Filipa Patão Joins The NWSL As Boston Legacy FC’s First Head Coach

As Boston Legacy FC are preparing for the NWSL season in 2026, the club has announced another key milestone in hiring Filipa Patão as their head coach. Following the approval of her visa, Patão is set to begin her role with the club in July.

Patão brings winning wealth to Boston

Patão has been the head coach of the Portuguese club, Sport Lisboa e Benfica (aka Benfica), since 2020. In her leadership role, she has a 156-28-15 (wins, losses, draws) record across all competitions.

As the head coach, the club won the Campeonato Nacional for five consecutive years. Benfica also reached the quarterfinals of the 2023-2024 UEFA Women’s Champions League, who were the first Portuguese club to make it that far in the tournament.

In 2024, Patão was nominated for the first edition of the Ballon d’Or’s Coach of the Year award, which was awarded to U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach, Emma Hayes.

As a player, Patão played for Portuguese club teams 1º Dezembro, C.F. Benfica, and Estoril Praia. She also earned three caps with the Portuguese National Team in 2012 and 2013.

“I’m very excited about going to Boston,” said Patão. “I can’t wait to get to the city, meet all the people and start working. The American league is extremely competitive and that’s one of the reasons I accepted this project: I like competition, difficulty, and getting the players to strive for more and better. To transform themselves and always demand more of themselves. I know that Boston fans are passionate about the city and their teams and I’m looking forward to building a new history with them.”

Patão began her career with Benfica in 2007 where she played a role as the youth coach and eventually managed the U-15, U-17, and U-19 women’s teams. The 36-year-old currently holds a UEFA A coaching license and is in the process of obtaining her UEFA Pro diploma.

“Filipa demonstrates all of the qualities that personify this club and the way we want to play: with passion, grit, and style,” said Legacy FC controlling owner Jennifer Epstein. “She is a coach who loves to develop players and loves to win, and that attitude is very evident in the way she is approaching our inaugural 2026 season head-on. We can’t wait to watch her build Boston’s next championship team.”

Reigniting a soccer legacy in Boston

As the Boston Breakers were initially one of the eight teams in the NWSL, their comeback as the 15th franchise in the league will reignite a new level of growth in the league as the team is set to begin play in the 2026 NWSL season at Gillette Stadium.

With Patão in the lead, the club will now work on building out their roster for the upcoming season.

“Boston is a club where we want to develop both technical identity and have a clear style of play, but also we want a coach who thinks about more than just winning games,” said General Manager Domè Guasch. “Filipa is a coach I believe can help us build a great culture where players understand they will come here to grow and learn.”