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As the European Championships finish group play on Wednesday and move to this weekend’s start of knockout round action, one legendary player is high on his home country’s chances of glory in Germany – Portugal’s Luis Figo.
“Portugal has a strong team at the moment, with a good balance between very experienced players and the younger players just starting to establish themselves on an international level,” Figo said. “Like the FIFA World Cup, it will come down to small moments, so it’s always difficult to predict, but Portugal are one of 5-6 teams which will go into the tournament very confident they can win it and why not? I’m really excited to see how far they can go.”
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Figo showcased his talent in Portugal, Spain and Italy for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. On the club level, he won eight league titles (four in Spain, four in Italy) and the UEFA Champions League in 2002. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2000 and was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001. When he moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid in one of the most famous transfers in European soccer history, it was for a then-world record fee of $66.5 million US.
At international level, he scored 32 goals for Portugal in 127 appearances. He was in two World Cups, reaching the semifinals in 2006, and three European Championships, including captaining Portugal in 2004 as the hosts advanced to the final before an upset loss to Greece.
“Playing in front of a home crowd in such an important tournament is an unforgettable feeling,” Figo said. “Though it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, I felt an enormous pride for the way that we competed, and the way that our country welcomed the whole of Europe. We showed that we are capable of hosting the biggest events in the world, and doing so in a friendly, welcoming fashion.”
Figo was speaking through the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal and Spain which released advanced plans earlier this summer for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which would be the first time the men’s event is held on two continents. The bid’s slogan is YallaVamos to proactively grow the game across the globe.
“Portugal, Spain and Morocco (are) countries with football at their heart,” Figo said. “In Portugal, hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 will bring the country together like never before. I believe that we will see Portuguese people of all ages and all backgrounds come together like never before, to deliver a truly incredible event. It will of course be a great opportunity to showcase Portugal to the world and I’m excited about the potential to highlight all regions of our beautiful country.”
FIFA announced the proposed and all-but-official 2030 World Cup bid in October of last year. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host one game before the rest of the tournament heads to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. All six countries will qualify automatically for the tournament, which will in 2026 be held across North America with 48 teams competing. Keys to the bid were elaborated on throughout the event, including infrastructure, short travel times and passion of the host countries for soccer. The bid also announced its first ambassadors, featuring a Figo, Spain’s Andres Iniesta and Morocco’s Nourredine Naybet.
“Morocco, Portugal and Spain have already proved themselves by organizing other major events,” Figo said. “Through a culmination of different cultures, I believe the event will unite people through their strong passion of football and offer a great experience for visitors from across the world. … I think it can and will create a legacy that goes long beyond the tournament itself and benefit communities in Portugal for years to come.”
In line with FIFA regulations, the next step of the process comes with the formal bid submission in July ahead of a vote of the FIFA Congress later this year. Spain previously hosted the World Cup in 1982 while Morocco’s role will make it the second African country to host World Cup matches after South Africa in 2010. It will be the first time World Cup matches are held in Portugal.
“Portuguese football has a bright future,” Figo said, “(and) the same can be said for Spain, whose academies are well-known throughout the world, and Morocco, who have invested very intelligently in recent years to provide new opportunities for young players. I see no reason why all three won’t be serious contenders in 2030. With that said, a FIFA World Cup is the greatest test in football because the margin between success and failure is so thin. With the way the game is growing across the world, it will likely be the case that many teams feel confident in their ability to the tournament, and it should make for an incredible spectacle.”
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As the European Championships finish group play on Wednesday, one player is high on his home country’s chances of glory – Portugal’s Luis Figo, who also discussed Portugal’s combined bid with Morocco and Spainfor hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
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