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Boston Legacy FC reportedly agree to hire Filipa Patão as team’s first head coach
Patão has led Benfica to five consecutive league titles.
The structure for the inaugural season of NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy FC continues to take shape, as the team appears to have its coach.
According to Eduardo Pedrosa Marques of A Bola (a Portuguese-based sports news outlet) and Jeff Kassouf of ESPN, Boston Legacy FC has agreed to terms with Portuguese native Filipa Patão to become the team’s first head coach ahead of its debut in 2026.
Patão, 36, has been manager of Benfica’s women’s team since 2020. In that span, she’s won five straight league titles, several cup wins (including the Taça da Liga Feminina on three occasions), and also a spot in the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals in 2024. The latter was an unprecedented achievement for a Portuguese women’s team.
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The Boston-based club declined to comment on the reports.
Patão was previously a coach in Benfica’s youth setup following her playing career, which included appearances for the Portuguese women’s national team.
Following her success both domestically and in continental competition in 2024, Patão was one of six nominees for the first-ever Ballon d’Or Women’s Coach of the Year award, which was eventually won by U.S. national team coach Emma Hayes.
Boston has already hired former Barcelona executive Domènec Guasch to be the team’s first general manager.
The club recently confirmed an earlier report that it will play its first NWSL season at Gillette Stadium in 2026 before the renovation of White Stadium is completed.
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