Sporting face a scary 2026/27 schedule, with absentees too | OneFootball

Sporting’s preparations for the 2026/27 season still depend on several scenarios that have yet to be decided, starting with the Portuguese Cup final against Torreense, scheduled for Sunday at 5:15 p.m. at Jamor. If the Lions win the competition again, after last season’s 3-1 triumph over Benfica, they will face Porto, the current national champions, in the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup.

The Super Cup is expected to take place on July 31, August 1 or 2, although no official date has yet been confirmed. After that, all attention will turn to the Champions League, with direct entry into the league phase still depending on Aston Villa’s campaign. Unai Emery’s side need to win the Europa League final against Freiburg and finish fourth in the Premier League.

Villa currently have the upper hand in that race, with three more points than Liverpool FC, but they still face a difficult away trip to Manchester City on the final matchday. If they achieve both objectives, Sporting will go straight into the Champions League league phase, with their debut scheduled for September 8 to 10. Otherwise, the green-and-whites will have to begin their European campaign in the third qualifying round, with matches scheduled for August 4/5 and 11, followed by a possible play-off on the 18/19 and 25/26 of the same month.

The Sporting hierarchy is also closely monitoring the impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on pre-season. Rui Silva, Gonçalo Inácio and Francisco Trincão are awaiting a call-up from Roberto Martínez to represent Portugal, while Zeno Debast and Ousmane Diomande have already been confirmed for their respective national teams.

In addition, Maxi Araújo, Rodrigo Zalazar and Luis Suárez are still waiting for the final squad lists from their respective national teams. The World Cup final is scheduled for July 19, less than two weeks before the Super Cup, a scenario that could affect the start of Rui Borges’ preparations. Financially, the difference is also huge: direct entry into the Champions League league phase immediately guarantees around €18 million, while elimination in the play-off would leave Sporting with only approximately €4 million.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.