The Foyle Cup – one of the biggest youth football tournaments in Europe – gets underway today in Derry with the traditional parade by teams this morning before the matches begin this afternoon.
The festival of football which began in 1992 has grown over the years with around 900 teams taking part.
Hailed now as one of the most important and pivotal football events in the island of Ireland, the new ‘Six Days Festival of Football’ will see teams will travel from the UK, Republic of Ireland, Spain, America and Canada and 2025 will cater for more than 11,500 young soccer players and reach well in excess of over 250,000 spectators.
This year’s tournament will feature a wide range of age categories, from U8 to U19 for boys and U9 to senior for girls.
The tournament, taking place from July 21st to 26th, is expected to draw over 20,000 participants and over 250,000 spectators.
The event will be held across the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, the Causeway Coast and Glens area, and Inishowen and Donegal. There are numerous teams from Donegal taking part.
