Lisbon Football Association marked the evolution of the sport in the country

At the medal award ceremony this afternoon in Lisbon's Paços do Concelho, Carlos Moedas recalled that it was the Lisbon Football Association (AFL) that "brought the rules to our soccer" and, with them, the professionalization of soccer in Portugal.

The first national team was Lisbon, said the Mayor of Lisbon, recalling the creation of the Lisbon Football Championship, whose first champion was the centenary Club Internacional de Foot-Ball (CIF).

Since then, the AFL has fulfilled its objectives in creating, attracting and developing talent, he said. "That's what it has done and continues to do, fulfilling the dreams of so many young people. Young people, boys and girls. And I emphasize girls, because we have more and more female athletes," added Carlos Moedas.

This is a "home for the best that is done in Lisbon, for the best that is done in Portugal", stressed the mayor, "where young people learn to set an example. Where athletes learn principles. It's a house of values that is there to help those who need it most in the most difficult times".

The recognition "values the legacy built up over time", said Vitor Filipe, president of the AFL. "The medal awarded to us today honors not only the past, marked by more than 100 years of public sports service, but also the present, made up of structuring projects, training programs and initiatives that reinforce quality and inclusion and challenge us to face the future with redoubled determination."

The Lisbon Football Association - AFL (an institution of public utility), oversees soccer competitions, clubs and athletes in the Lisbon district. It is one of the oldest associations in Portugal, founded during the monarchy on September 23, 1910.