The Gothia Cup () is an international youth association football tournament organized by professional football club BK Häcken, which has been held annually since 1975 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Considered the biggest tournament in the world in terms of participating teams, competing youth teams throughout the world enter the competition. The Gothia Cup is also Sweden's largest annual event. Series 4 of the BBC's Jamie Johnson (TV series) portrays Phoenix FC, a grassroots football club competing in the Gothia Cup.
Overview
Spanning one week the Gothia Cup is a youth association football tournament held annually in Gothenburg, Sweden, open for both boys and girls of ages 11 to 18. In terms of participants, it is the world's largest youth football tournament, with ~40,000 participants in 2017 vs. Norway Cup's (the second largest) ~30,000. In 2017, 1730 teams from 82 nations participated, making it the most internationally diverse youth football tournament as well.
The Gothia Cup started in 1975 with 275 participating teams. In July each year, the event becomes the dominant event in Gothenburg, with (as of 2017) 4,349 games played on 110 fields, and 300,000 visitors to the center in Heden. According to the tourist authorities of Gothenburg, the 2006 Gothia Cup generated 282 million Swedish krona in tourist income for Gothenburg city and 118 million krona in tax income for Sweden.
Teams compete from across the world; such as from Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and the Czech Republic.
In 2020, for the first time since the tournament's inaugural season, the tournament was not held, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.
Gothia Cup China The concept of Gothia Cup was exported to China in the 2010s. In 2016, the Gothia Cup China, a sister tournament to the Gothia Cup, was established in Shenyang, China. The inaugural Gothia Cup China took place from 13 to 19 August 2016 at the newly built Gothia Cup Football Park. The tournament featured 250 participating teams from 20 nations, although a reliable citation is needed to support this information.
Famous participants This list includes notable players who played in Gothia Cup in their youth and later had been playing for their national teams.
Emmanuel Adebayor (with Les Eperviers) Xabi Alonso (with Antiguoko) Joel Asoro (won with IF Brommapojkarna 2010) Júlio Baptista (with Pequeninos do Jockey) Yassine Bounou (with Wydad AC) Gordon Durie (with Hill of Beath Swifts) Marco Etcheverry (with AD Tahuichi) Tobias Hysén Zlatan Ibrahimović (with Malmo) Odilon Kossounou (with ASEC Mimosas) Dejan Kulusevski (won with IF Brommapojkarna 2010) Kim Källström (with BK Häcken 1997; with Partille IF 1996) Egy Maulana Vikri (with ASIOP Apacinti) Fabián Orellana (with CSD Colo Colo) Andrea Pirlo (with USD Voluntas) Erwin Sánchez (with AD Tahuichi) Slobodan Savić (with Jugović Kać) Alan Shearer (with Wellington Juniors) Gylfi Sigurdsson (with Fimleikafelag Hafnarfjarðar F.H.) Bruno Viana (with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube) Cristian Zaccardo (with FC Spilamberto) Anurak Srikerd (with Thamrong Thai Samosorn) Zé Roberto (with Pequeninos do Jockey) Fiete Arp (with KFV Segeberg) Morten Behrens (won with KFV Segeberg 2008) Thore Jacobsen (won with KFV Segeberg 2008) Lucas Bergvall (won with IF Brommapojkarna 2019)
