Last week, two dynamic Nations Games tournaments took place in Sofia (Bulgaria) and Herceg Novi (Montenegro). These two tournaments were used as preparation for the upcoming WMF World Cup, which will take place in just under a months time in Baku, Azerbaijan.
🇧🇬 Nations Games Sofia
Sofia, Bulgaria – a city where the Champions League and EMF Eurocup will also take place later this year – welcomed elite national teams for the Nations Games. After successfully hosting the EMF Eurocup in 2023 and 2024, Bulgaria is further solidifying its reputation. In the capital, Sofia, three national teams met: Romania, Bulgaria and Israel.
Romania, the reigning world champions and one of the main favourites for the upcoming World Cup, showed impressive dominance by defeating Israel 2-1 in the final.
Bulgaria, supported by passionate home fans, showed strong potential and is expected to make a significant impact at the World Cup.
Israel, meanwhile, delivered a promising performance and with its fearless style of play, caught the attention of many – making them one of the contenders for the 2025 tournament in Baku.
🇲🇪 Nations Games Herceg Novi
In the town of Herceg Novi, Montenegro, another exciting edition of the Nations Games took place at the historic Polino Arena – the same venue that hosted the EMF Champions League in 2022. This tournament brought together strong teams, many of which are considered major contenders for the upcoming World Cup:
• Azerbaijan, the host nation of the WMF World Cup 2025, showcased their strength by winning the tournament and sending a clear message to all their rivals.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, who proudly hosted the EMF EURO 2024 in Sarajevo, demonstrated their growing strength and resilience.
• Montenegro, the home team, delivered an impressive performance and confirmed their reputation as a force in European Minifootball.
• Kazakhstan, the silver medalist from the WMF World Cup 2023, once again showed consistency and high-level play.
• Turkey impressed with their ambition and energy, further cementing their reputation as a serious dark horse heading into the Baku tournament.
The Nations Games in Herceg Novi provided intense competition and valuable final tests for these teams, ensuring they will arrive at the World Cup battle-ready.
This week, the final tournament of the Nations Games series will take place in Košice, Slovakia, a city that hosted the EMF EURO 2022. In Košice, we can look forward to matches between the following teams: Slovakia, Poland, Belgium, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Hungary.