Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:52 pm on 7 June 2022.
I think the fact that, even on this momentous occasion, the first thing the Welsh players did was to comfort the Ukrainian players and to applaud the Ukrainian supporters, I think was an encapsulation of the best of our Welsh values of compassion and internationalism.
The chief executive, Noel Mooney, if we could only bottle that Celtic energy, would be more popular than Guinness. He said that they're not just the football association, they're a movement, and in so many ways, they embody the values of the Wales we want to see: modern, bilingual, creative, inclusive. So, how can we use the World Cup, with its unparalleled global audience, to project that image of that Wales? The FAW have a lot on their plate, don't they, not least a few games they want to win this week? So, will the Welsh Government be setting up a team with people from across different sectors to exploit this fantastic opportunity for Wales? The FAW had their first meeting to plan for Qatar at 9.00 p.m on Sunday evening, and another one at breakfast the next morning. Can we show the same sense of urgency and commitment as them at the national level to maximise this opportunity?