Congratulations, Portugal!

I praise the exciting and unprecedented qualification of the women's national team for the Football World Cup!

Congratulations are in order for all the athletes who reached this historic milestone, in particular the 10 Sport Lisboa e Benfica players who were involved in the qualifying process and in the play-off held in New Zealand: Sílvia Rebelo, Carole Costa, Catarina Amado, Jéssica Silva, Francisca Nazareth, Andreia Norton, Lúcia Alves, Ana Seiça, Rute Costa and Andreia Faria.

This is a moment for all of Portuguese football to be proud of its evolution in the women's game, showing, once again, that we are a country with immense talent and a very strong passion for football.

Five seasons ago, when Sport Lisboa e Benfica started competing in national competitions, we had a player called up to the national team. Today, due to the structural work undertaken at the Club and the investment made in talent, knowledge, and infrastructure, there are at least 10 professional athletes from the Club with strong potential to be a reference in the country. It is a work that we want to continue to enhance with the same quality and rigor that we have shown so far.

Congratulations, Portugal!