The UEFA Europa League's league phase is kicking off! This Thursday 25 September, we host FC Porto at home at 21:00 CEST. To get you in the mood for the league phase, we're taking a look at some exciting facts and background information about our upcoming opponents.

365 Million Euro market value

#1 | Bulging trophy cabinet

They have a whopping 30 domestic league titles (most recently in 2021/22) and 20 cup triumphs (most recently in 2023/24). Added to that is the sensational 2003/04 UEFA Champions League victory under a certain Jose Mourinho. In 2010/11, the Blue and Whites also won the UEFA Europa League thanks to Falcao's winner against Braga!.

#2 | A look at the past

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The Futebol Clube do Porto was founded in 1893 in what is now a city of almost 250,000 inhabitants and, especially from the 1930s onward, increasingly developed into one of the country's most successful teams. Their range of sports includes not only football, but also fishing, basketball, disabled sports, billiards, boxing, camping, weightlifting, handball, karate, athletics, motorsports, roller hockey, chess and swimming.

#3 | Famous old faces

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The list of big-name players who once played for FC Porto (mostly early in their careers) is certainly impressive. A brief selection of the most famous ones: Eder Militao, James Rodriguez, Jackson Martinez, Joao Moutinho, Ricardo Quaresma, Pepe and Casemiro. A certain Marc Janko also spent six months in northwest Portugal (after his time in Salzburg). He scored five goals in twelve matches before continuing his career in Turkey.

#4 | The Dragons of today

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The Dragoes owe their nickname to a logo change in 1922, when a player added the city's official coat of arms to the emblem. This emblem includes not only the coat of arms of the Portuguese monarchy but also the symbol of the port city: a dragon! This also inspired the name of the Estadio do Dragao, which seats almost 50,000 fans and hosted UEFA EURO 2004.

#5 | Not a happy Club World Cup

Just like our Red Bulls, the Portuguese side also qualified for this year's FIFA Club World Cup based on the UEFA four-year ranking. However, FC Porto remained winless in the group stage and were eliminated. Their record: a 4-4 draw against Al Ahly (EGY), a 1-2 defeat to Inter Miami (USA), and a goalless draw against Palmeiras (BRA), which our boys watched from the stands at Metlife Stadium.

#6 | European history made in Vienna

FC Porto's competitive history against Austrian teams has so far been limited to Vienna. The Portuguese side beat FAK 3-0 on aggregate in the second round of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup, and they also recorded a 1-0 win and a 1-1 draw against Austria Vienna in the 2013/14 Champions League group stage. In the title-winning 2010/11 season, they faced SK Rapid Vienna twice in the UEFA Europa League group stage, with the eventual winners of the competition prevailing 3-1 and 3-0, respectively.

4-match packages and individual match tickets

For the best possible home advantage: tickets for the match against FC Porto are available online in our ticket shop. Four-ticket packages are also available, allowing you to experience our four UEFA Europa League home matches for the best price.

All the Info!

FC Porto: 6 facts on our opening Europa League opponents