Increasingly, sports and well-being are a concern for the people of Porto and the Greater Porto area. That’s why the Invicta city is often mentioned in some rankings. However, recent news points to a historic milestone: Porto and Gaia have been chosen as the World Capital of Sport 2028.
This is an unprecedented achievement for sport in Portugal, and the distinction was recently awarded by the Association of European Capitals and Cities of Sport (ACES Europe).
It should be remembered that Porto and Gaia were finalists, along with Buenos Aires (capital of Argentina), for the World Capital of Sport 2027, after beating Santiago de Cali, in Colombia. The final decision fell to Argentina.
However, the high quality of the bid submitted by Portugal, along with the small difference in points, led to a direct nomination. More specifically, a press release from the Vila Nova de Gaia City Council highlights the following:
[Due to] the high quality of the work presented and the minimal difference in the final evaluation, ACES Europe has decided to award Porto and Gaia – and directly – the title of World Capital of Sport 2028. This measure is provided for in the ACES regulations, which allow the city to be named a finalist the following year if the difference in score is less than five points.”
The joint candidacy of Porto and Gaia for World Capital of Sport is under the theme “Challenge The Gap / Beyond Borders” and has the support of ACES Portugal. Meanwhile, the two municipalities have already accepted the title of World Capital of Sport 2028.