Game on! Huge football tournament for kids kicks off with more than 1,000 teams
Lisahally Rovers are among the local teams taking part
- Published
The World Cup is over, but the Foyle Cup is just getting started!
But wait, what's the Foyle Cup?
It's a HUGE football tournament in Northern Ireland that has been running since 1992 and teams from all over the world take part.
This year, a record 1,013 teams are taking part, making it the largest Foyle Cup in the tournament's 34-year history.
Almost 4,000 matches are scheduled to take place across more than 60 venues!
It officially kicked off on Monday, with thousands of young footballers from Europe and North America taking part in the traditional opening parade in Londonderry.
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Good Lad Soccer from Florida has brought more than 70 players to Northern Ireland
Among the teams is Good Lad Soccer, a Florida-based football programme.
It's brought 70 players to take part in the tournament.
Including Eden, who said: "I am so excited for the Foyle Cup and we are going to bring home the gold."
"I like how all the countries come together," said Conor, another player from Florida.
"It is a really big cup, it is like the new World Cup."
Young footballers took part in the Foyle Cup opening parade
Diolain Ward, the tournament's secretary, said it operates on a "scale few events anywhere in Europe can match".
"Months of planning have brought us to today, but now it's over to the players. We look forward to watching thousands of young footballers enjoy six fantastic days of competition, friendship and memories that will stay with them long after the final whistle," he added.
The opening parade is one of the highlights of tournament week with players and coaches being cheered on by huge crowds.
Tournament organisers said they were expecting crowds of more than 200,000 people during the week-long event.
It's a big change from 1992, when just eight teams played in the first Foyle Cup!
Good luck to everyone taking part!
Do you play football or maybe you like watching football? Let us know in the comments.
