1000-Year Simulation: Part II From 250 to 500 years
Recalling the first 260 years, FC Porto stood out clearly as the biggest power, not just nationally but especially internationally, with 110 top-flight titles, 13 Champions Leagues, 10 Club World Cups, 97 Super Cups, 83 Portuguese Cups and 66 League Cups. Next came Sporting CP, with 5 Champions Leagues to their name, and in last place on the podium, SL Benfica, who had fallen dramatically behind and were already 19 titles behind the Dragons, with only 3 trophies in Europe's top competition (1 in 260 years).
However, they weren't the only big teams; also in the mix were Vitória FC (Setúbal) with 36 trophies in Portugal's top competition and 2 Champions Leagues, and Nacional da Madeira, who finished the first quarter of the simulation strongly, with 7 leagues and 1 Champions League.
In 2279 tradition held, another party at Aliados to celebrate Porto's 111th title, but that decade would see only one more celebration, dominated by Vitória FC with 7 trophies, and ending with a new champion, Torreense.
In the title-clinching match, curiously at the Arena José Maria Pedroto, home of then-champions FC Porto, all the players followed the Torres Vedras tradition, dressed as women and humiliated the home side 4-0.
The next day, the front pages didn't hold back in praising the feat of the matrafonas.
By 2345, the year of another title for the Torres Vedras side (after 17 podium finishes!), the first ever relegation of Sporting de Braga in the simulation also happened, in the year 2289.
As for titles in that period, only the big 4 made the list of winners, but the blue-and-white lead for Sporting and Benfica had now shrunk to 4 and 5 trophies, respectively.
Porto's Collapse
The 2337 title marked the start of a rather unhappy era for the Dragons. A run of unimpressive finishes reached its lowest point with relegation to the second division in the year 2400, returning immediately the following year after easily winning the second tier.
During that period they only reached two podiums and completely missed the title train.
In an early phase, Torreense took over from the Dragons in the fight for trophies, adding multiple titles to their trophy cabinet.
Vitória FC, Odivelas and Sp. Espinho also tried to trouble the big Lisbon clubs, and the Espinho side even managed to leave them rattled and claimed the coveted trophy on three occasions, between 2363 and 2382.
Even before FC Porto's relegation, Belenenses who had never been relegated, dropped from the top flight to the second division in 2368 and to the Campeonato de Portugal in 2389.
A Two-Horse Title Race!
Not even FC Porto's return to Portugal's top division changed the picture. The Dragons stayed well away from the title race and the resulting drop in fans attending the stadiumled to a move to a smaller venue.
The 82,000-seat Arena Fernando Gomes replaced the 118,000-seat Arena José Maria Pedroto, the stage for so many Porto victories.
From 2383 to 2452, barring a few exceptions from Torreense and Vitória FC (2 titles each), it was all Benfica and Sporting, with a slight edge to the Reds, who once again became the country's most decorated club . Alverca, Gafanha and especially Sporting de Espinho also made regular podium appearances, though that's about as far as it went.
The Country Painted Green and White
Sporting fans, mark your calendars, because from 2453 onwards it's all yours!
31 consecutive titles, smashed the previous record of 11 uninterrupted trophies, held by Vitória FC, with the Setúbal side helping fulfil the long-standing wish of Bruno de Carvalho's descendants. Green became the only colour on the national flag.
It would take FC Porto to briefly break the Lions', hegemony, putting an end to 147 years without being crowned Portuguese champions. However, it was short-lived, since the Lions would come storming back, winning 32 of the following 35 championships and finishing this simulation with 12 consecutive titles. They celebrated their national dominance by building a 135,000-capacity stadium in the year 2515, the biggest to date.
Benfica, still owned by the Vieira family, despite going through the biggest drought in their history (67 years without winning the league), responded immediately by building the 140,000-seat Parque de Jogos Cosme Damião in 2517, setting a new attendance record, fittingly in the clash against the Green and Whites, which they won 2-1 in December 2517.
Cups
On the other hand, the cups always had a wide range of winners. Odivelas, Gafanha, Sporting Espinho, Alverca, Rio Ave, Belenenses, Torreense, Nacional are among those who racked up the most trophies, but Bragança, Benavente, Arouca, Caldas or Académico de Viseu, among others, also added trophies to their names.
European Competitions
These next 250 years were marked by a substantial drop in Portuguese teams reaching Champions League finals, although one would stand out so much that it ended the simulation as Europe's biggest power.
Only the big three would reach the final of the prestigious competition,with Benfica (2) and Porto (1) losing the finals they played, while the Lions, would add 13 trophies to the 5 they already had won in the same period of the simulation, including two finals at the rival Lisbon club's ground and a derby final in 2347, won on penalties.
A final that would repeat itself, with the same outcome, in the Europa League in 2382, again decided on penalties.
In that same competition, the Portuguese presence was felt far more,as shown by the nearly 80 finals featuring at least one Portuguese team, despite an unfavourable outcome in more than 50 of them. However, Benfica, Sporting, Porto, Rio Ave, Vit. Setúbal, Gafanha and Torreense would each win the trophy at least once. Nacional, Espinho and Odivelas, despite reaching several finals, were never able to bring the trophy home.
Worth highlighting are the three finals played between Torreense and Vitória FC, with the Setúbal side always ending up on the losing side.
Portugal
The national team kept the same level, going from 2 to 4 World Cups, from 10 to 21 European Nations Leagues, 5 to 7 Olympic Games, didn't win any Confederations Cup, keeping its single title there, and added 3 European Championships to the 8 it already had.
As for surprises, worth noting are the 3 European Championships and equal number of World Cups won by Scotland, 8 World Cups won by Mexico, Saudi Arabia's back-to-back World Cup wins in the 2302 and 2306 editions, the first African World Cup win, by Cameroon in 2458, and the United States' recent crowning in 2518.
12- Gafanha: 1 Europa League in 4 finals played, lost the European Super Cup they reached. Still going strong in the top flight.
11- Sporting Espinho: 4 defeats in Europa League finals played. Dropped to the 2nd division after a golden era!
10- Vitória SC: 2 wins in 6 Europa League finals played, 1 win in 2 European Super Cups played. Recently back in the top flight, after a dark period!
9- Rio Ave: 1 win in 4 Europa League finals played, lost the European Super Cup. Stuck in the Campeonato de Portugal.
8- Belenenses: 3 Europa Leagues won in 9 finals played. Lost every European Super Cup. Bouncing between the 2nd division and the Campeonato de Portugal.
7- Sporting Braga: Only one Europa League won in 7 final appearances. After a promising start, in freefall through the lower divisions.
6-Torreense: 7 Europa League trophies in 13 finals, the only reason they're not higher in this rankingis that they never won the Champions League. Domestically they'd easily be in 5th place.
5. Nacional da Madeira: 1 Champions League in 5 finals, plus 5 Europa Leagues in 13 appearances in the decisive match. Made the most of about two decades of the simulation to rack up trophies.
4- Vitória FC: The first team with big-club numbers. 8 Champions finals and 25 in the Europa League. 54 domestic titles!
3- FC Porto: Internationally still by far the 2nd best Portuguese team, but missed the domestic title train. Has 20 Champions League finals and 23 Europa League finals
2- SL Benfica: Despite taking advantage of FC Porto's rough patch to pull away in the title count, their international performances leave a lot to be desired. Béla Guttmann is still very much present. 17 finals of the Champions and 37 in the Europa League.
1- Sporting CP: Undisputedly the best Portuguese team, and overtook FC Porto on the international stage. Currently in its best period of the simulation. Trending to increase its lead. 36 finals of the Champions 23 in the Europa League.
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