- 26. June 2026
Match Schedule Released – Youth Elite Sets Its Sights on Reiden
The countdown is on: From July 23 to 26, 2026, the world’s best U18 fistball national teams will gather in Reiden, Switzerland, to compete for the U18 World Championship titles. At the same venue, the Women’s European Championship will also take place on July 24 and 25. With just one month remaining until the opening matches, the International Fistball Association (IFA) and the European Fistball Association (EFA) have now released the official match schedule.
A total of 18 youth teams from Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania are expected to participate. The preliminary round groups have been determined based on the results of the 2024 U18 World Championships in Chile.
In the U18 Women’s competition, defending champions Austria will compete in the Gold Group alongside Germany, Switzerland and Brazil. The Silver Group consists of Chile, Italy, Czechia, Kenya and Denmark. In the U18 Men’s competition, reigning world champions Germany, Brazil, Austria and Switzerland will compete in the Gold Group, while Namibia, Chile, India, New Zealand and Kenya make up the Silver Group.
The group structure has already been successfully implemented at recent international events, including the 2024 Women’s World Championship in Argentina and the 2025 World Games in China. Following the preliminary round, all four teams from the Gold Group and the four best teams from the Silver Group will advance to the quarter-finals. The winners progress to the semi-finals and continue their fight for medals and the world title. As a result, every participating nation retains the opportunity to become world champion. “Especially in youth competitions, we want to provide players with as many matches as possible against opponents of a similar level, as this contributes significantly to their sporting development,” explains Lina Hasenjäger, Chair of the IFA Sports Commission.
Shortly before the release of the match schedule, the U18 Women’s competition experienced a change in the participating teams. Following India’s withdrawal, Denmark expressed its willingness to step in and take over the vacant position. “A special thank you goes to the Danish fistball officials, who agreed to participate despite the short preparation time and a comparatively small squad,” says Sönke Spille, IFA Head of Events and Competition Manager of the U18 World Championship in Reiden. “They are not only giving their players the opportunity to participate in a World Championship but are also helping to maintain the planned competition format.”
IFA President Gastão Englert is also looking forward to the event with great anticipation: “The U18 World Championships are one of the most important investments in the future of our sport. Young talents from all over the world come together, gain international experience and often experience the special atmosphere of a World Championship for the first time. We look forward to welcoming players, coaches, officials and fans from five continents to Reiden in just a few weeks.”
In addition to the sporting competition, visitors in Reiden can look forward to an extensive side programme. Ticket sales are already underway, while admission on the opening day, Thursday, July 23, will be free of charge. With the Kids Day, evening events in the festival tent and the Women’s European Championship taking place alongside the U18 World Championships, the event promises to become the major fistball highlight of July.