President Luiz Inácio Lula participated, this Thursday (26), in the official ceremony 2026 FIFA World Cup Cup Tourat Palácio do Planalto. Former football players, such as Cafu, Jairzinho, Branco, Edmílson, Pepe and former athlete Formiga, from the Women’s National Team, were also present at the event, in addition to ministers and other authorities.
With just over three months to go until the start of the men’s World Cup, which this year will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States (USA), the legendary tournament cup has toured dozens of countries. In Brazil, the 18-carat solid gold object, which weighs around 6 kilograms (kg), had already passed through São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, before the federal capital.
The event is part of a global initiative organized by the International Football Federation (FIFA), organizer of the World Cup, in partnership with Coca-Cola, the sponsoring company, which takes the original trophy to different countries before the World Cup.
Gender inequality
When speaking at the event, Lula made an emphatic defense of women’s football, remembering that Brazil will host the women’s World Cupnext year. It was expected that the women’s tournament cup would also be presented at this Thursday’s ceremony, but due to logistical problems this ended up not happening, according to those responsible for the ceremony.
“This World Cup [de futebol feminino] It has some ingredients. First, we need to start valuing women’s football as it deserves to be valued”, said Lula.
The president compared the fact that there are male players earning monthly salaries of R$1.5 million, even on the bench and without playing, while female players on the Brazilian team earn around R$20,000 or even much lower salaries, such as R$5,000 at clubs.
“The valorization of male players and the devaluation of female players is nonsense. This is a process called gender prejudice. It’s the difference that exists in sexist society in the treatment they give to women. They deserved to earn a little more, because they are professionals, they make a living from it, they take care of their families by playing football. I think this World Cup is an encouragement so that we can, after the World Cup is over, go out with women who are much more valued, as professionals, to become respected in the same way as men are today”, he added.
President Lula during the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Women’s World Cup trophy presentation ceremony, held at Palácio do Planalto. Photo: Valter Campanato/Agência Brasil
Redemption
In his speech, Lula stated that the women’s World Cup, in 2027, will be Brazil’s chance to redeem itself from what he called an “embarrassment” in 2014. That year, the country hosted the men’s tournament, which was marked by the historic 7-1 defeat in the semifinal game against Germany.
According to Lula, however, it was not an embarrassment for the players, but for the moment the country was going through, which he classified as “delicate, irritating and nervous”. He also cited what he considered “unforgettable lies about corruption” told in the context of the construction work on the stadiums for the 2014 World Cup and the boos suffered by then president Dilma Rousseff during the event.
Then, when referring to the current moment, Lula stated that the country is experiencing a much more optimistic scenario, with improvements in economic and social indicators. According to him, the moment is favorable for Brazil to regain its leading role in football as well.
“We will not let anything outside of football shake the spirit of our warriors and let this World Cup be an example that 2014 cannot be,” said Lula.
The president also cited the pact against feminicide when remembering the more than 1,700 women murdered last year and encouraged women to fill stadiums next year, during the Women’s World Cup.
2026 World Cup
Regarding the men’s tournament, the president said he had spoken with coach Carlo Ancelotti and said he was “convinced” of winning the sixth championship.
“I spoke to Ancelotti and I found him to be an extremely serious figure, with his head on straight. And when a coach is serious, normally the players know they have responsibility. I am convinced that we are going to win this World Cup”, he highlighted.
