Ahead of WFS Europe’s sixth edition taking place in Sevilla from 28-29 September 2022, World Football Summit (WFS) landed in the Andalusian capital this week, with the city’s Deputy Mayor, Antonio Muñoz calling WFS Europe “one of the most important events in the sports world”.
Through an agreement between World Football Summit and the Government of Sevilla, WFS Europe will take place in the city for the next three years.
The first of which will see the global football congress bring together 2,500 in-person attendees from more than 100 countries at the Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions (Fibes), whilst 1,000 more will participate virtually in what will be the biggest event in the history of World Football Summit.
Speaking at a press conference to launch WFS Europe 2022, Muñoz expressed his excitement at the partnership and what it means for the region.
He said: “Without doubt this is one of the most important events in the sports world, and as a representative of the government of the city I have to express my satisfaction at the fact that it will be held in Sevilla.”
Both the city of Sevilla and WFS were joined at the presentation by representatives from the city’s two main clubs as well as the general manager of Granada CF. For these clubs and the entire football industry in Andalusia, the arrival of an event like WFS represents a great opportunity to drive forward a sector that in Spain makes up 1.4% of GDP.
In just five years, World Football Summit has become the largest platform for sports professionals and leaders of the industry, with 12 events hosted to date and with a presence that extends beyond Europe and into Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The sixth edition of WFS will also be the most representative in terms of gender equality. As part of World Football Summit’s pledge to Women In Football’s ‘Get Onside’ campaign, 30 percent of the speakers at the next edition will be women.
WFS director Marian Otamendi, commented: “After five editions in Madrid, bringing World Football Summit to Sevilla is a challenge that we are looking ahead to with much enthusiasm. Sevilla is a city that shares our passion for football and I am sure that we have found the ideal place for World Football Summit to continue to grow and consolidate itself as the principal meeting point for the football industry.
“The news that the next three editions of World Football Summit Europe will take place in Sevilla comes at a time when Sevilla is placing its focus on the sport, with the city hosting the Spanish national team, the King’s Cup Final in 2022 and the next Marca Sport Weekend.
“World Football Summit’s arrival in Sevilla will give strong backing to the football industry not only in Sevilla but in all of Andalusia and I am sure that it will lead to commercial transactions that are of great interest to the region.
There were a number of key footballing figures from across Andalusia in attendance and sharing their thoughts on WFS Europe’s landmark agreement with the local government, including Pablo Vilches, director of Real Betis Balompié.
He said: “For Real Betis this is an event that we’ve been actively participating in since the first edition, with our executives taking part in various panels and we’ve always come away with a lot of information, knowledge and expertise and we have developed synergies and interacted with sponsors and other clubs. We believe that it is an event that helps us and also helps all clubs to grow as a whole.”
Patricia Rodríguez, Director General of Granada CF highlighted what World Football Summit can bring to the region of Andalusia, saying: “For us, the Club, it is a pleasure and a huge opportunity to have World Football Summit come to Andalusia in the next three years.
“We believe it is a very important opportunity for us, for all the community and for all of Andalusia to try to promote sports tourism, specifically football tourism, and above all to project an image of business, of tourism and to present ourselves to the rest of the world in different aspects, from culture and business to sport.”
José María del Nido Carrasco, First Vice President of Sevilla FC, added: “In 2022 World Football Summit will be held in the city of Sevilla, as will the UEFA Europa League final, which will take place at our stadium. Sevilla Fútbol Club puts itself at the disposal of the organisers of the event and is delighted to welcome the leagues, sponsors, federations, companies and the media who will visit us from all over the world.”
Also present at the event were various representatives of companies from the sector, aware of the opportunities that an event of this stature will bring in order to generate business and grow the football industry.
The rapid growth of World Football Summit in the last five years is due in large part to the support of partners like LaLiga, the Global Partner of WFS, which also sees Andalusia as an ideal destination to promote Spanish football at an international level.
LaLiga’s General Executive Director Oscar Mayo added: “We think Sevilla is the right choice to be the home of the next editions of World Football Summit. Andalusia is the home of some of LaLiga’s most iconic clubs, who are the main exponents and ambassadors of Spanish football at an international level, and this event will help to project our values to the global football community.”
Tickets for World Football Summit 2022 are now on sale at https://worldfootballsummit.com/attend-2021/ where information can also be found on the different ways to participate.
