Jose Mourinho sets a bizarre record: Benfica remain unbeaten all season but still finish third.
Manager Jose Mourinho just concluded a controversial 2025/26 season at Benfica, setting a 34-match unbeaten streak but still losing out on the Primeira Liga title.
Jose Mourinho – who always calls himself "The Special One" – has just etched his name into one of the strangest chapters in modern football history. At the age of 63, the Portuguese strategist led Benfica through an incredible 2025/2026 domestic campaign: undefeated in every match, yet still only managing to finish third overall.
Stubbornness cannot buy a throne.
Returning to manage Benfica last September, exactly 25 years after a brief start to his career at Da Luz,Jose MourinhoHe built an incredibly solid defensive system. His team finished the Primeira Liga season with a 3-1 victory over Estoril, completing a streak of 34 consecutive unbeaten matches. However, behind the zero in the loss column lies a harsh reality: 23 wins and as many as 11 draws.
In top-level football, draws can sometimes carry the same weight as a defeat. With 80 points, Benfica were powerless to stop their arch-rivals.PortoThey won the championship with an 8-point lead (Porto won 28 games). They even finished below them.Sporting LisbonThe team had 25 wins and was 2 points ahead of Benfica. Finishing third meant that Mourinho's team officially lost their ticket to the prestigious Champions League next season and would have to play in the Europa League.
The Paradox of Invincibility
It's important to clarify that Mourinho's concept of "unbeaten" is limited to the Portuguese league. In reality, Benfica has suffered seven defeats in the demanding Champions League and one loss in the Portuguese Cup. However, a team remaining undefeated in the domestic league while still failing to win any trophies is an extremely rare scenario in the history of European football.
This isn't the first time Benfica has found itself in this situation. History shows that in the 1977-1978 season, the team at Da Luz also went undefeated but lost the title to Porto due to an inferior goal difference. In the 21st century, European football has only recorded two similar cases:FC Sheriff(Moldova, 2024-25) andRed Star Belgrade(Serbia, 2007-08). Their common characteristic is stability, but they lack the explosive moments to decide the game.
What future awaits "The Special One"?
Mourinho's season at Benfica ended as a stark contrast: the pride of an unbeatable team intertwined with the bitter disappointment of losing out on the most important targets. Nevertheless, his reputation in the transfer market remained undiminished.
Currently, the media is focusing its attention on the possibility of Mourinho reuniting with...Real MadridReports suggest he is in the final stages of negotiations to return to Bernabeu. While Mourinho maintains his priority is continuing his project at Benfica, the allure of Real Madrid – who are in need of a manager with enough authority to control the dressing room – is hard to resist. If this deal materializes, his bitterly unbeaten record at Benfica could be his final farewell to his homeland.
