The Portuguese Football Players’ Union officially endorsed Hope Solo as the best candidate for the presidency of U.S. Soccer.

An English translation of the full statement follows below. For her part, Hope was thankful:

I want to express my gratitude to the Portuguese Football Players’ Union for officially endorsing my candidacy. Thank you President Joaquim Evangelista and Portugal’s @FIFPRO Women’s Football Committee member and formidable former opponent, Carla Couto. #USSFPresident

**ENGLISH TRANSLATION: PLAYERS UNION SUPPORTS HOPE SOLO’S CANDIDACY**

Former US footballer in the race for the presidency of the United States Football Federation.

The Players’ Union expresses its full support for the candidacy of Hope Solo for the presidency of the United States Football Federation (USSF). The former goalkeeper of the American football team leads one of eight candidacies for the presidency of that country’s federation, whose elections take place on February 12 of this year.

Hope Solo has led the fight for gender equality, integrity and honesty in football, principles shared by the Players’ Union, as its president Joaquim Evangelista explains. “For what she represents for her country and for world football, Hope Solo deserves our support. During her career as a player, she defended reforms in the organization of football and greater investment in women’s football around the world. He sought to be a voice of change and never settled. The Syndicate could not stop being next to this candidacy,” affirms the president of the Union of the Players.

Also Carla Couto, ambassador and delegate of the Players’ Union for women’s football, expresses support for the candidacy of the former colleague. “Hope Solo is an example and an inspiration to all of us. It was with great satisfaction that I received the news of your candidacy for the presidency of the American Federation. The reforms that soccer needs can only be achieved with a plurality of ideas and the active participation of women. The path will be difficult, as it always is for women who make a football career, but I believe Hope’s courage and determination will lead to success,” says Carla Couto.

In November 2017, Hope Solo, 36, visited Portugal and was in the headquarters of the Players’ Union in Lisbon.