Raul Machado

Raul Martins Machado (22 September 1937 – 22 October 2023) was a Portuguese footballer who played as centre-back.

Club career Born in Matosinhos, Machado joined his home-town club, Leixões, at the age of 21. In the three seasons there, he help them maintain in the Primeira Divisão and win the 1961 Portuguese Cup. In the next season, he lost his starting position to Luciano, playing the majority of his games in the domestic cup, which the club successfully conquered. After a one-year on the right side of the WM formation, Machado easily adapted to the more common 4–4–2 in 1965 and played four more seasons at Benfica.

Machado partnered with Germano and later Jacinto Santos, winning three more league titles and losing a third European Cup Final. With the rapid rise of Humberto Coelho, he left in 1969 with 193 matches and seven goals, retiring after a last season at Leixões. He played both legs, on 7 November and 16 December, but Bulgaria progressed after a 1–0 on replay. Due to strong competition in his position, he did not take part in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, but reappeared in the UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying stages in 1967.

Death Machado died on 22 October 2023, at the age of 86.

Honours Leixões Taça de Portugal: 1960–61

Benfica Taça de Portugal: 1963–64, 1968–69 Taça de Honra (4) European Cup runner-up: 1962–63, 1964–65, 1967–68 Intercontinental Cup runner-up: 1962