Special Olympics Guatemala celebrate defending their title as reigning champions with a 3-1 win over SO Costa Rica in the final today. Photo by Christel Saneh Over the course of the week, football players and Unified partners from 23 countries came together in Paris for the third edition of the Special Olympics Unified Football World Cup . Families, fans and supporters were present throughout the tournament, including Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Life of France Marina Ferrari and Mayor of Paris Emmanuel Grégoire, who joined in celebrating the Special Olympics footballers. Special Olympics Global Ambassador and legendary football star Didier Drogba also spent quality time with players and offered encouragement to the footballers. The Closing Ceremony brought the Unified Football World Cup energy to one final celebration, with Kiera Byland , Global Athlete Congress Chair, leading a spectacular dance routine alongside Foxy, the mascot, and getting delegations dancing along as the celebration continued. Teams including Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Namibia brought their own infectious energy to the occasion, filling the venue with cheers, while friendships formed throughout the week were on full display as Canada and Egypt loudly supported each other. In the end, the crowd saved its biggest cheers for every team that stepped onto the pitch one final time for a photoshoot, celebrating the players who made Paris 2026 unforgettable. Libya Makes History in Men’s Division 1 Final Special Olympics Libya carried the confidence of a remarkable tournament run into the men's division 1 final, riding a winning streak and delivering its biggest performance on the world stage. Standing in their way were defending champions Special Olympics Jamaica, which entered the match looking to repeat its gold medal success from the Unified Football World Cup Detroit 2022. Division 1 Men’s competition wrapped up with Special Olympics Paraguay winning bronze and Special Olympics Israel moving into fourth place. Special Olympics Libya celebrate being crowned new champions, after an incredible victory against SO Jamaica (3-1) Photo by Iñaki Esnaola With a 3-1 victory over Jamaica, Libya captured its first title. The squad’s success was built on contributions from across the team, including midfielder Musab Hosson. Speaking of his team’s success post-win: “My feeling is that the Libyan team winning the cup is the greatest success I've ever achieved in my life. Even though at one point during the final match I felt we were far from winning, as Jamaica was very strong and difficult to beat, my motivation for winning stemmed from my love for football, my love for my team, my love for Special Olympics Libya and for my country. I dedicate our gold medal success to every Libyan and to all those who helped me compete in this amazing sporting event.” Guatemala Defends Women’s Division 1 Title Guatemala continued its impressive international run by defeating second-place winners Costa Rica 3-1 in the women’s division 1 final. Entering Paris as the reigning champions from Detroit 2022 , Guatemala added another major achievement to an already impressive list of accomplishments. While Guatemala dominated over the week, Special Olympics Thailand sunk their teeth into bronze after a fierce penalty shootout with fourth-place runner-ups Special Olympics Slovakia . Special Olympics Côte d'Ivoire received an incredible cheer from fans during the Closing Ceremony as they were crowned Bronze medal winner for Divison 3 Photo by Pablo Dondero The team previously captured the women’s futsal title at the World Games Berlin 2023 and at the 2024 Special Olympics Latin America Regional Games. With its latest victory, Guatemala completed a historic back-to-back Unified Football World Cup championship run. Player Daroulin Ávila had this to say about her team’s win: "Winning the Unified Cup again is an indescribable feeling; I am so proud of this victory. I have proven to myself once more that it IS possible that barriers do not exist for those who dream big. There are no words to describe being here and bringing the cup home; we worked hard for this, arrived with this goal in mind, and we achieved it. I am incredibly proud of myself for never giving up, despite the challenges life threw my way, and proud of my team for their hard work, perseverance, and passion for the sport, and for the way we proudly defended the crest and colours that represent us as Guatemalans.” Champions Across Every Division The competition produced medal winners across all divisions, with teams from around the world celebrating the results of a week filled with intense matches. Men’s Competition Men’s Division 2 Gold: Special Olympics Brazil Silver: Special Olympics Ecuador Bronze: Special Olympics Senegal Fourth: Special Olympics UAE Men’s Division 3 Gold: Special Olympics Spain Silver: Bharat (India) Bronze: Special Olympics France Fourth: Special Olympics China Winning tastes sweet! Team Namibia celebrate after winning the Division 2 Gold medal Photo by Pablo Dondero Closing Ceremony. Special Olympics Unified Football World Cup 2026, Photo by Pablo Dondero/Pablo Dondero / Special Olympics Closing Ceremony. Special Olympics Unified Football World Cup 2026. Photo by Pablo Dondero Women’s Competition Women’s Division 2 Gold: Special Olympics Namibia Silver: Special Olympics Egypt Bronze: Special Olympics France Fourth: Special Olympics Canada Women’s Division 3 Gold: Special Olympics Azerbaijan Silver: Special Olympics USA Bronze: Special Olympics Côte d’Ivoire Fourth: Special Olympics Hong Kong Awards Galore The final whistle did not mark the end of the vibrant celebrations. Teams and individuals were recognised for the moments that showed what makes Unified Sports powerful—from fair play and inclusion to standout performances throughout the competitions. Fair Play Team Award Recognising the teams that showed respect, sportsmanship and that the true spirit of competition goes beyond the final score. Men: Special Olympics China Women: Special Olympics Canada Most Unified Team Award Celebrating the teams that best brought inclusion to life through meaningful participation on and off the pitch. Men: Special Olympics Spain Women: Special Olympics Thailand Golden Glove Award Honouring the goalkeepers whose saves, composure and quick reactions kept their teams in the game. Men: Daniel Oben, Special Olympics France Women: Camille Planchez, Special Olympics France Golden Boot Award Recognising the players who found the back of the net most often and delivered the tournament’s finishing moments. Men: Tomer Geney, Special Olympics Israel Women: Tryana Barrantes Nunez, Special Olympics Costa Rica Soccerex Coaches’ Coach Award Celebrating the coaches who inspired their teams through leadership, knowledge and a passion for the game. Men: Bernardo Jara, Special Olympics Paraguay Women: Chownee Phanlart, Special Olympics Thailand Passing the Flag to Paraguay The Closing Ceremony brought Paris 2026 to a spectacular finish, with music, confetti and roaring cheers filling the stadium. In a moment that captured the excitement of the occasion, Special Olympics Board Chair Timothy Shriver announced Paraguay as the host of the next Unified Football World Cup in 2028, as the Special Olympics flag was officially passed to Special Olympics Paraguay . “It was a source of immense pride to represent Paraguay in this Unified Football World Cup and to have the honour of leading our team as captain. Sharing the field with athletes and Unified partners from so many countries confirms that sport has the power to unite us, transcending any differences. Today, we also celebrate with great joy the news that Paraguay will host the event in 2028. We want to tell delegations from around the world right now that we look forward to welcoming you with open arms for an unforgettable experience of inclusion, friendship, and sport,” said Luis Ignacio González, Unified Partner and Team Captain, Special Olympics Paraguay. Team Paraguay celebrate winning the Bronze medal in Division 1. Photo by Kevin Domas Passing of the flag Unified Football World Cup Paris 2026 Unified Partners Games Athletes Inclusion Unified Sports Europe Eurasia France Football Latin America Guatemala Feature Didier Drogba Kiera Byland Thailand Côte d'Ivoire Slovakia About the Contributor Karini Viranna Karini Viranna is a writer and producer based in Berlin. She has written for several notable European brands as well as literary magazines such as DADDY magazine, First Page Literature, Sunday Mornings At The River and Coffee People Zine.
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.specialolympics.org