Champions +2025Age GroupWinner Runner UpResultBoys U-18Sporting Supreme, Varbergs BoIS FC, 4-0Boys U-17EBeyond Limits, ASEC Mimosas, 8-7Boys U-17SV Eichede, SV Rugenbergen, 3-0Boys U-16Nigerian Eagles, Maryland Bobcats FC, 3-0SEF Trophy (Boys15)IFK Göteborg, Sollentuna FK, 2-1Boys U-15Miami FC, HBK Linköping, 7-6Boys U-14IFK Göteborg, Imperial Future, 8-7Boys U-14BMinerva Academy FC, CEF 18 Tucuman 1, 4-0Boys U-13SKF Academy Persib Cimahi, FC Stockholm Internazionale, 5-1Boys U-12Club Niupi, Section Elite Academy, 5-1Girls U-18IFK Göteborg, AG Caen Football, 3-0Girls U-17EMinnesota Thunder Academy, FCNE, 1-0Girls U-17Älvsjö AIK FF 1, Hønefoss BK, 5-0Girls U-16Fredrikstad FK, Sydney University SFC, 6-5Girls U-15Enskede IK, Team Odense Q, 5-0Girls U-14Panthera FC, Breidablik, 6-1Girls U-14BVolf Soccer Academy, Alnö IF, 7-6Girls U-13Makati FC, San Francisco Seals, 6-0Girls U-12Pama, IF Brommapojkarna, 4-0GSOT 1Special Olympics Uzbekistan, Insuperabili, 2-0GSOT 2Special Olympics Bharat, Special Olympics Poland, 3-1GSOT 3Special Olympics Germany 1, Trollenäs IF, 7-6GSOT 4Special Olympics Hong Kong, FIFH, 5-1GSOT 5Special Olympics Germany 2, Special Olympics Uzbekistan, 1-0 +2024Age GroupTeam 1Team 2ResultsB18Jusball FC, FK Lillehammer, 0-1B17ESporting Lagos, FC Tokyo, 4-0B17Swindon Town FITC Red, AFC Eskilstuna, 0-2B16Stjarnan 1, NorCal Premier PDP, 6-7SEF Trophy (B15)IF Brommapojkarna, Malmö FF, 1-2B15Imperial Future, RS Sports, 4-2B14MUKP Dabrowa Gornicza, CD Mercedarios, 0-2B14BIntercups MX, Empire FC, 5-1B13Makati FC, Utsiktens BK, 6-4B12Fútbol Consultants Edson Soto, Vicente del Bosque Academy Orange, 2-0B11RS Sports, GAIS, 3-5G18Sogndal FK Damer, IK Uppsala Fotboll, 1-3G17ECerezo Osaka, NorCal Premier PDP, 1-0G17Jitex BK, NorCal Premier PDP, 0-5G16Throttur FC, Lerums IS, 3-0G15Dallas Texans Soccer Club, Iconz Elite, 1-0G14Hammarby IF, Iconz Elite, 5-3G14BBorgeby FK, Enskede IK, 7-5G13Hammarby IF, Jitex BK, 2-0G12Makati FC, Hammarby IF, 5-0G11Djurgårdens IF, Hammarby IF, 1-5GSOT 1Special Olympics Uzbekistan 1Special Olympics, 4-1GSOT 2Special Olympics, Special Olympics Indonesia DKI Jakarta1-2GSOT 3SKF India Special OlympicsParasport Danmark 24-3GSOT 4Special Olympics Uzbekistan GirlsSpecial Olympics Lithuania Girls2-0
+2023Age GroupTeam 1Team 2ResultsB18Utsiktens BK, Live your world cup4-2B17ERight to DreamAIK FF2-1B17CD Inter Vista AlegreJFV A/O/B/H/H2-0B16Lillestrøm SK, ED Moratalaz0-1SEF Trophy (B15)IFK Göteborg, Djurgårdens IF5-4B15Burgos CF, BK Höllviken/Skanör Falsterbo IF Black1-0B14San Francisco DeltasNorrby IF1-2B14BSaleby/Trässberg/Norra HäreneHisingsbacka FC4-2B13Minerva Academy FC, Ordin FC3-1B12Barra CFISFC New England8-7B11Academia Sebastian RocoNorrby IF0-1G18Jitex BKVarbergs BoIS FC1-0G17ENorCal Premier PDPMinnesota Thunder Academy1-5G17IFK GöteborgBK Häcken3-2G16SV Eutingen AS Laval2-1G15Northumberland Country Schools FABoo FF0-3G14KAHammarby IF FF0-1G14BMakati FCKvarnsvedens IK8-9G13Kjelsås ILOGC Nice3-1G12Hammarby IF FFFC New England4-3G11Lonestars SCHammarby IF FF2-0GSOT 1Olympique de Grande Synthe section adaptéeSkalborg SK Parasport4-1GSOT 2FIFHTrollenäs IF2-0GSOT 3Special Olympics Devils DevilsHannover 18965-0GSOT 4Special Olympics HK, Bremer Fußball-Verband2-3
See also List of sporting events in Sweden
References
Further reading
External links
Worldstride Excel