THE TEAM INTRODUCES ITSELF
Sporting Clube de Portugal (often referred to as Sporting Lisbon) was founded on 1 July 1906 and, together with Benfica and FC Porto, is one of the ‘Big Three’ of Portuguese football. The club is renowned for its first-class youth development programme, which has produced world stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luís Figo. Sporting is a multi-sport club and, with over 30 sections (including futsal, roller hockey and athletics alongside football), has won a total of around 22,000 titles. The club is also renowned for its world-renowned Cristiano Ronaldo Academy.
Sporting nurtures its young female talents across various youth age groups, including U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19, as well as through a reserve team. The club also follows a policy of ‘securing’ its most promising talents with long-term professional contracts. A recent example is the contract extension until 2029 for 19-year-old striker Carolina Santiago, who has progressed through the various age groups since 2020 and now plays for the first team.
The female youth teams compete at both regional (younger age groups) and national level, with the U19s and the B team playing a key role in the transition to the first team.