The inclusion of Ukraine in the joint candidacy of Portugal and Spain to host the 2030 World Cup was “a logical and natural decision,” Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Fernando Gomes admitted on Wednesday.
“To some, this decision may seem surprising and unexpected. For us, it was a logical and natural decision. The devastation, the flight of millions of Ukrainians, the uncertainty about the future weighed on our desire to integrate Ukraine into this candidacy, which has been launched since the At the beginning, he earned the unconditional support of the UEFA president, whom I would like to thank in advance,” the manager said at a press conference at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Fernando Gomes spoke with the leaders of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Football Federation of Ukraine (UAF), Luis Rubiales and Andrii Pavelko, respectively, to ‘seal’ the inclusion of that Eastern European country in the Iberian proposal.
“It has special significance to make this announcement in the home of European football. Football is much more than football. And there would be no need to put forward any other reason to justify what brings us here today. Football is victory, commitment, resilience, inspiration,” he recalls. .
In the midst of a military conflict with Russia, Ukraine narrows down the only European candidacy for hosting the main world team competition in 2030, whose cooperation protocol between FPF and RFEF was already signed in October 2020.
“Certainly there will be many people who will think that it would be easiest for Portugal and Spain to continue with this candidacy as it was, indifferent to what is happening in Ukraine. Allow me to disagree. “difficult and incomprehensible. Ukraine cannot disappear from our memories after the war is over. When that day comes, I am sure that it will continue to need help and we want it and we will be there,” stressed Fernando Gomes, pointing out the help given by Portuguese football.
“We have done a lot, but we have to keep doing it. Awareness of the reality of what is still happening in Ukraine is forcing us to do that. Helping Ukrainians means integrating them into projects of this magnitude and giving them hope for the future Of the few certainties, there is something we know: football has a unique mobilizing force that cannot be wasted.
Mundial2030’s coordination committee, led by António Laranjo, will now include representatives of the Ukrainian delegation, headed by UAF President Andrii Pavelko, whose membership terms will be discussed and defined in due course.
“I am proud to have been part of the football family for many years and I am sure that they will support this initiative. Therefore, may this be the beginning of the road that leads us to a World Cup that values the human person, freedom and equality between nations large and small. May it be the World Cup that affirms the values of tolerance and peace enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,” added Fernando Gomes.
Leader puts geography into perspective
The president of the Portuguese Football Federation also devalued the geographical distance between the Iberian Peninsula and Ukraine.
“We are in Europe, we are European countries and the candidacy is European. About a year ago we had a European 2020 that took place between London and Baku. We are in Europe and we need to talk about it,” recalls Fernando Gomes.
“When we decided to go ahead with this candidacy, it was clear to win. We have now taken this step in full awareness of the historic moment in which the world lives. The conditions are being created to have a candidacy for peace in terms of being good and bringing people together, but that is clearly a winner,” emphasized the FPF leader.
“We all wish the war would be over by 2030. The idea [de incorporar a Ucrânia] came from the people who started a process in 2018 that led to the Iberian candidacy. It is clear that we are not indifferent to what is happening in the world and we always approach it from the perspective of a European candidacy to unite the peoples and Europe in a more common good. After agreeing the positions, we asked UEFA if the idea made sense and we clearly received a positive signal,” said Fernando Gomes.
The proposal was presented in June 2021 and received the support of UEFA, which received competition from at least one South American project (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay), an African project (Morocco) and an intercontinental project (Saudi Arabia). , Egypt and Greece).
“We are in 2022 and it is eight years that we want to pass quickly in the sense of bringing peoples together. In this perspective, we are perfectly convinced that the mechanisms will be found to have peace in Europe and by 2030 Ukraine will be able to organize matches of the football championship Mundo”, concluded the Portuguese leader.
The Mundial2030 Coordinating Committee, led by António Laranjo, will now include representatives of the Ukrainian delegation, headed by UAF President Andrii Pavelko, whose membership terms will be discussed and defined in due course.
“This candidacy has a lot to overcome, such as history, beautiful stadiums, gastronomy, tourism and many things related to football, but today we are taking a step forward. Together we represent the transformative power that football has in society. Words like transformation, reconstruction, integration and hope will be closely linked to the technical problems that we were already developing. We therefore believe that this candidacy is much better,” said Luis Rubiales in turn.
The president of the RFEF, who has already presented the 15 candidate stadiums in Spain, in a list that will be reduced to 11 and should combine three Portuguese locations, confirmed that Madrid will remain the sporting location of the event and Lisbon as the administrative headquarters . .
Qatar will host the 22nd edition of the World Cup this year, from November 20 to December 18, followed by an unprecedented co-organization between three countries (Canada, United States and Mexico) in 2026, and the celebration of the centenary of the test by 2030.
The choice of host countries for the 2030 World Cup is scheduled for the 74th FIFA Congress, in 2024, after Portugal hosted the 2004 European Championship and Spain hosted the 1964 European Championship and the 1982 World Cup, while Ukraine hosted the 2012 European Championship together with Poland.
The main football championship has been taking place within Ukraine’s borders since August, but with matches played behind closed doors and near air raid shelters, while the national team plays as its home side in ‘neighboring’ Poland.
Source: DN
