Prime Minister António Costa said this Wednesday that the joint candidacy of Portugal, Spain and Morocco to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup will unite two continents through sport at the opening of the 47th UEFA Congress in Lisbon. “In a unique candidacy, jointly between the two shores of the Mediterranean, destined to organize the first football World Cup that unites, through sport and its best values, two continents: Europe and Africa,” said António Costa at UEFA Congress, in Lisbon.
“We now have the ambition to host the 2030 World Cup in one go with Spain, Morocco and Ukraine, jointly between the two shores of the Mediterranean, aiming to organize the first World Cup that unites, through sport and its best values, two continents: Europe and Africa,” said the prime minister.
The President of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Fernando Gomes, speaking after the head of government, classified the candidacy for the 2030 World Cup as “pioneer”, extended it to all federations that are part of UEFA and asked for “unambiguous support”.
“There is no better day or better time to tell you that the candidacy is not only Portugal, Spain and Morocco’s, but ours, the whole of united Europe and that I humbly count on the unequivocal support of all the federations here , are in Lisbon so that the biggest event in the world will also take place in Portugal and that I will devote all my energy to it,” he said.
In the Congress Center of Lisbon, where the 47th UEFA Congress will take place, which will re-elect Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin as UEFA President, António Costa recalled the current context of war in Europe and its consequences for sport and football, playing the role stressed that both can play in the return of peace.
“Football and sport are not instruments of war, but vehicles for peace and dialogue between peoples, tolerance and understanding of the world,” he said.
António Costa considered UEFA’s role in the “victory of peace” to be “fundamental and irreplaceable”, stating: “The impact of sporting events, the number of people present and the emotions they allow to experience, make sport a platform with a unique potential that should also be used for this”.
The Prime Minister classified Portugal as “a reference partner for UEFA” and reiterated the country’s desire to continue working with the top organization of European football, recalling the organization of the final stage of the League of Nations, the Champions League, in 2020 and the Champions League final in 2021, both in the context of a pandemic.
“So we have all the conditions to continue to be partners with UEFA, and also with FIFA, for the organization of global sporting events,” he said.
During the opening speech, the Prime Minister announced Portugal’s candidacy to host the 2025 Women’s Champions League Final, and took the opportunity to praise the achievements of the women’s national football team, which qualified for the first time for a World Cup final. .
The president of the FPF, who will step down as UEFA vice president due to reaching the age limit, and is the only candidate for the FIFA council, recalled the challenges such as “the pandemic, the attack of the Superliga or the war in Ukraine”, considering that “UEFA has always had a clearly defined path and a leader to walk it”.
Fernando Gomes guaranteed the full availability of the FPF to work with UEFA, believing that “it was through delivery, donation or unconditional cooperation” that the Portuguese organization finally “learned the ways of sporting success”.
“In 10 years we have become European and World Beach Football Champions, two-time European and World Futsal Champion, European Under-17 and Under-19 Champion, two-time European Under-21 Finalist, European Champion and Nations Winners. For the first time in our history, we will be present are in the final stages of a women’s World Cup. We gave to get back,” she said.
Source: DN
