"My first memory is a very happy one because when we made it to the World Cup, we hadn’t taken part in it for 28 years. It was unforgettable. Imagine what that means to Honduras. It was like going to the World Cup for the first time."
We are living in uncertain times filled with conflicts and global crises. The world is divided.
The FIFA World Cup, through the power of football, will bring people together to cross borders, unite and celebrate together.
Football Unites the World will be a global movement to inspire, unite and develop through football. FIFA Legends have shared their stories of how football united their respective countries during uncertain times. Before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 kicked off, we took David Suazo for a walk down memory lane.
David Suazo is a FIFA Legend and a former Honduran international who also played as a striker for Benfica, Inter Milan, and Cagliari, among other European clubs. Besides being part of the Inter Milan squad that won the Treble in the 2009/10 season, his qualification and participation with Honduras at the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010™ is an achievement he remembers with special pride and fondness because of what it meant for the people of his country.
"For us, it felt like winning the World Cup, for such a small country. Just to be able to make it to the World Cup in South Africa, that alone felt like winning it. Imagine the emotion of seeing all your dreams come true."
"I was already a grown man; I was over 30 by that time and it was amazing to feel these emotions and how you make your country feel after all those years of not making it to such an important competition." After two defeats against Chile and Spain, and a draw against Switzerland, Honduras couldn’t advance to the round of 16. But, beyond the sporting result, playing international football has made Suazo realize how powerful football is as a tool for unification, especially during the FIFA World Cup.
"This is the most amazing thing football gives you. It’s not about race or language. You only need a ball to show how much a group of 20, 25, 30 people are united."