Did FC Porto's former president predict the Lisbon earthquake on the day of his funeral?

An image of the front page of an old Portuguese newspaper is circulating on social media, claiming that Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, the late former president of FC Porto, predicted a tremor in Lisbon that occurred on the day of his funeral.

It's dated 30 July 2005 and quotes Pinto da Costa as saying: "Some people think the country is just Lisbon, but they're wrong. For those fools who wish me dead, I smile but I won't forget."

"On the day I'm buried, Porto will cry but Lisbon will feel an earthquake or my name isn't Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa," the former football executive allegedly said.

The front page quickly became viral on Portuguese social networks, because Lisbon did indeed record an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale on 17 February — the same day as Pinto da Costa's funeral.

The earthquake's epicentre was recorded around 14 kilometres from Seixal, in the district of Setúbal, at 1:24 pm local time. Authorities said at the time that it didn't cause any damage.

Pinto da Costa passed away at the age of 87 on 15 February after battling prostate cancer. His funeral took place two days later, culminating with his coffin being brought into the Estádio do Dragão, FC Porto's stadium, for applause and a minute's silence by thousands of fans.

Various social posts have linked the two events using the front page, attributed to the now-defunct newspaper O Comércio do Porto, claiming that Pinto da Costa made a prediction 20 years ago that eerily came true.

One post on X for example says "They were warned," while another says "There's something divine about this man."

However, the front page is fake — there's no evidence that Pinto da Costa ever made such a prediction.

The clue here is the date of the supposed front page — 30 July 2005 is actually the day that O Comércio do Porto published its last ever issue.

The real front page is dedicated to the newspaper's farewell, as reported at the time by Público, which has also debunked the claims.

A photo of Pinto da Costa, his supposed quote, and a headline celebrating 20 years of his presidency at Porto have replaced the real headline, which says "See you next time," and a photo of the editorial team. The rest of the elements on the front page remain unchanged.

The headline on the fake edition is factually incorrect as well — Pinto da Costa had served 23 years as Porto's president by 30 July 2005, not 20.

For good measure, a reverse image search of the fake front page shows us various national Portuguese reports that have also debunked the claims, with no sign of a legitimate source for the quote.

What's the significance of the fake quote?

The false quote attributed to Pinto da Costa appears to refer to his and FC Porto's fierce rivalry with Lisbon team Benfica (known as O Clássico), as well as with Sporting CP, which is also based in the capital.

Together they are known as Os Três Grandes — the three biggest football teams in Portugal.

Pinto da Costa, who served as Porto's president between 1982 and 2024, is largely credited with fostering the rivalry, not just between the clubs, but between both cities, after he revolutionised FC Porto to help it become a dominant Portuguese side that could challenge the Lisbon teams.

What started as a competition between football clubs became a feud between the north and south of Portugal, especially owing to Porto's success under Pinto da Costa. They are one of Portugal's two most-decorated teams alongside Benfica, with 86 major trophies, including five consecutive league titles between 1994 and 1999 - a Portuguese record.

Such success against Lisbon's top teams, combined with Pinto da Costa's own disdain for Lisbon, bred much animosity between the sides.

This ill-feeling was expounded by allegations of wrongdoing, including match-fixing, bribing referees and financial misconduct, all of which likely acted as a catalyst for the fabrication of the fake O Comércio do Porto front cover to suggest that Pinto da Costa had cursed Lisbon decades prior.

Regardless, he will be remembered as a significant figure in Portuguese football, not only for revolutionising FC Porto but also for driving changes in other clubs that raised the level of the game across the country.

"An eternal inspiration, an immortal legacy," Porto said in a tribute to its former president, adding that he was "the greatest figure in the history of the blue and white club."