Former FC Porto president Pinto da Costa has died at the age of 87, the club has confirmed.
Da Costa was diagnosed with prostate cancer in August 2024, months after being replaced by Andre Villas-Boas as club president, having served the role for 42 years, the longest tenure of any president in world football.
In a statement, the club wrote: “Futebol Clube do Porto is in mourning for the passing of the greatest figure in its history. Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa died this Saturday at the age of 87 and as a member for 71 years, after more than six decades in the governing bodies and 42 years leading the institution that he elevated like no other. He leaves behind a unique legacy that makes the entire blue and white nation proud.
“Porto fans celebrated 2,591 victories in the 15,356 days of the longest-serving and most titled presidency ever. In the 89 years prior to Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa’s election, the Club had won only 16 trophies – seven National Championships, four Portuguese Championships, four Portuguese Cups and one Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup -, three of them with the legendary director at the helm of the Football Department.
“Since then, everything has changed. Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa transformed the Andrades into Dragons and made FC Porto the Portuguese club with the most official titles, winning 23 championships, 22 Super Cups, 15 Portuguese Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, one European Champion Clubs’ Cup and another Champions League, one UEFA Cup and one Europa League, one European Super Cup and one League Cup.
“With Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa at the helm, FC Porto became European and World Champion in several sports and age groups, ten-times roller hockey champion, seven-times handball champion, six-times billiards champion, five-times football champion, broke droughts that had lasted for more than three decades, increased the capacity of the Estádio das Antas, built the Dragão stadium and added a museum and a pavilion to it, rehabilitated the Campo da Constituição stadium and established partnerships that allow it to continue to enjoy the Olival Training Centre and the Campanhã Swimming Pool Complex.
“In 1976, when Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa took over as head of the Football Department, FC Porto had 52,000 members, 90% of whom were concentrated in the municipalities of Porto, Gondomar, Maia, Matosinhos, Valongo and Vila Nova de Gaia. Today, that number exceeds 147,000 and is spread across the four corners of the planet.
“Between April 23, 1982 and May 7, 2024, the largest club in the North became the best Portuguese club and grew from local and regional levels to European and global scales. Without ever forgetting its roots, FC Porto grew with the city and the city grew with FC Porto. The Club has over 131 years of history, but there is a before and an after Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa – the President of Presidents.”
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