The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales , and the head of the Portuguese Football Federation, Fernando Soares Gomes da Silva , have signed this Friday the ratification agreement through which both entities will present their candidacy to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030 . Neighboring countries join forces to host the World Cup event at the beginning of the next decade.
The event was held in the moments prior to the start of the international friendly between Spain and Portugal at the Wanda Metropolitano. It was attended by King Felipe VI , in addition to the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez , the President of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa , and the Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Costa , along with other institutional authorities and sports.
🇪🇸🇵🇹 Spain and Portugal. Two countries united with a single way of understanding football.
🤝 @rfef and @selecaoportugal come together to pursue a common dream: to host the Soccer World Championship in 2030.
🙌🏻 Together we will get it, friends !! # Vamos2030 pic.twitter.com/2rj5SVOUdU
– RFEF (@rfef) June 4, 2021
The president of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, opened the event by thanking the Portuguese Delegation and the Heads of State present, adding that the candidacy supposes «more than a union it is a fusion, because football forms our joint DNA, as well than the way of being of our people » . He also affirmed that he is sure that they will make “a great team so that we can all show our values together.” Finally, he sent a message to the National Federations of the world of football: “If they trust us when they come to our countries, they will find a unique setting .” The president of the RFEF ended by claiming that “the success of Portugal and Spain will also be the success of FIFA.”
“The two countries deserve to organize a World Cup”
Then Fernando Soares Gomes da Silva , the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, assured that “being able to organize this World Cup is something that both countries deserve a lot .” In addition, he wanted to conclude by underlining that the countries are going to fight to “guarantee that the 2030 World Cup is in the Iberian Peninsula.”
The event closed with the protocol photographs along with the exchange of shirts between the two heads of state before the start of the meeting between Spain and Portugal at the Wanda Metropolitano, which ended with a draw on the scoreboard ( 0-0 ).