Portugal pave way for 2018 World Cup candidature

Joint bid with Spain in the offing

The president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Gilberto Madail, is continuing to advocate the idea he first mooted in 2007 of organising the 2018 World Cup jointly with Spain.

Madail revealed in a public debate on the subject that an opinion poll found that 85 percent of the Portuguese population would support the candidature.

The president also argued that “the State coffers would not be significantly overburdened,” citing the hosting of the Euro 2004 as an example. “The Portuguese State only needed to invest ten percent of the costs, which translated into 100 million euros, 25 million each year for a four-year period,” said the FPF head.

Madail added that he expected the matter to be further discussed with Spain during this summer’s European Championships, with the next step being to request “an audience with the Government.”

Government support

Significantly, the Secretary of State of Youth and Sport, Laurentino Dias, gave his backing to the initiative.

Dias said “The Euro 2004 tournament economically speaking did not make a loss – it in fact made a profit. But Portugal is not big enough to organise the Olympic Games or a World Cup alone.

“However, I think Portugal would have a lot to gain from a joint bid with Spain. There has to be excellent relations between the football federations of the two countries, then the governments will have to get involved.

“It will be a difficult process and for it to come about both countries will have to make concessions. It’s no use speaking too much publicly about the subject. It’s time to work behind the scenes.”