Torreense women qualify for Champions League after third-place finish
The Story
SCU Torreense, based in Torres Vedras about 30 miles north of Lisbon, have qualified for the Women’s Champions League for the first time after finishing third in Portugal’s BPI League. The club also won the Taça da Liga and Supertaça this season, adding to last year’s Taça de Portugal title. Captain Carolina Correia said the team’s unity and ability to overcome adversity defined their season.
Key Facts
- Torreense qualified for the Women’s Champions League by finishing third in Portugal’s BPI League.
- The club won the Taça da Liga and Supertaça this season, and the Taça de Portugal last year.
- Team captain Carolina Correia, a 24-year-old Portuguese international defender, started 15 of 18 league games this season.
- Torreense beat Sporting 2-0 in March.
- Correia said she took on the captaincy challenge and grew as a leader after joining the club on loan from Benfica in 2023, signing permanently in 2024, with a contract until this summer.
- Correia and goalkeeper Rute Costa were called up to Portugal’s national team for World Cup qualifiers against Latvia and Finland in early June; Costa withdrew for personal reasons.
- Correia started in a 3-0 win over Latvia and came off the bench in a 2-1 win over Slovakia in previous qualifiers.
- The men’s team will play in the Europa League after winning the Taça de Portugal, hosting matches at the Estádio do Algarve (nearly 200 miles away) because their own stadium holds only 2,431 spectators.
- The women’s side has not yet confirmed where they will host Champions League matches.
- Correia cited defenders Mapi León, Irene Paredes, and Rúben Dias as inspirations.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
It is not stated where the Torreense women’s team will play their Champions League home matches.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Carolina Correia – Torreense captain, Portuguese international defender
- Rute Costa – Torreense goalkeeper, called up to Portugal squad then withdrew
- Francisco Neto – Portugal women’s national team head coach
- Mapi León – Barcelona and Spain defender (mentioned as inspiration)
- Irene Paredes – Barcelona and Spain defender (mentioned as inspiration)
- Rúben Dias – Portugal and Manchester City centre-back (mentioned as inspiration)
Sources: The Guardian
