stability, and institutional unity, though the latter has proven challenging given the heated nature of the campaign.

As the polls closed and counting began, one thing was certain: Benfica had already won by showcasing the strength of its democratic traditions and the unparalleled passion of its global membership.

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