Prime Minister António Costa visited on Tuesday the Portugal women’s football team preparing for the 2023 World Cup, following a “historical fact” that was an unprecedented qualification for the competition.
“The presence of Portugal at the World Cup is an absolutely historical fact, demonstrating the work of the federation and clubs in promoting women’s football,” the minister said on air of the Portuguese Football Federation TV channel.
According to António Costa, the group headed by Francisco Neto has “tremendous talent and quality” and wishes everyone “good luck at this stage of preparation”.
Those led by Francisco Neto will face Japan on Friday at 17:00 and Wales on the 11th at 17:30 in preparatory games to be played at the D. Afonso Henriques Stadium in Guimarães.
In February, the national team secured an unprecedented qualification for the Women’s World Cup by defeating Cameroon 2–1 in the Group A final of the Intercontinental Play-off.
Mundial2023 runs from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
Portugal are in Group E of the competition along with the United States, current world title holders, the Netherlands as runners-up and Vietnam, who, like the Portuguese team, are in the final phase for the first time. World Cup qualification. The first two groups advanced to the 1/8 finals.
The Portuguese team will make their debut on July 23 against the Dutch, four days later, on July 27, they will meet with the Vietnamese, and on August 1 will complete their participation in the group stage against the North Americans.