The summer of 2024 will always be remembered as the one in which Spain became a world football power again. First it was the Women’s team the one that, just a year earlier, in August 2023, won the World Cup held in New Zealand for the first time in history, and now it has been the boys who have confirmed this trend with two victories in the Euro Cup Germany and in the Olympics from Paris. But, although very few people are aware of it, they are not the only ones who are celebrating…
Last July took place, in Australiathe World Medical Football Championship (WMFC), an event held annually that brings together professionals from all over the world united by, in this case, two common passions: caring for patients and playing sports. This year, Spain was represented by the city of Córdoba, whose players come mostly from the Reina Sofia University Hospital“Here they don’t do it like in other countries, where they have pure and hard teams with doctors from all over. Here there is a national league, which is already in its thirtieth edition, and the winner is the one who goes to the World Cup,” he explains to ConSalud.es Rafael Reyes Vallejoa doctor from the Emergency Service at the aforementioned hospital in Cordoba and “central o lateralas the occasion requires” when putting on his football boots.
“We take it very seriously, we try to make it as similar to a club as possible”
Sixteen teams compete in this National Medical Football Championship, which also meet every year in the same city. In 2024, the venue has been Jerez de la Fronteraand professionals from Cantabria, Guadalajara, Badajoz, Murcia, León, Mallorca, Madrid… and even Las Palmas have traveled there. However, it was the 2023 edition, in Hello, which gave Córdoba the privilege of travelling to Australia, after the winning team, Vizcaya, decided not to attend due to the complexities that such a trip presents.
“You do get some of that.” financing “We had a lot of support from the College of Physicians in your province, and we got some sponsors for the shirts, but the rest was our responsibility. The truth is that the other countries have had a bit more support, but it’s also what I say: this is like a mini vacation, so it’s difficult to get the money,” Reyes Vallejo admits. The World Medical Football Championship lasts a week, and, explains the physician, his “only” commitment is to play in the mornings. The afternoons are dedicated to doing sports. turismoand there have even been some doctors -and footballers– Caliphs who have travelled to Australia before or stayed afterwards: “It was an incredible experience.”
“During the year we play local tournaments to try to help with charitable events and to promote the health of patients”
But also in football. Although the team from Córdoba began to participate in the league just three years ago -although they had already been playing football for seven or eight years and looking to enter it-, they reached the semi-finals of the tournament… losing on penalties against the host. Afterwards, they played for third and fourth place against Poland, who beat them 4-0. All their progress in the World Cup could be followed through the photos and videos that they published on their Instagram profile. “This is a hobby, our profession is to be doctors, but we take it seriously. We try to make it as similar as possible to a club, with coach, honorary president, training every week…”, says the doctor.
In fact, in order not to be able to practice for the annual national tournament, during the year they play local championships in the city itself. Córdoba or in nearby regions, “always collaborating with associations against cancer or of a similar nature”: “We also try to get together to play with the firefighters, and this year we even had the opportunity to play a match at El Arcángel, the stadium of the Córdoba Club de Fútbol, for the farewell of the footballer Javi Flores and in favor of children with oncohematology”. “On the one hand, we seek to help in charitable events and, on the other, to promote the health of both ourselves and the patients, because in the end we are the ones who have to set the most example”, says Reyes Vallejo.
ALMOST ALL THE SPECIALTIES PRESENT IN THE GREEN
The team is made up of doctors from all specialties. Emergency physicianssurgeons, gynecologists, digestive specialists, cardiologists… and, of course, traumatologists. “This year there was a player who suffered a dislocated shoulder, and the team’s traumatologist had to act quickly. It never hurts to have one,” admits the doctor, president of the Córdoba team and one of the members of the board that organizes the national championship, which they are trying to expand to 20 or 24 teams, laughing: “There are many who are behind, but they have to meet a series of requirements. For example, on the field there has to be people over 35 years oldwith the idea of limiting the competitiveness a little. Sometimes it is difficult.”
“There must be people over 35 years old in the field, with the idea of limiting competitiveness a little”
And the ultimate goal, Reyes Vallejo insists, is none other than to hang out with colleagues from other parts of Spain… or, in his recent case, the world: “We have met people from Australia, from Poland… with whom we have even arranged to meet.” play more tournaments “In addition to the World Cup, it is something super nice.” “In addition, in our case it happened from one day to the next. They told us that the winning team had fallen, and in a month we had to get a new coach, organize everything… because, of course, coordination is not easy either, and you have to give one year’s notice. It is difficult to commit yourself, and there are many doctors leaving the hospital at the same time.” In fact, he admits, in many national championships “mini congresses” have had to be organized to be able to justify those days of absence.
With the hangover from the World Cup still lingering, and a defeat on penalties that left them “physically and mentally devastated”, the next objective is clear: to win the next national tournament, which is played in Murcia, and to go to the World Cup in Canada. “In three years I think we have achieved a lot. We have moved well, we have a lot of support in Córdoba, I personally have done a lot of interviews, and that makes us have desire to continue“, he says.
