The Portuguese under-17 team landed in the early afternoon of this Saturday, November 29th, at Humberto Delgado Airport, in Lisbon, after winning the unprecedented world title on Thursday (28th), in Doha. The team, which beat Austria 1-0 in the final, was welcomed by hundreds of fans and family members who filled the arrivals area.
The players then took a panoramic bus towards Belém, singing the national anthem while celebrating the achievement. Already on the bus, Rafael Quintas, Benfica athlete and team captain, spoke to Canal 11.
“It’s an incredible moment for us”he stated, before highlighting the importance of the support received: “It’s the fans who are very important to us, who have supported us throughout this World Cup journey and we want to continue celebrating with them now.” The young midfielder also explained the relief of returning: “A month or so away. It’s a long time and now we want to enjoy it with our friends.”
Also on Canal 11, Matheus Mide, FC Porto midfielder and elected best player of the tournament, described what he felt when becoming champion. “This World Cup was the happiest thing in my life. I don’t know how to express what I’m feeling, I don’t think I really understand what happened yet,” he said. “I feel like I worked very well in this World Cup, but if it weren’t for the team’s work, it wouldn’t be possible. It’s a very special team.”
Anísio Cabral, scorer of the title goal in the final and Portugal’s top scorer in the tournament, was also greatly celebrated by the fans. Speaking to Canal 11, he said: “The final was perfect, we played with heart, we played with soul and we represented Portugal in the best possible way. Now it’s time to make the most of it, this is just once in a lifetime.”
The coach, Bino Maçães, highlighted the team’s journey over recent years. “It’s a privilege, a pride, after everything we’ve been through in the last three years. After winning the European Championship, we repeated our performance in the World Championship, with so much time away from home, difficult games, and the players had a great capacity to recover and represented Portugal in the best way.”
From the reception at the airport, the world champions will now head to Belém, where they will be received by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, before heading to the Football City, in Oeiras.