FC Porto

One of the giants of Liga Portugal –

. Founded in 1893, this is a club whose badge and city are inseparable, steeped in history from medieval reconquest to modern architectural brilliance.

The FC Porto badge is one of the most richly detailed I have seen – and I love it. It features a classic blue-and-white football encircled by the club’s initials – FCP – and topped with one of the most layered symbols in the sport: the Portuguese national coat of arms (see here for a post on it separately).

Within it are five blue shields, arranged in a cross, each dotted with five small white dots – these represent the five Moorish kings defeated by Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, at the Battle of Ourique. The small white dots symbolise the five wounds of Christ, tying together Christian victory and national myth. Surrounding the shields are seven golden castles, a nod to the fortified cities captured during the Reconquista (when the Christian armies expelled the Islamic caliphate from the Iberian Peninsula in the 1400s). These elements combine to reflect the process through which the Portuguese kingdom was born – through conflict, faith, and a relentless drive for sovereignty.

But that’s only part of the crest. Behind the national coat of arms is the coat of arms of the City of Porto, which includes the Virgin Mary, twin towers, and a green dragon – rooted in local legend and symbolic of the city's defiance. The inclusion of both national and civic symbols in a single football badge is rare, and it says everything about Porto’s character: fiercely local, proudly national.

The twin towers in the crest come directly from the city's medieval coat of arms. They symbolise the fortified nature of Porto in the Middle Ages, when the city walls and gates were vital to defending its independence and maintaining control of its important port.

In between the two towers is the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Porto. Legend states that a statue of the Virgin was brought to Porto by Christian crusaders from France and placed at one of the city gates (the Vandoma Gate). It became a symbol of divine protection during battles and sieges, especially when Porto resisted enemy forces. And it seems to have worked - as we shall see:

The dragon, which crowns the top of the badge, was added in the 19th century for Porto’s bravery during the Liberal Wars. The city endured a brutal siege (1832–33) while supporting King Pedro IV. As a reward for its resistance, the king granted Porto the honour of bearing the title Invicta and added the dragon to its arms to symbolise the city’s courage. And the nickname Dragões has stuck ever since.

The city is one of the oldest in Europe. Known in Roman times as Portus Cale, the name would stick not just for the city – but the country too. Portus is Latin for “port” or “harbour”, and Cale was the name of an earlier pre-Roman settlement in the area. Together, Portus Cale referred to the harbour and town that developed at the mouth of the Douro River. Over time, the term evolved into Condado Portucalense (the County of Portucale), the medieval territory from which the independent Kingdom of Portugal emerged. The modern nation takes its name directly from the ancient identity of Porto. The city is not just important in Portuguese history – it’s foundational to it.

Christian forces took the city back from Muslim rule in 997, making it a vital first step in the Portuguese Reconquista. In 1415, it was Porto that launched the fleet that carried Prince Henry the Navigator and the Portuguese army to Ceuta (the southern gateway of the Straits of Gibraltar). Control of this part of North Africa gave Christian Europe access to the Mediterranean and a base from which to explore the African coast. The Age of Discovery, led by Portugal, began in earnest thereafter.

Porto then thrived as a trading port, particularly through its production of port wine, which still defines the Douro Valley today.

On the pitch, FC Porto has claimed over 30 Primeira Liga titles, 18 Portuguese Cups, 2 UEFA Cups, and 2 European Cups/Champions Leagues – most notably under José Mourinho in 2004. It has nurtured talent from Deco, Falcao, and James Rodríguez, to Pepe and Bruno Alves, earning a reputation for developing world-class players while punching above its weight on the European stage.

FC Porto’s badge isn’t just a logo – it’s a mini history of Portugal. From castles and kings to saints and dragons, from Portus Cale to modern Europe, it’s a visual story that spans centuries. The club is more than blue stripes and silverware – it’s a symbol of Porto’s undefeated heart. And it takes to the pitch every weekend to continue the legacy.