Ten days to go until the start of Valencia Cup Girls 2026: goals achieved within the framework of intercultural sport
The international grassroots women’s football tournament consolidates its mission, linking the sporting, the international (10 countries represented), and the experiential. On an emotional note, the Referents Match will be held as a memorial to Laura Mansilla
The Valencia Cup Girls 2026, the sixth edition of the international grassroots women’s football tournament organized by Asociación Sportea, will kick off in ten days. The countdown is therefore on to the opening ceremony of the competition, which will once again take place at the Luis Puig Velodrome, followed by the moment when the ball gets rolling.
However, once the ball is in play, it will serve as proof that the organization’s objectives have been met from the outset: the purely sporting aspect, in terms of promoting and increasing the visibility of women’s football; the creation of an international framework, a key mission consistently assumed by the event’s management and supported by institutional partners; the development of a sports tourism context, based on the fact that 65% of players, coaching staff, and families will arrive in Valencia from outside Spain; and the experiential and intercultural dimension among young players, sharing the values of sport between April 2 and 5.
And how are each of these aspects addressed? The sporting element is clear. Over two and a half days of competition, a total of 73 matches will be played. A total of 32 teams will compete across the G12 category (7-a-side) and G14, G16, and G19 (all 11-a-side), in addition to the two teams that will make up the squads for the Referents Match. Around 550 players will take part in the competition, with a further 30 in the Legends Match. In total, the Valencia Cup Girls will provide a sporting platform for approximately 580 players. Strictly speaking, this figure increases with the presence, of course, of each team’s coaching staff (an average of two people), adding a further 68 individuals within the purely sporting framework.
Asociación Sportea, organizer of the Valencia Cup Girls and with organizational experience through the Costa Blanca Cup since 1994, has always supported the international model, precisely to promote healthy competition among young female players from Spain alongside players from other cultures and traditions. This approach has also been encouraged by the institutional partners supporting the tournament. While the first two editions, still limited by the different waves of COVID-19, made it very difficult to attract teams from other countries, in 2023 there were four countries represented, in 2024 there were six, and in 2025 there were five. The organization continues to meet its objectives, and in 2026 there will be 10 countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, and Northern Ireland will make their debut at the Valencia Cup Girls, while the United States, Norway, England, Italy, and the Republic of Ireland will return. Naturally, Spain is the host nation, with Valencia serving as a hub for women’s football.
From Germany, clubs such as FFC Turbine Potsdam (one team) and SG Hohensachsen (one) will participate. Northern Ireland will be represented by South Belfast YFL (one). From the Netherlands, VV SHO will compete (three teams). From Mexico, Tijuana FC will take part (one). These are the debuting nations.
However, several countries and clubs have become regular participants in the tournament. Norway and the United States are the most consistent. The American delegation will include Parkland Soccer Club (one), Selectivo San Diego (two), Rush Select (one), and DV7 NY (one), associated with David Villa. A longstanding club is Norway’s NSU Norsk Spillerutvikling (four teams), joined by Team JC (one) from the same country. From England, delegations will travel from Leeds Schools FA (one), Newbury District (one), and AFC Henley Hunters (one). The Republic of Ireland will be represented by Kerry Schoolgirls (one). From Italy, BS Soccer Team Fasano (one) will participate.
Spanish representation will be mainly focused on clubs from the Valencian Community. UE L’Alcudia (four teams), the current overall champion, will return to defend its title. Valencia CF Femenino (one) will once again take part, as will Mislata CF (one), Tavernes Blanques CF (one), CD Serranos (one), and Atlético del Turia CF (one), with the latter two also serving as host venues for some of the matches. Although some of these areas were affected by the DANA storm in October 2024, the organization also celebrates the return of the Arrels team, formed to represent clubs and/or localities affected by that event.
The Arrels players come from towns such as Paiporta, Guadassuar, Aldaia, Carcaixent, Alzira, Paterna, Corbera, Manises, Alginet, Vilamarchante, Pedralba, La Torre (Valencia), Utiel, and Requena, and they come from clubs—with the corresponding permissions to participate in this tournament—such as E1 Paiporta, UD Aldaia, CDFB L’Eliana, UD Alzira, CD Camporrobles, and Feme Castellón (futsal). Naturally, clubs officially registered in the tournament also represent affected areas.
Two further key parameters underpinning the tournament are reflected in all of the above. A total of 63% of participating teams come from outside Spain. Not only players and coaching staff will travel to Valencia, but also family members who traditionally accompany these delegations. This results in reasonable levels of accommodation and spending within a sports tourism framework. At the same time, this connects with the intercultural experience, combining sporting activity with shared leisure moments for all teams, both Spanish and international, in an unforgettable intercultural experience.
A central moment of the Valencia Cup Girls has always been the traditional Referents Match, which offers recognition, respect, and tribute to players from different generations who have been key figures in each stage of women’s football. While this match is always special, as it serves as a role model for the teams participating in the tournament, the emotional component will be particularly significant on this occasion, as it will be a Memorial to Laura Mansilla Plata, a player of great importance in the history of Levante UD, Colegio Alemán (the origin of Valencia CF Féminas), and a member of the Valencian regional team. This match, open to the public, in honor of this player, who passed away in 2017, will take place on Saturday, April 4, at 7:00 PM at the CD Serranos ground.
Valencia Cup Girls 2026 is ready to begin. As in every edition, there is an official app providing access to schedules, results, venues, and more. It can be downloaded from the Apple or Android store by searching for “Toursport App” and selecting Valencia Cup Girls 2026. More information is available through the official website.
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