SOCCA World Cup announced

The SOCCA World Cup 2026 is coming back to Essen, Germany.

From August 28th until September 6th, 2026, Kennedyplatz in the heart of Essen will once again become the center stage of international small-sided football as the world’s best socca nations return to one of the sport’s most iconic locations.

The announcement was revealed directly after the final of the SOCCA Euro on May 24th, followed by the official event video release across the social media channels of the International Socca Federation and the German Small-Sided Football Association one day later.

For SOCCA, the return to Essen represents the continuation of one of the most memorable tournaments in the history of the sport.

Back in 2023, Essen hosted the SOCCA World Cup for the first time and delivered an event that quickly became legendary within the global socca community. Over ten matchdays, more than 130,000 spectators attended the tournament live on-site, creating an atmosphere unlike anything seen before in small-sided football.

The ISF pop-up stadium in the middle of the city center transformed Kennedyplatz into the beating heart of world socca, bringing together fans, players, and nations from across the globe in a unique football festival.

Now, the world championship returns to Germany with even bigger expectations and growing international attention.

Fans can once again look forward to world-class small-sided football, emotional moments, passionate supporters from around the world, and the unmistakable atmosphere that has become synonymous with SOCCA events.

Christoph Koechy, President of the International Socca Federation and the German Small-Sided Football Association, comments:

“The SOCCA World Championship 2023 in Essen was an absolute milestone for us. The atmosphere at Kennedyplatz, the passion of the fans, and the support from the entire city were truly unique. Many nations had never experienced something like this before.
That is exactly why it became clear to us very quickly that we wanted to return to Essen. The Ruhr region lives and breathes football like almost no other place in the world, and that is exactly where the heart of small-sided football belongs.
From the very beginning, we experienced an exceptionally close and trusting cooperation in Essen, especially with Essen Marketing GmbH and all local partners. The fact that so many nations explicitly wished for a return to Essen makes us proud and shows the special importance this event has now reached.”

With natural elements one key partnership has been closed which sees the dynamic brand as the naming right partner:
natural elements SOCCA World Cup 2026, here we go!

The countdown to Essen has officially begun.

SOCCA is back.

Essen is back.
Play it Big.