The Gothia Cup 2026 in numbers
On 12 July, thousands of young footballers will be heading to Gothenburg. That’s when the Gothia Cup, the world’s largest international football tournament, kicks off. Here are the Gothia Cup figures.
Participating teams: 1,956 teams
Boys/girls: Approximately 70/30 per cent
Number of participants (players + coaches): 45,300 people
Countries: 78
Participants since the start in 1975: Approximately 1,360,900 participants.
Nations since the start in 1975: 152
New nation in 2026: The Gambia
Pitches and matches
Pitches: 124 pitches
New pitches: Aspevallen+Rydsberg (Lerum), Landvetter IP (Härryda), Jonsereds IP
(Partille), Lillhagsplan (Gothenburg)
Number of matches: Approximately 4,900 matches.
Live-streamed matches: Approximately 3,500 matches, from 73 pitches.
Accommodation and catering
Number of schools
Gothenburg: 45
Mölndal: 8
Partille: 6
Kungsbacka: 4
Lerum: 2
Härryda: 3
Hotels: 35
Catering outlets: 57
Number of meals prepared: 486,000
Sustainability
Food saved in 2025: 13 tonnes donated to Räddningsmissionen, worth SEK 550,000
Celebrate the Planet: 35% reduction in CO2 emissions between 2023 and 2025 in the food sector.
Number of officials: 2,600 (including 650 referees).
We train young people: 46 per cent of all officials are aged 19 or under. They come from across the Gothenburg region.
Clubs: 34 clubs are involved in the cup, each contributing to the effort.
Economic impact on tourism 12–18 July: SEK 993 million
Civil defence: The tournament maintains an emergency stockpile as a resource for Gothenburg, including 9,000 mattresses. We will be supporting Gothenburg in its work with ‘Safety Points’ from this autumn onwards.
About Gothia Cup
Gothia Cup is the world’s largest and most international youth football tournament. Each year, around 1900 teams from 75 nations take part and play almost 5000 games on 140 pitches. Gothia Cup is a meeting place for the world’s youth, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or nationality, with football as the common denominator.
Contacts
