France widens its UEFA index lead: 70,296 points over Portugal

France have edged further ahead in the UEFA index and sit 5th with 70,296 points, 3,746 more than Portugal, who have 66,550.

The increase comes after a mixed run for French clubs in Europe: four wins and three losses over the week. It looked riskier on Tuesday, after Sporting beat Lens 2-0 in the only Franco-Portuguese group matchup this season, and the situation worsened when Arsenal thumped Lens 3-0.

Ups and downs in Europe

From Wednesday, results improved: PSG won 3-2 at Manchester City, Lyon beat Crystal Palace 3-2 and Rennes got past OFI Crete 2-1 in the Europa League, while Monaco won 2-1 away in Sofia in the Conference League. Marseille, though, suffered another home defeat against Olympiacos (0-1).

Portugal’s clubs were less effective overall: Sporting and Benfica won, but Porto, Torreense and Braga all lost. RMC Sport highlights the bigger picture too: because the index is averaged across the last five seasons, France gave back the benefit of 2021-22 (18,416 points versus 12,916 for Portuguese clubs), cutting the lead by 10,332 points last summer. Still, 5th place means seven European spots: four in the Champions League, two in the Europa League and one in the Conference League.