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Portugal is seen as one of Europe's great footballing nations that has produced some iconic players, including Eusebio and Cristiano Ronaldo, the latter of whom helped his country win a European championship.
The country is also home to three heavyweight clubs in Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP, who have won 90 Primeira Liga titles between them.
The three powerhouses play their home games at some of Europe's best-known venues, Benfica's Estadio da Luz, Porto's Estadio do Dragao and Sporting's Estadio Jose Alvalade.
However, there are a number of stadiums that have been left abandoned and are almost unrecognisable from their former glory.
Here, Football Ground Guide looks at some of the stadiums in Portugal that have been abandoned.
Estadio Engenheiro Vidal Pinheiro
Team: Sport Comercio e Salgueiros
Opened: 1932
Closed: 2005
Location: Porto
The 11,000-capacity Estadio Engenheiro Vidal Pinheiro was the home of SC Salgueiros, a club situated in Porto.
Salgueiros fluctuated between the first and second tiers after making their first appearance in the top flight in 1943-44. The club eventually established itself among the elite in the 1980s and achieved a major milestone when they equalised for the UEFA Cup via a fifth-placed finish in 1990-91.
The team from Porto went agonisingly close to securing European qualification again in the 1996-97 season, putting together an impressive run of results that included away wins over Benfica and Porto.
They ultimately missed out on a European finish and hopes of achieving such heights were soon dented by the decision to sell the ground in 2001 so the land could be used for a Metro line.
That decision started a dramatic decline that resulted in the club's bankruptcy in 2004.
Estadio do Bessa
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Team: Boavista
Opened: 1910
Last used: 2025
Location: Porto
Boavista's 115-year-old home has hosted Portugal national team games as well as three games at Euro 2024, including a group clash between Spain and eventual winners Greece.
The ground has also welcomed some of Europe's biggest clubs, including Manchester United and Bayern Munich in the second group stage of the 2001-02 Champions League. In the following season, Boavista navigated their way to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, where they played out a 1-1 draw against Celta in Glasgow before they fell to a 1-0 defeat in the return fixture at the Estadio do Beossa, which turned out to be Boavista's last European outing.
Boavista have spent the majority of the 21st century in the top flight, but the club has fallen into dire straits in the last couple of years. Having racked up £130m worth of debt, Boavista were relegated from the top flight in 2024-25, and were then prevented from playing in any of the next three tiers due to their financial issues.
They have not played in their stadium since May 2025, and there is significant doubt about whether they will ever return after the ground was put up for auction earlier this year.
Estadio 1.º de Maio
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Team: Braga
Opened: 1950
Last used: 2025 (Football)
Location: Braga
Braga played at the Estadio 1.º de Maio from 1950 to 2003, until they moved to the Estadio Municipal de Braga, a ground that was built in time to host games at Euro 2024 in Portugal.
The stadium eventually became the home of Braga's B team and women's side, although that changed when the two sides moved to the newly built Estadio Amelia Morais in 2025.
As a result, there is no senior football taking place at the Estadio 1.º de Maio, but redevelopment plans should see the stadium turned into a sporting facility that serves the local community.
Estadio Mario Duarte
Team: Beira-Mar
Opened: 1935
Closed: 2020
Location: Aveiro
The Estadio Mario Duarte was the long-time home of Beira-Mar, housing around 12,000 spectators.
The club moved to the larger Estadio Municipal de Aveiro, which was built for Euro 2024. Beira-Mar supporters struggled to get used to the 32,830-capacity stadium, feeling it was far too big for the club's needs and lacked the emotional connection to the Maria Duarte, which was left abandoned for a number of years.
The club returned to their former home in 2015, but the reunion only lasted four years until a decision was made to demolish it for the expansion of the local hospital, forcing Beira-Mar to head back to the unpopular Estadio Municipal de Aveiro.