More than 650 participants distributed across 48 teams take the pitch this Saturday as the pilot tournament for the national walking football competition officially gets underway in Portugal, SAPO reported. Promoting physical activity, social interaction, and active aging for adults aged 50 and older, the new format prohibits running while establishing a competitive pathway spanning five geographic zones and concluding at the Cidade do Futebol.
Opening Rounds at Campo Vale da Pata in Molelos
The competition opens Saturday, October 31, at Campo Vale da Pata in Molelos, within the municipality of Tondela, with the opening two matchdays for Zone 1. Organized by the Associação de Futebol de Viseu under the promotion of the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, the afternoon features six participating squads divided across two fields for matches scheduled between 15:00 and 17:00 local time.
Zone 1 regional representation brings together teams from three districts. The Associação de Futebol de Viseu fields the Associação Nacional dos Aposentados da Polícia (ANAP), Sport Viseu e Benfica, and the Universidade Politécnica de Viseu. They are joined by the Câmara Municipal de Gouveia and the Núcleo das Velhas Guardas, both affiliated with the Associação de Futebol da Guarda, alongside the Associação Recreativa Alfandeguense representing the Associação de Futebol de Bragança, according to coverage from Mais Beiras.
The opening round kicks off at 15:00 with Núcleo das Velhas Guardas facing ANAP on Field 1, while Universidade Politécnica de Viseu meets Câmara Municipal de Gouveia on Field 2. At 16:00, Campo 1 hosts Associação Recreativa Alfandeguense against Viseu e Benfica, with Universidade Politécnica de Viseu simultaneously playing Núcleo das Velhas Guardas on Field 2. The second matchday concludes the afternoon at 17:00 as ANAP encounters Viseu e Benfica on Field 1 and Câmara Municipal de Gouveia plays Associação Recreativa Alfandeguense on Field 2.
Pilot Tournament Structure Across Five Geographic Zones
The broader national competition is organized into two distinct stages: an interdistrital first phase played across five geographic zones, followed by a national final, according to details released by the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. The tournament engages 17 district and regional football associations, uniting 48 teams in total.
The first phase distributes the 48 teams across five distinct regional clusters:
- Zona 1: Bragança, Guarda, and Viseu (opening matchday organized by AF Viseu)
- Zona 2: Aveiro, Braga, Porto, and Viana do Castelo (opening matchday organized by AF Aveiro)
- Zona 3: Coimbra, Leiria, Lisboa, and Santarém (opening matchday organized by AF Lisboa)
- Zona 4: Algarve, Beja, and Setúbal (opening matchday organized by AF Algarve)
- Zona 5: Angra do Heroísmo, Madeira, and Ponta Delgada (opening matchdays scheduled for November 13 and 14, 2026, organized by AF Madeira)
Rules and Path Toward the National Final at Cidade do Futebol
Walking football maintains the traditional rules of association football with one crucial adjustment: running is strictly prohibited. The modality is designed specifically for individuals aged 50 and older to encourage lifelong exercise and community building without high-impact physical strain.
Following Saturday’s opening fixtures in Molelos, the Zone 1 calendar continues with additional matchdays organized by AF Viseu in May and June 2027 before the entire competition culminates in a national final stage scheduled for June 19, 2027, at the Cidade do Futebol.
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