1996–97 Primeira Divisão
The 1996–97 Primeira Divisão was the 63rd edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 25 August 1996 with a match between Benfica and Braga, and ended on 15 June 1997. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Porto as the defending champions.
Porto won the league and qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League group stage, along with Sporting CP, who qualified for the second round, Boavista qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round, and Benfica, Braga and V. Guimarães qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup; in opposite, Espinho, União de Leiria and Gil Vicente were relegated to the Liga de Honra. Mário Jardel was the top scorer with 30 goals.
Promotion and relegation
Teams relegated to [Liga de Honra]
- Felgueiras
- Campomaiorense
- Tirsense
Teams promoted from Liga de Honra
- Rio Ave
- Vitória de Setúbal
- Espinho
Teams
Stadia and locations
| Team | Head Coach | City | Stadium | 1995–96 finish |
| Belenenses |  Quinito | Lisbon | Estádio do Restelo | 6th |
| Benfica |  Paulo Autuori | Lisbon | Estádio da Luz | 2nd |
| Boavista |  Zoran Filipovic | Porto | Estádio do Bessa | 4th |
| Braga | Manuel Cajuda | Braga | Estádio Primeiro de Maio | 8th |
| Chaves | José Romão | Chaves | Estádio Municipal de Chaves | 15th |
| Espinho |  Zinho | Espinho | Estádio Comendador Manuel Violas | 3rd in Divisão de Honra |
| Estrela da Amadora | Fernando Santos | Amadora | Estádio José Gomes | 13th |
| Farense |  Paco Fortes | Faro | Estádio de São Luís | 10th |
| Gil Vicente | Bernardino Pedroto | Barcelos | Estádio Adelino Ribeiro Novo | 11th |
| Leça | Rodolfo Reis | Leça da Palmeira | Estádio do Leça FC | 14th |
| Marítimo | Marinho Peres | Funchal | Estádio dos Barreiros | 9th |
| Porto | António Oliveira | Porto | Estádio das Antas | 1st |
| Rio Ave | Henrique Calisto | Vila do Conde | Estádio dos Arcos | 1st in Divisão de Honra |
| Salgueiros | Carlos Manuel | Porto | Estádio Engenheiro Vidal Pinheiro | 12th |
| Sporting |  Robert Waseige | Lisbon | Estádio José Alvalade | 3rd |
| União de Leiria | Vítor Manuel | Leiria | Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa | 7th |
| Vitória de Guimarães | Jaime Pacheco | Guimarães | Estádio D. Afonso Henriques | 5th |
| Vitória de Setúbal | Mário Reis | Setúbal | Estádio do Bonfim | 2nd in Divisão de Honra |