Benfica's players and coaching staff were greeted by thousands of fans, flares and torches as they arrived at Estádio da Luz on Sunday ahead of their Primeira Liga opener against Académico de Viseu, a match that will be played behind closed doors as punishment.
Supporters responded to a call from Benfica's board and gathered near Praça do Centenário for the club's first league game of the 2026/27 season, kicking off at 8:30 p.m.
Team bus arrives at the Luz
The team bus, featuring a new exterior design with a giant eagle's head, reached the stadium at around 6:45 p.m. and pushed through the crowd until it stopped in front of gate 18.
Fans chanted Benfica's name in unison, and dozens of torches were lit as smoke bombs were set off, the same behavior that led to the one-match closure of Estádio da Luz being served on Sunday.
Club's statement on pyrotechnics
When the punishment was announced, Benfica said in a statement that it would continue making every effort to prevent the use of pyrotechnics at its stadium and to guarantee the highest safety conditions at the events it organizes.
Players applaud the support
Once the smoke cleared, the players emerged one by one and gathered in front of gate 18. They looked out at the crowd, held hands and formed a semicircle, then applauded the supporters alongside the coaching staff, led by Marco Silva, before heading into the stadium.
The match against Académico de Viseu will be refereed by David Silva, from Porto.
