Portuguese Cup: FC Porto, Benfica, and Sporting learn round of 32 opponents

The matchups for the fourth and fifth rounds of the Portuguese Cup were officially decided following a draw held at the City of Football in Oeiras. The pairings brought together the top-tier clubs that previously entered the competition later due to their participation in European tournaments.

Among the standout fixtures of the round of 32, Benfica faces a challenging away match against the reigning tournament champions, Torreense, at the Manuel Marques Stadium in Torres Vedras. Torreense secured the trophy last season following a memorable victory over Sporting in the final.

Meanwhile, FC Porto and Sporting will play their opening matches of the tournament at home against lower-tier opponents. FC Porto is set to host Paredes from League 3, while Sporting will welcome União da Serra from the Championship of Portugal at the José Alvalade Stadium.

The draw also delivered a high-profile regional derby for this stage of the competition, pairing Vitória de Guimarães against Sporting de Braga. The matches for the fourth eliminatory round are scheduled to take place across the weekend of November 21 and 22.

In addition to setting the immediate matchups, the draw mapped out the potential pairings for the round of 16, which is planned for mid-December. Should Benfica overcome Torreense, they will host the winner of the duel between AVS and Tondela in the next phase.

For the other leading contenders, if FC Porto advances past Paredes, they will play away against the victor of the match between União de Leiria and Leça. Sporting could potentially face Atlético or Casa Pia at home in the subsequent round, provided they succeed against União da Serra.

The fourth round promises intense competition as underdogs and lower-division sides prepare to host or challenge established national giants. Fixtures across the country will determine which teams advance to the final stages of the historic Portuguese tournament.