Pedro Sánchez announces awarding the Gold Medal and Gold Plaque for Sporting Merit to the women's national football team, the winners of the World Cup

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

This morning, the acting President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, met the Spanish Women's National Football Team - winners of the FIFA World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand - at Moncloa Palace.

In his speech, the head of the Executive announced that the Council of Ministers would award the gold medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit to each of the sportswomen, and the gold plaque to the whole of the national team and the coaching staff.

Sánchez expressed his "heartfelt thanks, on behalf of all Spaniards, for what you have done, how you did it and how you made us enjoy it", to win the World Cup.

"A success", he underlined, "which logically belongs to you as a generation, but which also pays tribute to many other generations of players and coaching staff who have preceded you, who have worked sometimes very anonymously in the public eye, and who see themselves reflected in what you have achieved".

Sánchez expressed his conviction that this World Cup "is going to be the start of many good things" for women's football and for women's sport in our country", with which "all public administrations must be involved", regardless of their political persuasion.

Non official translation