Gothia Cup publishes new sustainability report
Gothia Cup continues to develop its sustainability work. In its new sustainability report for 2025, the tournament describes how its efforts around climate responsibility, inclusion and international meetings between young people are being further strengthened – both on and off the pitch.
Every summer, tens of thousands of young players from all over the world gather in Gothenburg to take part in Gothia Cup. The tournament is the world’s largest football event for children and youth – and a global meeting place where sport becomes a platform for community, understanding and development. With that scale also comes responsibility. The new sustainability report describes how this work continues to develop through initiatives gathered under the concept Celebrate, where sustainability is structured into three areas: The Planet, The People and The Game.
– As the world’s largest youth tournament, we also carry a great responsibility. When tens of thousands of people come together during one week, we influence both people and our surroundings. That is why sustainability is not something separate from Gothia Cup – it is part of how we plan, deliver and develop the tournament, says Niclas Freiholtz, Secretary General of Gothia Cup.
The work includes everything from reducing climate impact and working more sustainably with transport, food and event production, to creating safe and inclusive environments for participants from around the world. The tournaments have long had the ambition to be more than just sports events – they should also be places where young people meet across borders and where sport builds bridges between cultures.
– Gothia Cup is at its core a football tournament, but it is also a meeting place where young people from all over the world get to know each other. The encounters that take place here create understanding, friendships and memories that often stay with participants for life. That is why it is important that we create a safe, inclusive and sustainable environment for everyone taking part, says Emelie Jacobsson, Sustainability Manager at Gothia Cup.
By working long-term with sustainability, the tournaments aim to contribute to making international sports events more responsible – while continuing to create meeting places where young people from around the world can meet, learn from each other and build the global community of the future.
– The Celebrate concept that we launched a few years ago continues to develop. Today the work runs through our entire organisation, and we are doing more and more together with our partners through different initiatives. The development has been fast and we see no reason to slow down – on the contrary, we want to continue developing the work and make it even better going forward, says Emelie Jacobsson.
