José Mourinho brought the curtain down on one of the most unusual seasons in recent European football history on Saturday, guiding Benfica to a 3-1 win over Estoril on the final day of the Primeira Liga campaign to complete an entire league season without a single defeat yet still finish third in the table without a title to show for it.

The result confirmed Benfica’s remarkable record of 23 wins and 11 draws from 34 matches, yielding 80 points and leaving them unbeaten throughout the domestic season. It is the first time in Mourinho’s storied coaching career, which includes eight league championships across four countries, that he has achieved an invincible campaign.

“The unbeatable thing is a great thing,” he said. “It’s the first time in my career. Even winning eight championships, I never did it invincible. I would change that for the title with two or three defeats, no doubts about that. But it’s something that reflects well. The mentality of the team, the togetherness, the empathy reflects that perfectly.”

Benfica hit the ground running against Estoril, scoring three times inside the opening 16 minutes to put the match to bed emphatically. Richard Ríos opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Alexander Bah and Rafa Silva added further goals in quick succession to complete the win.

The visitors pulled one back, but the result was never in doubt and Benfica signed off with the three points they needed to confirm their unbeaten status.

Yet for all the historic significance of going an entire league season without losing, the achievement was laced with frustration. Benfica’s 11 draws ultimately proved too costly in a fiercely competitive title race. Porto were crowned champions with 88 points, while Sporting CP finished second on 82 a 3-0 win over Gil Vicente on the same afternoon ensuring they pipped Benfica to second.

The Eagles were left to reflect on what might have been, with eight of their dropped points coming from draws that, had they been converted into wins, would have delivered the title by a considerable margin. To compound matters, the third-place finish means Benfica will compete in the Europa League next season, their first such demotion from European football’s top tier since 2009-10.

It is not entirely without precedent in Benfica’s own history. In the 1977-78 season, the club went through the entire campaign unbeaten, only to lose the title to Porto on goal difference. More broadly, Mourinho’s side join only FC Sheriff of Moldova in 2024-25 and Red Star Belgrade in 2007-08 as European clubs this century to complete a full league season without defeat and still fail to win the championship.

The match against Estoril may also prove to be Mourinho’s farewell in the Benfica dugout. The 63-year-old, who took charge last September just weeks after departing Fenerbahçe, has been heavily linked with a sensational return to Real Madrid, where he managed from 2010 to 2013. He confirmed after the game that his agent Jorge Mendes is in discussions with the Spanish club, though he said no formal offer had yet arrived and that his future would be decided imminently.

“My future should be decided this week,” Mourinho said. Benfica, for their part, have tabled a contract renewal offer, setting up what promises to be a defining few days for one of football’s most compelling figures.