More than two hundred teenagers and young adults gathered with a shared scar, a distinct look in their eyes, and a common passion that heals. On October 9 and 10, the S. Pertini Sports Center in Cornaredo, Milan, hosts the 2026 Winners Cup, a seven-a-side football tournament featuring 16 squads of players aged 15 to 21 who are currently undergoing cancer treatment or are in follow-up care.
The event is organized by FC Internazionale Milano alongside CSI Milano, FIAGOP, AIEOP, and Networks of Expertise (NoEs) on cancer, with support from the Bianca Garavaglia Foundation and the Lombardy Region. Now in its seventh edition, the tournament brings together grassroots sport, professional football, and clinical excellence to advocate for patient rights.
Fragmented Oncology Care Lowers Recovery Rates for Young Adults
Adolescents and young adults facing cancer often find themselves suspended in a challenging middle ground between pediatric oncology and adult care. This structural fragmentation creates concrete risks, including diagnostic delays, difficulties accessing centers of excellence and advanced clinical protocols, and ultimately lower recovery rates compared to younger children with identical diagnoses.
The Winners Cup was established to give a platform to these patients who, during a vulnerable developmental window, trade school desks for hospital wards and exam anxiety for the results of CT scans. By competing on the pitch, these young athletes act as advocates, demanding structured, age-appropriate treatment spaces and specialized care pathways.
Transforming Medicine Through Sport and Community Engagement
The impact of the Winners Cup extends far beyond the tournament matches. Energy and initiatives born from previous editions have directly inspired several Italian oncology centers to develop dedicated care models and support projects. Italy currently maintains a leading institutional role in these efforts through intersocietary working groups involving AIEOP and AIOM, as well as European networks of excellence like the Network of Expertise promoted by the European Commission under the JANE Joint Action.
Local integration forms a core component of the Cornaredo event. Every visiting squad is twinned with a local sports club from CSI Milano, which manages their welcome and coordinates spectator support in the stands. Federica Picchi, Undersecretary with responsibility for Sport and Youth for the Lombardy Region, noted that the tournament offers support, visibility, and hope to young oncology patients from across Europe by utilizing football as a tool for inclusion.
Experts Highlight Risks for Patients Between Oncology Systems
Professor Andrea Ferrari of pediatric oncology at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano emphasized the distinct nature of adolescent patient needs. He stated that teenage patients are neither older children nor immature adults, but individuals caught between two distinct oncology systems who still face risks of delayed access to treatment.
Massimo Achini, President of CSI Milano, highlighted that this year’s tournament organization is spearheaded directly by young former players from past editions. With matches underway at the S. Pertini Sports Center, the initiative continues to demonstrate how sports institutions, professional clubs, and medical networks can collaborate to reshape patient advocacy and youth engagement.
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