The Unity EURO Cup returns for its fourth edition and for the first time it will be hosted by the Netherlands, on the KNVB Campus (Royal Netherlands Football Association campus) in Zeist, the home of the national team. Promoted by UEFA and UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), the event unites refugees and footballers in local communities to celebrate inclusion, respect and solidarity through football. This is in line with UEFA Sustainability Strategy Policy 6 (Support for Refugees) and the FIGC Sustainability Strategy.

At the end of 2024, over 123 million people across the globe were forced to leave their homes. This number has doubled in the last decade, resulting in a lack of humanitarian resources. In this scenario, the Unity EURO Cup demonstrates how football can be a powerful tool of integration and hope. Created in 2022, it has already involved over 450 players, 300 of which were refugees. This has provided a template for other European countries. 

This year, the number of representatives has gone up to 18, including Italy. Three days of meetings and exchanges are planned from October 14 to 16. Each team is made up of seven refugees and four players from the respective national team, with at least three women in the team to ensure an inclusive and equal tournament. The matches will also be officiated by refugee referees, thanks to a project by the Dutch club Zeeburgia, which since 2019 has been training new referees and promoting inclusion within the refereeing community.

The program will kick off with the Unity EURO Cup Forum (October 14, 17:00–19:00 CEST), a discussion between federations, NGOs, and institutions on the role of sport as a tool for integration. On October 15, the opening ceremony will take place, followed by a full day of matches: 38 games in a 7-a-side format. Finally the closing ceremony with the celebration at the KNVB Campus. Among the tournament ambassadors are Anoush Dastgir, coach of the Netherlands U18 national team, and Gijs de Jong, Secretary General of the KNVB.

The Azzurri team, formed as part of the FIGC’s Youth and School Sector ReTe Refugee Teams project, will once again embody the values of equality, inclusion, and participation that define the initiative, ahead of the 2026 edition to be hosted at the iconic Federal Technical Centre in Coverciano.

The Italian team this year, other than the four national players, is made up of footballers from four different countries: four from Gambia, and one from Cameroon, Columbia and Senegal. Together they will experience an event that unites sport, personal growth and cultural exchange. 

After the positive experience of its debut in 2022, Italy will show up with the same enthusiasm and team spirit that have always been part of this wonderful adventure.