History and Results archive
Stadi Cup is an annual girls’ and women’s football tournament held in Helsinki in June. It is the world’s largest tournament of its kind. In 2023, a record-breaking 460 teams participated in the tournament. The previous team record was set in 2022 with 410 teams, marking the first time Stadi Cup surpassed the 400-team mark.
Stadi Cup was established in 1985 with the aim of providing girls with the same opportunities to engage in and play football as boys. The founding of Stadi Cup played a significant role in the development of girls’ football in the 1980s. At that time, the Finnish Football Association had a separate women’s committee, which focused on developing women’s football and, in particular, girls’ participation. The goal was to organize a national tournament exclusively for girls, Stadi Cup, to enhance their competitive activities. The tournament played a vital role in introducing new divisions for girls. While women’s football was gaining prominence in Europe, most female junior players in Finland had been playing in boys’ teams in the association and district games.
The first Stadi Cup tournament saw the participation of just over 70 teams. In its early years, Stadi Cup faced many challenges and was often overlooked with comments like “they are just girls.” However, over the years, attitudes in Finland began to change, especially after the Finnish women’s national football team reached the semi-finals of the UEFA European Championship in 2005, marking a historic moment for the country. Since then, women’s and girls’ football started to rise, although there is still much work to be done.
Stadi Cup continues to play a significant role in strengthening the girls’ football culture in Finland. For four days, girls take the center stage in Helsinki and get to play high-quality matches in the best possible conditions. Special attention is given to organizing the tournament in a way that serves each team well, ensuring that players have amazing experiences in the world of football.
Currently, Stadi Cup includes age groups from F7 to adult categories. There is also a tournament dedicated to special football teams organized by the Finnish Football Association. The tournament has also seen participation from international teams, including those from Sweden, Estonia, Thailand, and the United States.
The founding members of Stadi Cup Ry are Helsinki-based clubs Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi and FC Kontu. Today, FC Kontu is the sole organizing club of the tournament. Stadi Cup is one of the few tournaments organized as an association, primarily run by volunteers.
In 2020, the Stadi Cup tournament had to be canceled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
