DUBAI, 6 January 2022 – Two of the four international football legends who will captain teams at this weekend’s UAE All-Stars Tournament spoke at a press conference at the Dubai Cares Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai today (6 January), as the UAE Football Association, in partnership with Expo 2020, announced details of the unique initiative.
Hosted by Expo 2020 on 8 January at the Sports, Fitness & Wellbeing Hub, the tournament will bring together Patrice Evra, Míchel Salgado, Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna, to form their own all-star squads. Each captain has put together a 15-player squad, including eight football legends, stars and celebrities, three representatives of Expo’s pavilions, two rising stars and two additional players, with a minimum of three female players per squad.
Míchel Salgado said: “What Dubai has achieved so far at Expo 2020 could not have been achieved by [any other] city under the circumstances the world is going through. Only Dubai and the United Arab Emirates take the challenge of work and strengthening cooperation. Therefore, we need to be together these three remaining months of Expo 2020 to further strengthen the joint action. I am really proud to be a part of this event.”
Patrice Evra said: “I moved to Dubai in 2006 and now I can’t really recall life without it. Here in Dubai, as everyone knows, we feel safe and this cannot be said of many cities in the world today. I have great enthusiasm and passion for life. I believe that work is a blessing. I would like the children to see that every dream is possible, which is why when you live in Dubai, you see everything is possible.”
The captains of the four teams all enjoyed decorated careers, winning a slew of trophies with their clubs, including the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and French Ligue 1, as well as the UEFA Champions League.
His Excellency Khalfan Juma Belhoul, Chairman, Strategy and Investment Committee, UAE Football Association, said: “Hosting this global event, which brings together an elite group of football celebrities and stars alongside the promising talents at Expo 2020 Dubai, highlights the importance of the role that sport plays in strengthening positive communication among the various peoples of the world, and embodies Dubai’s leadership and success in hosting the most important global events in various fields.”
Mohammed Alhashmi, Chief Technology Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “The four champions share the passion for the game, and all their achievements were motivated by passion – and passion is also what motivated us to achieve what you see today at Expo 2020 Dubai, and to bring together 192 countries in one place and create a tangible delivery of the event theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.”
This initiative is supported by the UAEFA, Expo 2020, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Cares, Football for Peace, Dubai Sports Council and Adidas.
The Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub, in the Mobility District at Expo 2020, occupies a total area of 5,400 square metres and hosts a wide range of sport events, promoting physical activity as a way of life.
