The 2021–22 Taça de Portugal (also known as Taça de Portugal Placard for sponsorship reasons) was the 82nd edition of the Taça de Portugal, the premier knockout competition in Portuguese football. A total of 154 clubs competed in this edition, including all teams from the top four tiers of the Portuguese football league system – excluding reserve or B teams, which are not eligible – and representatives of the fifth-tier District leagues and cups.[2]
The competition began on 9 September 2021 with the first-round matches involving teams from the third, fourth and fifth tiers, and concluded on 22 May 2022 with the final at the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras between top-tier sides Porto and Tondela.[3]Primeira Liga side and defending champions Braga were eliminated by Vizela in the fifth round. Porto beat Tondela 3–1 in the final to win their eighteenth title.
The winners qualified for the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League group stage and played the 2022 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira against the 2021–22 Primeira Liga winners. As Porto secured qualification to the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League by league ranking, the cup winner's place in the Europa League was thus transferred to the league's fourth-placed team, Braga. Consequently, the league's fifth- and sixth-placed teams, Gil Vicente and Vitória de Guimarães, qualified instead for the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League third and second qualifying rounds, respectively. As Porto also won the league title, they played the 2022 Supertaça match against the cup runners-up, Tondela.
A total of 154 teams compete in the 2021–22 edition, comprising 18 teams from the Liga Portugal Bwin (tier 1), 16 teams from the Liga Portugal SABSEG (tier 2), 21 teams from the Liga 3 (tier 3 ), 58 teams from the Campeonato de Portugal (tier 4) and 41 teams from the District championships and cups (tier 4).[a]
Campeonato de Portugal
All draws are held at the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) headquarters in Oeiras. Match kick-off times are in WET (UTC±0) from the third round to the semi-finals, and in WEST (UTC+1) during the rest of the competition. The schedule was published along with all national men competitions on 22 July 2021.[3]
A total of 120 teams representing the Liga 3, Campeonato de Portugal and the District Championships were involved in the first round draw, which was held on 5 August 2021.[5] Thirty-two teams received a bye to the second round and the remaining teams were split into eight series according to geographical proximity. These teams were then paired inside their serie, with the first team drawn playing at home.
The following thirty-two teams received a bye to the second round:
A total of 92 teams were involved in the second round draw, which was held on 15 September 2021. The 16 teams from the Liga Portugal 2 joined the 44 winners from first round and the 32 teams that received a bye to the second round. All Liga Portugal 2 teams played this round as visitors.
A total of 64 teams were involved in the third round draw, which was held on 29 September 2021. The 18 teams from the Primeira Liga joined the 46 winners from second round. All Primeira Liga teams played this round as visitors.
A total of 32 teams were involved in the fourth round draw, which was held on 21 October 2021.
A total of 16 teams were involved in the fifth round draw, which was held on 25 November 2021.
The quarter-final pairings was decided on 27 December 2021.
Times were WET (UTC±0) in the first leg and WEST (UTC+1) in the second leg.
Porto won 3–1 on aggregate.
Tondela won 4–1 on aggregate.