Paris is set to host the third edition of the “Unified” Football World Cup in July 2026, a groundbreaking tournament that will feature teams composed of players with and without intellectual disabilities. This marks the frist time the event will be held outside the United States, following accomplished editions in Chicago in 2018 and Detroit in 2022.
Special Olympics France, a branch of the international organization founded in 1968 to combat discrimination against individuals with intellectual disabilities thru sports, announced the exciting news. After the unforgettable olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, Paris will become the world capital of inclusive football in July 2026,
stated the organization.
The Parisian event is scheduled to take place at the Charléty stadium from July 5 to 11, 2026, and will feature 12 menS and 12 women’s teams.
France to Field Unified Teams
Julien Collette, executive director of the local organizing committee, detailed the team compositions to AFP. The men’s tournament will consist of teams with 17 players (including six substitutes), comprising nine players with disabilities and eight without.the women’s tournament will feature 11-player teams (including four substitutes), with six players with disabilities and five without.
France will proudly send both a men’s and a women’s unified team. The players with disabilities will be footballers who are users of medico-social establishments members of the association in Île-de-France; players without disabilities will come from the Paris FC training center,
collette explained.
Pierre Ferracci, president of Paris FC, emphasized the unifying power of the sport. welcoming to Paris these athletes from all over the world, with and without disabilities, is to affirm that football can and must be a formidable vector of equality and respect,
he commented in a press release.
The French government has thrown its full support behind the event. Minister of Sports Marina Ferrari stated, The State’s support for this Special Olympics 2026 Unified Football World Cup illustrates France’s desire to make sport a real engine of inclusion.
Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, also lauded the initiative, calling it a testament to their shared commitment. The French Football Federation welcomes an event which illustrates our common commitment to football open to all, without distinction,
he said.
