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Athletics
Algarve athlete Isaac Nader has completed an excellent 2024 by setting a new national record at the São Silvestre 10k race in Lisbon. The middle-distance runner clocked a time of 28 minutes and 1 second to cap off a fine year. Nader, who is a seven-time 800 metre national champion, reached the semi-finals at the Olympics as well as a fine fourth place at a Diamond League event in Lausanne.
Main image © CML | Américo Simas
International football
The Portugal women’s team will play England in a Nations League group match in Portimão on 21 February. This is the first international match in the region since the men’s side played Luxembourg in September 2023. The group draw has not been kind to Portugal with matches against European Champions England, World Champions Spain and 19th-ranked Belgium. However, Francisco Neto’s side were unbeaten in 2024 and will go into the competition full of confidence.
Algarve football
At the halfway point of the season, the top two Algarve sides have continued their good form as they look to consolidate their positions in 2025. Farense began their Primeira Liga campaign without a win in their first seven games, but some good results throughout the autumn have seen them rise to 16th in the table. It was a similar scenario in the Liga Pro (2nd division), with Portimonense struggling near the foot of the table. However, a decent run of form before Christmas has also propelled them to 16th place.
Cycling
The 51st edition of the Volta ao Algarve (Tour of the Algarve) will begin on 19 February. The five-day event is considered to be one of the finest road races outside of the three Grand Tours. The event starts in Portimão, where riders will face a gruelling 190 km of undulating Algarvian hills before an expected sprint finish at the Avenida dos Descobrimentos in Lagos. The 2024 edition saw Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel take overall victory. He went on to take the time trial gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.
Surfing
Surfers Joana Schenker and Yolanda Hopkins have been included in Forbes’ Top 40 Most Influential Sports Women in Portugal. Schenker from Sagres and Hopkins, who hails from Vilamoura, are the only Algarve athletes on the list. However, the list sees them in fine company among great athletes such as Olympic legend Rosa Mota and national football captain Dolores Silva.
Rugby
Portugal begin their Rugby Europe campaign on 1 February with a home match against Belgium. The 2024 runners-up will then play Germany at home and Romania away before a play-off semi-final on the weekend of the 1-2 March. The top four teams from the competition will qualify automatically for the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.
Beach football
The Portuguese men’s team have completed a successful pre-season training camp at Praia da Rocha in Portimão. Mário Narciso’s side are the current beach football European Champions and will be looking to go one step further at this year’s World Cup on the island of Mahé in the Seychelles.
Walking
Santa Bárbara de Nexe will host the first event of the 2025 Algarve Walking Festival between 7–9 February. The parish near Faro aims to promote the centuries-old trails that make up the stunning interior of the Algarve. This will be the first of five events in 2025, with the others taking place in Alcoutim, Ameixial, Barão de São João and Monchique. For more information, visit the
Motorsport
Portugal looks set to miss out again in the 2026 Formula 1 race calendar. The event was last held on Portuguese soil in 2021 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimão, but FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has admitted that the World Championship calendar is already full. With an ever-increasing focus on the commercial side of the sport, it seems unlikely that Portugal will host the event any time soon.
