BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 26. Sport, particularly football, has the unique ability to bring people together across borders, cultures and languages, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan Mark Hernandez said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
He made the remarks during the "USA-Türkiye World Cup Watch Party" hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan in Baku on June 26.
"Thank you for joining us for the breakfast and for what is showing up to be an exciting World Cup match between the United States and Türkiye," Hernandez said.
He said it was wonderful to see so many friends from Azerbaijan's sports community, colleagues and valued embassy personnel gathered for the event.
"One of the things that makes sport, and particularly football, such an amazing thing to see is its ability to bring people together across borders, cultures, and languages," he said.
According to Hernandez, no matter which team people support, everyone shares a love of competition, teamwork and fair play.
"The World Cup in particular is one of my favorite events of any sporting event worldwide," he said.
Hernandez recalled watching Roberto Baggio send his penalty over the crossbar in 1994, backpacking through France while witnessing Zinedine Zidane lead the hosts to the World Cup title in 1998, seeing the United States lose to Belgium in a pouring rainstorm in 2014, and watching Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé face off in what he described as the greatest World Cup final in 2022.
"The common theme of all that is friends, family, experiences, shared values and goals," he said.
According to Hernandez, the United States is continuing its decade of sports leading up to major global sporting events while preparing to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary next week.
"We are proud to use sport as a platform to strengthen international connections and people-to-people ties," he said.
Hernandez noted that Baku's designation as the World Capital of Sports in 2026 demonstrates how sport can inspire young people, build communities and create opportunities for collaboration.
"Today is a chance to enjoy the game, reconnect with friends, make new friends, and celebrate the spirit of international sport that unites us all," he said.
He thanked guests once again for attending the breakfast gathering and concluded his remarks by wishing everyone an enjoyable match and cheering on Team USA.
