On 22 September 1922 Vitória de Guimarães formed its first board, and that is its official founding date. On 22 September 2027 the club turns 105 years old. It is the team of the city the Portuguese call the "Cidade Berço", the cradle of the nation, and that shows in every one of its symbols.

From the students of 1913 to the hat shop of 1922

The story starts a little earlier. In 1913 a group of students formed football teams in Guimarães with names such as Sport Club Vimaranense, which is why some researchers see that year as the real beginning.

The current name, Vitória Sport Clube, was adopted in 1918. The official founding came in 1922, when a gathering at the Chapelaria Macedo hat shop led to the first board. In the same year the club joined the Braga association.

White for everyone

The name means "Victory", an ambition the club has carried ever since. White has been with the team since its birth and dominates the home shirt, while black appears on the crest and on the alternative kits.

According to Portuguese sources, the old black-and-white symbols were linked to the club's principle of welcoming everyone "without distinction". The white shirt is also echoed in the affectionate nickname "Branquinhos", the "little whites".

The first king on the chest

The first crest was designed in the late 1920s by Captain Mário Cardoso, and it looks very much like today's. At its centre stands the statue of Afonso Henriques, Portugal's first king, a fitting symbol for the cradle city.

In the 1950s a crown of walls and towers was added on top. For the centenary in 2022 the club also unveiled a commemorative gold crest. The conquering king inspired the best-known nickname: "Os Conquistadores", the Conquerors.

A stadium named after a king

The stadium opened on 3 January 1965 as the Guimarães municipal stadium, with a 2-1 win over Belenenses. In 1995 the members voted to name it after D. Afonso Henriques, and for Euro 2004 it was rebuilt for about 30,000 spectators.

Legends such as goalkeeper Vítor Damas, Neno, Nuno Espírito Santo, Paulo Bento and Fernando Meira have played there. More recently Raphinha, Ricardo Quaresma and Edmond Tapsoba passed through.

The big nights

In 1988 Vitória lifted the Super Cup, beating Porto 2-0 on aggregate. In 1986-87 the team reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, knocking out Atlético Madrid along the way.

The first Portuguese Cup arrived in 2013, with a comeback against Benfica thanks to goals from Soudani and Ricardo Pereira in the last ten minutes. In 2024-25 Vitória became the first Portuguese side to reach the Conference League's league phase.

On 10 January 2026 the club won the League Cup for the first time, beating arch-rivals Braga 2-1 in Leiria with goals from Samu and Ndoye. Luís Pinto's players got back to Guimarães at 3:30 in the morning, and the Toural square was packed despite the rain.

Celebrate with us

One hundred and five years on, the Conquerors from the cradle of Portugal are still collecting trophies and dreams. Happy birthday, Vitória, and stay as white as on day one!

Wear the white shirt with the king on the chest and celebrate with us.

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: The Estádio D. Afonso Henriques in Guimarães, 2018 – Vincenzo.togni, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.