The FIFA Women’s World Cup and a FIFA delegation has visited Lisbon, Portugal, the last European stop on the Trophy Tour’s 32-nation schedule, before it travels to Australia and New Zealand/Aotearoa, host nations of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, starting on 20 July 2023. Led by Secretary General Fatma Samoura, the FIFA delegation which included Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman, kicked off their engagements in Portugal by attending a workshop of the FIFA Coach Mentorship Programme, held at the Portugal Football Federation’s (FPF) Cidade do Futebol.

The programme, now in its second edition, is one of eight FIFA Women’s Development initiatives, and sees up-and-coming female coaches from across the globe being mentored by some of football’s most accomplished coaches. This edition of the programme includes two former FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning coaches, Even Pellerud (Norway in 1995) and Tina Theune (Germany in 2003) in addition to two Olympic Gold medal-winning coaches, Beverly Priestman (Canada in 2021) and Pia Sundhage (USA in 2008 and 2012).

The FIFA delegation then took part in a meeting with FPF President and FIFA Council Member Fernando Gomes. Key topics on the agenda were the preparations underway in the southern hemisphere for the ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Portugal’s excitement at the qualification of A Selecção das Quinas, for the first time ever. This was followed by fruitful discussions with FPF General Secretary Teresa Romão and Australian Ambassador to Portugal, Indra McCormick. A ceremony to unveil the iconic FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy then took place at Portugal’s National Stadium. Attending the event were members of the international diplomatic corps headquartered in Lisbon, participants in FIFA’s Coach Mentorship Programme and many excited football legends and football fans.

Speaking after the event Fatma Samoura said: “We are especially excited to be here in the home country of A Selecção das Quinas, the Portuguese women’s national team, who have qualified for the first time for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. I saw their skill in action as they qualified following a 2-1 victory over Cameroon, last February in New Zealand and I’m really looking forward to seeing what Portugal bring to the competition, along with other debutants Haiti, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Vietnam and Zambia.” A Selecção das Quinas will have their Team Base Camp in Auckland, New Zealand and will kick off their FIFA Women’s World Cup journey on Sunday, 23 July in Dunedin as they take on the Netherlands. This will be followed by a game in Hamilton on Thursday 27 July against Vietnam, and on Sunday 1 August in Auckland against the USA.