Benfica play in the top tier domestic league, Andebol 1, and hold home matches at the Pavilhão da Luz Nº 2.

After a period of dominance by crosstown rivals Sporting CP, Benfica experienced great success in the 1980s and early 1990s, when was led by coach Eugene Troffin, and later by Ângelo Pintado,[6] along with players such as Paulo Bunze, Swedish international Fredrik Appelgren,[7] Dogărescu, Covaciu and Drăgăniță,[8] goalkeeper João Santa Bárbara, wingman Mário Gentil,[9] Vasco Vasconcelos, Luís Lopes and Rui Ferreira;[10] Benfica won four national championships, three Portuguese Cup and two Portuguese Super Cup.

[citation needed] In the 1997–98 season, club president João Vale e Azevedo decided to shut down the section.

[12] In 2005, after years in anonymity, Benfica hired former ABC Braga coach Aleksander Donner on a three-year deal.

[13] Because of a dispute between Liga and the Handball Federation, which managed the Divisão de Elite, there were two simultaneous championships.

[18] In the 2010–11 season, Benfica reached the final of the EHF Challenge Cup, but lost to Slovene side RK Cimos Koper.