A candidate for vice-president at Portugal’s Benfica football club has openly criticized the club’s campaign to secure a Guinness World Record for voter turnout, dismissing the initiative as “ridiculous” and misaligned with the club’s esteemed status.
Felipe Gomes, running on the ticket led by Noronha Lopes, voiced his disapproval on social media, specifically targeting the SMS messages sent by Benfica. These messages appealed to members to vote in large numbers in the club’s elections.
The club’s stated objective for this mass mobilization is to reach 100,000 voters, a figure that would, according to Benfica, secure an entry into the Guinness World Records.
Gomes, a former Benfica basketball player, shared images of two messages sent by the club’s services. He questioned the value of such an achievement, posting on X: “Am I the only one who finds this Guinness Record campaign ridiculous? Has anyone explained that a Guinness Record is a target of ridicule, not pride?”
In a subsequent response to a comment, Gomes further elaborated on his stance. He argued that the campaign was not only “ridiculous” but also of “dubious association.”
Gomes concluded by emphasizing that Benfica’s greatness does not require external validation from a Guinness World Record. He stated, “We don’t need Guinness for anything. We just have to show the greatness of Sport Lisboa e Benfica.”