Elated Sporting Lisbon fans celebrate Liga Nos title

Thousands of elated Sporting fans gathered in Lisbon until the early hours of Monday to celebrate their club's 20th Portuguese league title.

Sporting won the Primeira Liga title on Sunday after Benfica lost 2-0 to lowly Famalicao, giving Ruben Amorim's side an unbeatable eight-point lead in the standings with two games remaining.

Following Benfica's defeat, cars began to beep their horns in celebration, and thousands of fans flocked to Lisbon's main square, Marques do Pombal, where players arrived on an open-top bus around 1.40 a.m. local time.

Players walked up to a large stage set up in the square one by one, as upbeat songs blared from the speakers and fans waved flags and scarves.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, used social media to congratulate Sporting, where he began his professional career. "Congratulations, champions," he posted on Instagram.

Sporting reclaimed the title three years after their previous win in 2021, which ended a nearly two-decade drought. The 2021 celebrations took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and were marred by clashes between police and fans.

The 2021 victory also marked a significant turnaround in the club's fortunes after angry fans attacked the squad at their training ground in May 2018.

It was Amorim's second league title, and Sporting can complete the domestic double by winning the Portuguese Cup final against Porto later this month.

Amorim, 39, is among the names linked with the top job at some foreign football clubs, including in England, but announced on Sunday that he was still under contract with Sporting and would remain the team's coach: "There are still things to do (at Sporting)."

"They said we will never be two-time champions again... we will see," Amorim told a sea of fans clad in green and white as they shouted in unison: "Stay, stay!"

SportsLigue