While the soccer world’s attention is focused on the World Cup in North and South America, around 600 children experienced their very own highlight at the grand finale tournament of the “Fußball trifft Kultur” (FtK) educational program. Participants from 21 cities traveled to the Riedstadion in Frankfurt-Enkheim to compete for the coveted trophies in the U10, U12, and U14 age groups—as part of this year’s FtK World Cup 26 Challenge, in which the children engaged with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a playful and creative way throughout the school year.
The tournament was made possible by funding from the DFL Foundation. This year, Anton Schumacher, educational director of Eintracht Frankfurt’s youth academy, served as tournament director. Colin Mahnke, stadium announcer for SV Darmstadt 98, hosted the event.
Educational program combines soccer with language and culture
The 16th “Fußball trifft Kultur” (FtK) final tournament marks the culmination of an inclusive educational program that reaches approximately 750 children nationwide. At 33 locations, “Fußball trifft Kultur” combines soccer training with language and skills development twice a week. In cooperation with professional clubs in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, additional learning and experiential opportunities are created—ranging from stadium visits to children’s press conferences.
The program is aimed in particular at children who often find regular school instruction less engaging and who benefit greatly from additional support in language, physical activity, and cultural education. This three-pronged educational approach provides lasting motivation and yields tangible results.
WM26 Challenge: The World Cup as a Learning Opportunity
This year, the World Cup served as an additional learning and motivational opportunity. As part of the FtK-WM26 Challenge, the children explored topics related to the tournament—from participating nations to values such as diversity, fair play, and respect, all the way to their own creative projects. The glass trophies for the winners of the FtK-WM26 Challenge were awarded on-site in Frankfurt during the tournament. The winners were also delighted to receive new soccer balls.
Tournament Winners, Fair Play Awards, and All-Star Teams—This Year’s Winners*
The end-of-school-year tournament exemplifies the program’s inclusive approach: Through the unifying power of soccer, children from a wide variety of backgrounds come together, compete on behalf of their partner clubs, and showcase the skills they’ve developed over the course of the year—thereby providing a firsthand experience of camaraderie, fair play, and team spirit.
The excitement was especially high this year at these three schools—they won the tournament and, with it, the coveted challenge cup:
U10: An der Glinder Au Elementary School in Hamburg, partner club FC St. Pauli
U12: IGS Mainz-Bretzenheim from Mainz, partner club of 1. FSV Mainz 05
U14: Werner-von-Siemens School in Bochum, partner club VfL Bochum 1848
As is tradition, the fairest teams in the tournament were also awarded the Fair Play Trophy. This year, the award went to the Michael-Ende-Schule from Frankfurt (U10), the Gesamtschule Essen Nord from Essen (U12), and the Pestalozzi-Mittelschule from Würzburg (U14). Another honor was presented for only the second time: In each age group, children were selected for the All-Star Team. The evaluation took into account not only their soccer performance but also their conduct on and off the field.
Dr. Nadine Seddig, Head of Programs and Grant Management at the DFL Foundation—which has been supporting “Fußball trifft Kultur” as a nationwide partner since 2012—is convinced of the program’s approach: “Recent studies show that more and more children in Germany are leaving elementary school without adequate reading and writing skills. ‘Fußball trifft Kultur’ addresses this issue head-on and specifically targets educationally disadvantaged children. We have supported the program for many years because soccer creates low-barrier access, motivates participants, and, when combined with language and cultural support, has a lasting impact. The final tournament was once again a special highlight this year, with the children participating with great enthusiasm, team spirit, and a true sense of fair play.”
Karin Plötz, director of LitCam gGmbH, which has been implementing the inclusive education program since 2007, also offered a positive assessment: “The final tournament is and remains the highlight of the FtK program year for the children. The motivation to play for the FtK Cup on this day while wearing the jersey of their favorite club makes it easier for the children to attend the extra classes and soccer practice twice a week. In the truest sense of the word, they learn not only German but also respect, fairness, and team spirit—skills that will empower them for their future.”
Photo credit: Patrick Klaus
