1000-Year Simulation: Part I
Due to popular demand, we decided not to wait until the end of the simulation to share the results of our save, so we decided to break it up into quarter-millennium chunks — and in this first article we got carried away and reached 260 seasons.
First of all, chaos lovers will be disappointed, since the three 'big' clubs were never relegated and always stayed near the top, although they did lose their grip on things at certain points — don't worry, we'll get to that!
Surprisingly, two other teams were also never relegated: Sporting de Braga and Belenenses.
That said, they weren't the best-performing teams right behind the big 3.
Back to the start
Just like in real life, FCP won the title in 2018, followed by years of the title changing hands between the country's three big clubs, a balance that ended between 2026 and 2034, when Aliados became the stage for Enea's celebrations, that is, 9 consecutive league titles, the new national record at the time.
Porto's dominance would continue, though interspersed with the Eagles, but after 28 years without a title, Sporting stepped in, and in devastating fashion won 15 titles in 18 years. Among them stands out the ten-in-a-row from 2060 to 2069, surpassing the blue-and-white record, while Vitória FC (Setúbal) started showing signs of their future ambitions.
Worth noting: Bruno de Carvalho's descendants claimed the feat as a result of his legacy (even though he left in 2018).
Choco Frito becomes Portugal's national dish
In the 2070/71 season, the big clubs' hegemony finally comes to an end. Vitória FC, who had already left the old Bonfim behind and were now settled at the Arena Hélio Sousa, are crowned Portuguese national champions for the first time in their history. Fishing on the Sado river comes to a complete halt to celebrate the club's unprecedented trophy, recently bought by a Croatian tycoon. clubs. Fishing on the Sado stops completely to celebrate the club's unprecedented trophy, recently bought by a Croatian tycoon.
Anyone thinking that would be a one-off is mistaken. Four straight runner-up finishes followed (won by Sporting) after lifting the prestigious trophy, then two more years without reaching the podium, and another title for Vitória FC — but the best was still yet to come.
Between 2081 and 2100, 18 titles, 11 of them consecutive (a new record), would end up in the hands of the Setúbal club, which also ran out of Choco Frito due to the constant celebrations handing it out for free to members and supporters of the club.
But they weren't the only ones rubbing their hands with glee. Luís Filipe Vieira's great-grandchildren, heirs to the construction business, smiled at the tycoon's constant investment in improvement works during his tenure. Not just the stadium but also the academy, eventually convincing him to build a new ground, the Parque de Jogos Vítor Baptista, quite possibly fitted with an earring detector.
With Setúbal's hegemony over, Benfica began their first reign in 2111, with 12 titles in 14 years, only bothered by the mighty Vitória FC, who kept adding trophies.
In the following years, Porto's dominance returned, Braga's first title came in 2130, and there was also a surprise in 2139 with Rio Ave crowned national champions, before Benfica achieved a run of 8 straight trophies, between 2141 and 2148, which would be one of the last standout periods in the Reds' history until the end of this simulation.
From 2150 onwards.
Sporting take advantage of Porto's worst spell (2140-2173), and during their own 33-year drought, win 16 trophies, as many as Benfica, with the rest going to Vitória FC.
Up to 2200, the only thing worth noting is Braga's back-to-back title in 2199 and 2200, followed by two more titles up to 2278.
In that same period, the Reds, despite moving to the 110,000-seat Arena Cosme Damião, only managed 6 trophies, fewer than Vitória FC's 7, with the rest split mostly between Sporting CP, playing at their modest Parque de Jogos Fernando Peyroteu, and FC Porto, who built the Arena José Maria Pedroto in 2252.
However, Nacional da Madeira, who had been racking up podium finishes since 2247, would rise above the rest and become champions for the first time in 2257, followed by a runner-up finish and 5 consecutive titles.
Portuguese success in Europe, though slow to arrive, did happen!
Once again, just like in real life, Real Madrid wins their thirteenth title in Europe's top competition in 2018, but that's of little interest here.
The first team to bring the trophy to Portugal would be Sporting CP in 2074, in a final against Man City at the Amsterdam Arena.
In 2081, a surprise, even though the outcome was unfavourable. Vitória FC lost the final in London against Everton. However, in 2090 they got their revenge, beating Barcelona in the final.
Between 2105 and 2122, 7 finals, with two wins for Porto, one for Sporting and one for the Reds, the only one they'd manage in the whole simulation.
Up until 2170, a run of misery in finals for Portuguese teams, with 7 straight defeats.
And once again Sporting reached the most coveted international club title, in a decade where they'd win it once more and reach three other finals.
In the following decades, more European finals would be lost by Sporting, Benfica, Vitória FC, or even the surprising Nacional da Madeira.
Only in 2216 would the big-eared trophy, return to Portugal, courtesy of FC Porto, who established themselves internationally as one of the biggest names in Europe, winning 7 titles in just over 20 years.
Worth highlighting is the champions won by Nacional da Madeira in 2257, who later collected 3 lost finals, also won by Vitória FC in 2268, and two more trophies for FC Porto in the remaining simulated seasons.
But Portuguese success in international competitions went further, not only in number but also in the range of teams honoured, as you can see on the last page of this article.
Portuguese National Team
The end of Cristiano Ronaldo's career didn't mean the end of international trophies, it was actually the start of them, even if spaced well apart in time.
TOP 1O
10: Cesarense – The biggest surprise on this list
9: Rio Ave – One title and several cups
8: Vitória SC – Despite being stuck in the Campeonato de Portugal, having even dropped to the district leagues at one point, they managed to raise their name internationally.
7: Belenenses – 3 Europa Leagues and other cups
6: Sp. Braga – Not even 5 league titles were enough to make the Top 5
5: Nacional – A very strong finish to the simulation earned them a spot in the top 5
4: Vitória FC – Already a big club both nationally and internationally
3: SL Benfica – led the domestic title count for the first 100 years, but then went into freefall.
2: Sporting CP – At one point had around 25 fewer titles than their Lisbon rivals, but ended up overtaking them and look set to pull further ahead
1: FC Porto – In a league of their own, both nationally and internationally.
If you're curious about how a specific team got on, just ask in the comments on the Facebook post
