Overview
- The tournament, which started Friday, August 28, 2026, has 48 national teams playing across a 10-day schedule that concludes with a new world champion on September 6.
- Organisers built a temporary stadium on Kennedyplatz with newly laid artificial turf and seating for about 2,000 spectators to host the event and its evening matches.
- Local engagement was immediate: hundreds of youths queued the day before the opening to join a street-style bolzturnier run by social-media player Steven Kodra that is capped at 60 six-player teams and features 360 short three-minute matches and skill challenges.
- Socca is played six-a-side with no offside, two 20-minute halves, and short two-minute suspensions for yellow cards, a fast format that organisers and fans say fuels the sport's close, high-energy atmosphere.
- The event features visible names such as former Germany international Max Kruse, recalls Essen's 2023 crowds of over 100,000, and could strengthen local grassroots programs and youth interest through ticketed, city-centre staging and side events.