Teams from half the world's countries have historically participated in the Costa Blanca Cup
The international summer youth soccer and futsal tournament par excellence has been committed to internationalization since its inception more than 30 years ago, and by 2025 it will reach record numbers: a total of 305 teams participating, and a specific number of foreign teams from 30 countries
The Costa Blanca Cup 2025 was presented this Friday at the Torrejó building in Benidorm. A new edition of the international youth soccer and futsal tournament is here, having become the quintessential summer event for youth categories due to its history and quality. It has been 31 years since the championship debuted on F11 and F8 pitches, and this year also marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the indoor tournament. But the concept of internationalization has been essential, key, foundational, a pillar, since its origins in the mid-1990s.
The organization, Tour-Sport Promociones Deportivas, launched in 1994 to build a tournament not only established in youth soccer, but also one that would have international reach. Overall, based on the accumulated history, it is clear that teams from nine countries already entered the first edition, and today there are 90 registered teams from the 31 editions. That is, almost half of the world's countries (there are 193 recognized countries) have participated in the Costa Blanca Cup, which is centered in Benidorm, although it is held in different locations in the Marina Alta and Marina Baja regions.
"This international nature provides quality and prestige to the tournament and brings significant benefits in terms of sporting development, cultural exchange, visibility, opportunities, and personal growth for participants. It also has a greater economic impact, as the spending and accommodation costs of foreign participants and their companions are significantly higher than those of national participants," explained tournament director Fernando Brotons during the presentation.
For his part, José Javier Jordá, Councilor for Sports at Benidorm City Council, emphasized that this is the "31st edition of a tournament that is extremely well-established both in football and in its twenty years in futsal. The figures from this 31st edition demonstrate this and highlight all this growth and this great sporting event. I would like to thank the organizers for innovating, showcasing Benidorm, and for the attendance figures for a unique event that will remain in the memories of all the boys and girls who have participated in and will participate in the Costa Blanca Cup."
The 2025 edition stands out for being a record-breaking event. At the close of the registration phase, the organizer, Tour-Sport Promociones Deportivas, will organize a tournament that will feature a total of 305 teams from 30 countries. It will all kick off with the indoor competition, which will take place between July 2 and 6. Soccer will then follow, now in its thirty-first edition, which will be held between July 6 and 12.
In the case of the Costa Blanca Cup Futsal, which has historically seen the participation of 1,050 teams from 25 different countries over 20 years, for 2025, the figures released with the closing of the futsal registration phase reveal that a total of 97 teams from eleven countries will participate. Up to 38 foreign teams will participate in the various venues in the Marina Alta and Baja regions, 37 Spanish teams (specifically from outside the Valencian Community), and 22 Valencian teams will participate.
On an international level, the return of Brazil, a powerhouse in the futsal world, after several years, is notable. From Europe, teams from France, Spain, England, and Belgium will be present, especially in the futsal competition. For the first time in futsal, the United States will be present. Also significant is the participation of teams from Taiwan, Lebanon, and Venezuela. In the case of the international youth soccer tournament, there will be 208 teams, representing up to 19 countries. While there will be a notable local mix, with 51 teams, the actual numbers of clubs from outside the Valencian region are even: there will be 80 teams from the rest of Spain and 77 from abroad. Internationally, the consolidation of participation by teams from two regions of the world is important.
On the one hand, the Middle East with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. On the other, the Caribbean, with the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico with ten teams. China returns after several years of absence, as do Brazil and Taiwan, which have doubled up in both soccer and futsal. Iceland, a country of barely 300,000 inhabitants and with very few federation members, has competed in 21 of the 31 editions of the Costa Blanca Cup. The United States' presence is also growing. Of the total number of teams participating in the two modalities that make up the Costa Blanca Cup, there will be a total of 305, coming from 30 different countries. Of these, 117 are Spanish, 115 are foreign teams (from four continents), and 73 are local teams. This total precisely underlines the fact that this is a record-breaking edition: both in terms of total participation and the participation of foreign teams. In futsal, the data indicates a 60% increase compared to 2024.
To accommodate all the people arriving to participate in this tournament—not only participants and coaching staff, but also accompanying guests—24 hotels have been promoted as a sports tourism program, accommodating 4,000 participants. A total of 719 matches will be played in both categories.
Regarding the football championship, the tournament structure is divided into age categories, both male and female, for the 11-a-side and 8-a-side football competitions. Thanks to this number of foreign teams, almost 100% of the groups will have at least one foreign team, although many groups will have two foreign teams.
A very special team: Arrels CF
The Costa Blanca Cup organizers will especially welcome, and also support their presence and participation, Arrels CF, a U19 women's team made up of players representing teams and/or localities affected by Dana, the unfortunate tragedy that hit part of the province of Valencia hard on October 29, 2024. This team was formed specifically for this representation and in tribute to their participation in the tournament, as was the case with the Valencia Cup Girls last Easter.