Spain and Portugal World Cup bid boosted by Mourinho and Ronaldo

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

August 31 – Being chosen to host the 2018 World Cup would cap a perfect year for Spain, the country’s Sports Minister Jamie Lissavetzky admitted today as its joint bid with Portugal rolled out Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo to help give it a boost.

The Portuguese pair met with FIFA’s inspection team at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground as they started their second day of evaluations.

Mourinho, who recently took over as manager of the Spanish giants, told inspectors the complex was a perfect training centre for three to four teams during the World Cup.

Mourinho’s then Inter Milan and Bayern Munich trained there before the Champions League final in May and the former Chelsea manager revealed “we never saw each other.”

Lissavetzky claimed the tour, which also included Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the proposed venue for the final if Spain is chosen, was “very positive,” with FIFA giving Spain encouraging feedback over its infrastructure and security.

The visit of the FIFA delegation, led by Chilean Football Federation President Harold Mayne-Nicholls (pictured), has led to growing confidence in Spain that they are set to complete a unique double by winning the World Cup and then being awarded the event in the same year.

“The perfect end to the year, in which the greatest collective feet in Spanish sport was achieved by winning the World Cup finals in South Africa, would be that they awarded us the event to host,” Lissavetzky said.

“I am convinced it will be [Spain and Portugal for] 2018.”

After visiting Madrid, the inspection team travelled by high-speed train to Barcelona before moving on to Porto and finally Lisbon to wrap up their tour.

“Spain are one of the favourites,” said Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba who also attended the meeting.

“Everyone knows we are prepared, that football is the national sport, and that Spaniards are passionate about football.

“We have excellent stadiums, good communications, magnificent hotel capacity and very good security.

“We are there, I don’t know if we are the first choice, but it isn’t our decision.”

The FIFA Executive Committee are due to choose the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups at its meeting in Zurich on December 2.

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