Doha, Qatar
Jorge Franco and Bruno Gomes are Portugal-based businessmen and unlike their ancestors who sailed off in the 15th century to discover new worlds including Qatar and do trade in these regions, trade options outside the Iberian Peninsula is certainly not on their mind, at least at this moment of time.
The duo along with their Sweden-based friend Fred are working overtime to embark on an ultimate road trip from Portugal to Qatar for this year’s FIFA World Cup to watch Selacao’s matches at the football extravaganza, the first one to be held in the Middle East.
The adventurous Portugal fans will not experience a touch of turbulence on a long-haul flight from Lisbon to Doha as and when they plan to travel to Qatar. Instead a stunning scenery and a glimpse into the soul of the two continents “ Europe and Asia - await them along the road trip.
The trio’s epic bus ride from the Iberian peninsula to the Middle East will see them drive around 8000 kilometres through 13 countries from Europe to Asia.
With Qatar celebrating the 100 days’ countdown to the World Cup last week Franco and his friends are counting the days when they will begin their travel to Qatar which is tentatively fixed for October.
“My friend Jorge Franco is going on a dream trip to Qatar along with two friends including my husband. He is the number 1 fan of Portugal. A familiar face at all the national team games for the last several years,” said Cristina Gomes, wife of Bruno Gomes while talking to The Goan.
“They will leave Portugal at the end of October. Before that the bus will be revealed to the press live in Portugal at the game in Braga,” added Cristina, whose husband is the owner of Porto Alternativo, a store for used and new items and also works in sound and light rental events.
Jorge is not new to World Cups and mega football events. He is the unofficial top-ranked fan of Portugal and a much sought-after man by media for interviews and pictures at past editions of the FIFA World Cups and also at continental events like the Euro Cup.
“My friend Jorge Franco is passionate about football and in Portugal, he has a hotel called Hotel A Selecao based on the theme of the Portuguese team. He and his friends have been following Portuguese football for many years,” Cristina said about the man who suffered a serious accident at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil while trying to travel around the South American country on a bicycle.
Cristina hopes to join her husband Bruno and many other fans who will be travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.
In 2010, Jorge along with two other friends Carlos Brum and Joaquim Batista from Torre de Belem in Portugal took a 42-day road trip from Portugal to South Africa, passing through 11 countries en route to witness the World Cup in South Africa.
The trio undertook their adventure in Brum’s 1980 Mercedes Benz van along with Jorge, a hotelier, and Joaquim, a landscaper.
Two years later, Franco arrived in Poland after cycling 3,600 kilometres to show his support for Portugal at Euro 2012.
Jorge set out from his home in Palmela, near the Portuguese capital Lisbon, and it took him seven weeks to reach Poland.
He has also been to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the next four years later in Russia and is now looking to his third World Cup in Qatar, a country which was ruled by the Portuguese for a brief period in the 16th century.
The duo along with their Sweden-based friend Fred are working overtime to embark on an ultimate road trip from Portugal to Qatar for this year’s FIFA World Cup to watch Selacao’s matches at the football extravaganza, the first one to be held in the Middle East.
The adventurous Portugal fans will not experience a touch of turbulence on a long-haul flight from Lisbon to Doha as and when they plan to travel to Qatar. Instead a stunning scenery and a glimpse into the soul of the two continents “ Europe and Asia - await them along the road trip.
The trio’s epic bus ride from the Iberian peninsula to the Middle East will see them drive around 8000 kilometres through 13 countries from Europe to Asia.
With Qatar celebrating the 100 days’ countdown to the World Cup last week Franco and his friends are counting the days when they will begin their travel to Qatar which is tentatively fixed for October.
“My friend Jorge Franco is going on a dream trip to Qatar along with two friends including my husband. He is the number 1 fan of Portugal. A familiar face at all the national team games for the last several years,” said Cristina Gomes, wife of Bruno Gomes while talking to The Goan.
“They will leave Portugal at the end of October. Before that the bus will be revealed to the press live in Portugal at the game in Braga,” added Cristina, whose husband is the owner of Porto Alternativo, a store for used and new items and also works in sound and light rental events.
Jorge is not new to World Cups and mega football events. He is the unofficial top-ranked fan of Portugal and a much sought-after man by media for interviews and pictures at past editions of the FIFA World Cups and also at continental events like the Euro Cup.
“My friend Jorge Franco is passionate about football and in Portugal, he has a hotel called Hotel A Selecao based on the theme of the Portuguese team. He and his friends have been following Portuguese football for many years,” Cristina said about the man who suffered a serious accident at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil while trying to travel around the South American country on a bicycle.
Cristina hopes to join her husband Bruno and many other fans who will be travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.
In 2010, Jorge along with two other friends Carlos Brum and Joaquim Batista from Torre de Belem in Portugal took a 42-day road trip from Portugal to South Africa, passing through 11 countries en route to witness the World Cup in South Africa.
The trio undertook their adventure in Brum’s 1980 Mercedes Benz van along with Jorge, a hotelier, and Joaquim, a landscaper.
Two years later, Franco arrived in Poland after cycling 3,600 kilometres to show his support for Portugal at Euro 2012.
Jorge set out from his home in Palmela, near the Portuguese capital Lisbon, and it took him seven weeks to reach Poland.
He has also been to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the next four years later in Russia and is now looking to his third World Cup in Qatar, a country which was ruled by the Portuguese for a brief period in the 16th century.
