Helsinki Cup

At a glance

• The Helsinki Cup is the 52nd edition of a youth football tournament held from 12 to 17 July 2027 in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland.
• In 2026, 1,729 teams and about 30,000 players took part.
• There are boys' and girls' categories for ages 7 to 18, and from 2027 the category structure and match formats change.
• About 5,400 matches are played at pitches in 20 areas across Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa.
• The Finnish President is listed as its patron, and the tournament has a city-festival character with an opening parade and festival.

Venue

Urheilukatu 5, 00250 Helsinki, Finland

About the tournament

The Helsinki Cup is a youth football tournament in Helsinki, Finland, which started in 1976 and reaches its 52nd edition in 2027. In 2026, 1,729 teams and about 30,000 players from 19 countries took part, playing about 5,400 matches in 20 areas across Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa. It offers a wide range of boys' and girls' categories for ages 7 to 18, together with an opening parade and festival.

Details

The Helsinki Cup is a youth football tournament held every July in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. It started in 1976; 2026 was the 51st edition and 2027 is the 52nd. Its motto is "Everyone plays, everyone wins". The tournament is run by Helsinki Cup Oy, Finnish President Alexander Stubb is listed as its patron, and Fortum is the name partner. 📅 Tournament dates · The 2027 tournament runs for six days, from 12 to 17 July. · The finals are played over two days, Friday and Saturday. · On Friday, 8-a-side finals run from 10 am to 4 pm, followed by 11-a-side finals from 4 pm to 7:30 pm. · On Saturday, 11-a-side finals run from 8:30 am to 5 pm, followed by 8-a-side finals from 5 pm to 8:30 pm. 📍 Venues · Matches are played at pitches in 20 areas spread across three cities: Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa. · Many matches are played on natural grass pitches managed by the City of Helsinki. · The symbol after a pitch number indicates its size: small pitches for ages 7–9 have a lowercase letter, 8-a-side pitches for ages 10–13 have an uppercase letter, and full-size 11-a-side pitches for B13 and ages 14–18 use the number only. · The central event area is the Love the Ball Center at Käpylä sports park. · The finals are held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. ⚽ Categories · There are boys' and girls' categories for ages 7 to 18. · From 2027, the category structure and match formats change in line with new guidelines from the Football Association of Finland. · The age-7 categories (B7 and G7) change from 5-a-side to 4-a-side, and the entry fee for this age group is reduced significantly. · A new 5-a-side B9 trophy category is added for 9-year-old boys. · The age-10 categories remain 5-a-side, but teams wanting a higher level can choose a 7-a-side trophy category, for both boys and girls. · The 13-year-old boys' category stays 8-a-side, and the switch to full-size 11-a-side pitches starts from U14. · The B18 boys' category is discontinued, making B16 the oldest boys' category, while the G18 girls' category remains. · The level names are also simplified into three: Kilpa (competitive), Yleinen (general) and Harraste (recreational). 🏆 Participating teams · The 2026 tournament had 1,729 teams and about 30,000 players: 1,443 boys' teams and 288 girls' teams. · Teams from 18 countries besides Finland took part, making 19 countries in total. · About 5,400 matches were played across 20 areas. ⏱ Match format · Depending on the age group, matches are played 4-a-side, 5-a-side, 7-a-side, 8-a-side or 11-a-side. · Teams choose a level when registering, and the organizers may adjust a team's level if they consider it necessary. 🏟 Tournament operations · The entry fee includes tournament passes: 10 for 5-a-side teams, 15 for 8-a-side teams and 25 for 11-a-side teams. Extra passes can be bought at the tournament office for 30 euros each. · The tournament pass gives entry to the Helsinki Cup festival and the Saturday A finals. · During the tournament week, there is an opening event and opening parade, the Love the Ball Center program, the tournament mascot and the touring Love the Ball Van. · The tournament office address is Urheilukatu 5, 00250 Helsinki. 🌊 About the area · Helsinki is Finland's capital on the Baltic Sea; in July the days are long and the temperatures cool, which suits football. · As the pitches are spread across Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, teams can explore different parts of the capital region during the tournament.

How to enter

Registration for the Helsinki Cup is done through the tournament's online registration system, TorneoPal. 1. Registration for the 2027 tournament opened on 15 September 2026 and is accepted until 30 April 2027. 2. Enter your team details and category in the TorneoPal online system. 3. When registering, also choose a level (Kilpa, Yleinen or Harraste). The organizers may adjust a team's level if they consider it necessary. 4. Entry fees vary by category and match format and can be found on the categories and fees page of the official website. For the previous edition, they ranged from 415 to 525 euros per team. The entry fee includes tournament passes. 5. Teams needing accommodation and transport can request a tournament package, and the organizers' sales team will handle accommodation bookings and travel arrangements. Partner hotels such as Scandic are also listed separately. 6. Cancellations notified by email to the tournament office by the registration deadline are free of charge; the cancellation is complete once the office confirms receipt. This condition does not apply to accommodation bookings. 📌 Registration summary · Application: TorneoPal online registration system · Registration period: 15 September 2026 – 30 April 2027 · Choices: level (Kilpa, Yleinen or Harraste), tournament package or not · Entry fee: varies by category and match format, tournament passes included · Contact: helsinkicup@helsinkicup.fi / +358 40 640 8750

Photos

Photo source: helsinkicup.fi

Video

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Contact

Official website

helsinkicup.fi

Email

helsinkicup@helsinkicup.fi

Phone

+358 40 640 8750

Instagram

@helsinkicup