A team of Council of Europe experts carried out a monitoring visit to Portugal, from 5 to 8 March 2026, in order to assess the general approach to the organisation of football matches and other sports events and to support the Portuguese authorities in the effective implementation of the safety, security and service standards of the Saint-Denis Convention, to which Portugal has been a party since 1 August 2018. The visit was organised as part of the preparations for the FIFA Men's World Cup 2030 (FIFA WC30), which will be organised jointly with Morocco and Spain.
The monitoring team included representatives from Greece (Vice-President of the Saint-Denis Committee), Hungary and the United Kingdom (rapporteur, safety expert and UEFA EURO 2028 observers), as well as observers from AccessibAll and Football Supporters Europe (FSE).
The team was hosted by the State Secretariat for Sport and had the opportunity to meet all the relevant public and private stakeholders, including the Ministries of the Interior and Sport, the administrative authorities – the Authority for the Prevention and Fight against Sport-Related Violence (APCVD) and the National Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ), the police forces (GNR and PSP/NFIP), the emergency services (ANEPC and INEM), various sports organisations – Football Federation and League, local clubs (Benfica and Sporting) and other sports associations – handball, volleyball, basketball and roller hockey -, the Confederation of Sports, the Olympic and Paralympic Committees, as well as the National Supporters' Organisation (APDA).
Visits to different sports venues, namely the Sporting CP Arena, the Jamor National Stadium and the Benfica Stadium, were also organised.
On the day of the match, the team was able to attend the final preparations and the high-risk Liga match between S.L. Benfica and F.C. Porto, which was held on 8 March 2026 at the Benfica Stadium in Lisbon.
This visit was carried out in accordance with the revised guidelines on monitoring the Saint-Denis Convention. The conclusions, recommendations and good practices identified will be included in a report to be adopted by the Saint-Denis Committee and forwarded to the Portuguese authorities for implementation.
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