2022-12-15
We live in uncertain times, marked by conflicts and global crises. The world is divided. The FIFA World Cup, through the power of football, will bring people together to cross borders, come together and celebrate together.
Football Unites the World is a global movement that seeks to inspire, unite and develop through football. Some FIFA Legends have shared with us their stories of how football brought their respective countries together in uncertain times, and before the kick-off at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, we open the chest of memories with David Suazo.
Suazo was international with Honduras and also played for Benfica in Portugal, Inter Milan and Cagliari in Italy, among other European clubs.
“My first memory is a very happy one, because when we qualified for the World Cup we hadn’t participated for 28 years. It was unforgettable. Imagine what that means for Honduras. It was like going to the World Cup for the first time.”
In addition to being part of Inter, where he won the treble in 2009/2010, his qualification and participation with Honduras in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is an achievement that he remembers with great affection and pride because of how much it meant to his compatriots.
“For us it was like winning the World Cup, for such a small country. Just being able to make it to the World Cup in South Africa, that alone felt like winning to us. Imagine the emotion of seeing all your dreams come true ”, he begins by saying a former striker.
“I was already a grown man, I was over 30 at the time and it was amazing to feel those emotions and how you make your country feel after all those years without qualifying for such an important competition.”
After ugly defeats against Chile and Spain and a draw with Switzerland, Honduras failed to advance to the round of 16. But beyond the merely sporting result, the international scene has allowed Suazo to realize what a powerful tool football is for unification, especially during the FIFA World Cup.
“This is the most incredible thing that football gives you. It has nothing to do with race or language. It only takes one ball to show how united a group of 20, 25 or 30 people is.”