The Men’s and Women’s Soccer 7 World Cup for people with brain injury that will be played in Salou, from May 1 to 17, at the Fútbol Salou Sports Center, will have as its starting signal the Spain-Ukraine match, in the men’s modality. It should be noted that the Ukrainian team occupies the second position in the international ranking.
This morning, all the technical details were given at the press conference that took place at Salou Town Hall, with the presence of the mayor, Peter Granados ; the president of the Catalan Sports Federation for Cerebral Palsy (FECPC), Carles Muñoz; the councilor for the Promotion of Sport, Daniel Lopez; and the manager of the FECPC, Ishmael Sanchez.
The matches will bring together teams from all over the world. It should be noted that the World Cup Salou 2022 will mobilize more than 500 people, including athletes, technical staff and volunteers.
The men’s teams are from Germany, England, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Spain, Holland, Iran, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Thailand, Ukraine, USA and Venezuela. And the women, from Australia, Spain, Holland, Japan and USA.
It is noteworthy that the Spanish team will participate with a good group of Catalan athletes; that is, a total of 3 men and 5 Catalan players, as well as the women’s team.
In the men’s competition, as powerful teams are the teams from Ukraine, Iran, Brazil and USA. And in the women’s competition, the strongest teams, a priori, are USA and Australia. It is also important to note that this competition is the first Women’s World Cup organized in the history of women’s football for people with brain injury.
Likewise, there will be a women’s campus, from May 15 to 18.
The mayor of Salou, president of the Municipal Tourist Board and provincial deputy, Pere Granados, stressed this morning that “Salou is a tourist municipality that is sensitive to social diversity and inclusive in the practice of sport.” “We are happy -he said- to be able to host this world cup, which we are sure will be a great success and we appreciate the confidence of the Catalan and Spanish federations in choosing Salou as the venue for the event”.
According to him, “this important competition consolidates us in terms of sports and inclusive tourism”. And above all, in terms of football, taking into account that Salou has the Sports Tourism seal, in the form of football, awarded by the Catalan Tourism Agency, in 2013.
Lastly, the mayor highlighted “the values of volunteering in this competition, as well as the peace-making spirit of sport between cultures and nationalities”.
For his part, the president of the Catalan Sports Federation for Cerebral Palsy (FECPC), Carles Muñoz, has mentioned the presence of Ukraine in the competition, and has thanked the solidary economic collaboration, at a general level, that has allowed this country, in the difficult moment for what happens, you can participate.
Likewise, the manager of the FECPC, Ismael Sánchez, explained that on May 11 the conference will be held by the Wise association, on female empowerment in the world of sports, open to the public, at the Cambrils Park Resort, at 6 p.m.
All matches can be followed, via streaming, through the UFEC Esports + platform.
Featured dates
As outstanding dates related to the World Cup Male, which will take place from May 1 to 15, we must take into account the inauguration, which will take place on May 1, at the Stadium of the Salou Football Sports Complex, at 5:00 p.m.
The opening match between Spain and Ukraine will be played on May 1, at the mini-stadium of the Salou Football Sports Complex, at 6:00 p.m.
Regarding the group stage, they will be from May 1 to 7, and the match times will be at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The semifinals will be on May 12, at 3:30 p.m., and at 6:30 p.m. The final, on May 15, at 6:30 p.m.
And the closing ceremony and delivery of medals and trophies will take place on May 15, at 8:00 p.m.
As for the World Cup Female, which will take place from May 11 to 17, it is worth highlighting the inauguration, which will take place on the 11th, at the Salou Football Sports Complex, at 9 a.m. The opening match between Spain and Japan will be played on the same day, at the Complejo Deportivo Fútbol Salou, at 9:45 a.m.
The group stage will be from May 11 to 15. The match times will be at 9:45 am and 12:45 pm.
The 3rd and 4th will be on May 17, at 9:45 a.m. And the final, on May 17, at 12:45 p.m.
The closing ceremony and delivery of medals and trophies will be on May 17, at 1:45 p.m.
Throughout the competition and stay, the appropriate sanitary measures will be taken to guarantee the health and well-being of the participants. Some matches in which the participation of the public is essential.
For their part, the educational centers of Salou received awareness-raising sessions at the beginning of April. Some sessions in which some 1,200 students participated, in total, from the Santa María del Mar School, the Salou School, the Europa School, the Vora Mar School and the Elisabeth School. Students from the Jaume I Institute, Marta Mata and the Camp International School also took part.
The FECPC is a private non-profit entity of public utility and civic and social interest, whose purpose is the promotion and development of sport as an inclusive tool aimed at children and adolescents with cerebral palsy or brain injury that prevents them from their full motor development.
The FECPC advises public and private entities in the processes of integration and inclusion; as well as attention to diversity, through sport.