Football: Six clubs book ticket to Games of Future in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Latin American football club México Quetzales – Armadillos clinched the Abu Dhabi qualifying title and secured their positions along with five other clubs to the Games of the Future 2025, which will also take place in the emirate from December 18-23.When the final whistle blew at the five-day 'Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi' at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Armadillos emerged from a thrilling finale against CM Jardim.Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi took centre stage, as 21 elite clubs from around the world went head-to-head over five days of competition – a mix of physical and digital versions of football.Held from July 25-29, the city skyline was the backdrop for the some of the leading phygital football athletes ranging from 19-40 years old showing off their skills. In the summit clash, Armadillos edged out Jardim in a hard-fought contest that brought together lightning-fast digital gameplay and high-impact physical skills.There was nothing to separate fro both teams in the first stage with a 3-3 draw at the break. But the Mexican outfit found another gear with a partisan crowd behind them and finished the second stage 3-1 to win by an aggregate of 6-4.'We have had a lot of pressure from day 1 and it would have been such a disappointment if we didn't get a spot, we brought our A-game, and we know we are a fan favourite team,' said Rodrigo Ulibarri, player, México Quetzales - Armadillos FC.The battle for third place was also packed with a lot of drama and, yet, inversely to the direction of the final. Greni Smith dominated Zero Tenacity in the digital round with a 6–2 scoreline. But Zero Tenacity pushed back fiercely on the field, scoring four goals in an attempt to flip the match. However, Greni Smith held their ground and found the net once more to seal a dramatic win at the finish line with a 7-6 edge on the board.The semi-finals were also close affairs, indicating the intense competition throughout. Armadillos defeated Zero Tenacity in a dramatic penalty shootout after both stages ended in a 4–4 tie. On the other hand, Jardim earned their place in the final by beating Greni Smith, securing a 3–1 digital round win and drawing 2–2 on the field, for a final score of 5-3.The Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi - Football tournament, was brought to life by ASPIRE in collaboration with Ethara and global rights holder Phygital International.Nis Hatt, the Chief Executive Officer of Phygital International, said: 'The stage is now set for the Games of the Future in Abu Dhabi. It is the culmination of year-long dedication from athletes from around the world and we celebrate with them in this moment and look forward to what they, and many other athletes, will achieve later in the year.
'Abu Dhabi is the perfect international platform. It's future-focused, tech-driven, and already deeply invested in both sports and cyber competitions. It has the appetite, ability and infrastructure to host entirely new sport formats and do it well.'
Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
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Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Al Etihad
Football: Six clubs book ticket to Games of Future in Abu Dhabi
31 July 2025 00:58 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Latin American football club México Quetzales – Armadillos clinched the Abu Dhabi qualifying title and secured their positions along with five other clubs to the Games of the Future 2025, which will also take place in the emirate from December the final whistle blew at the five-day 'Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi' at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Armadillos emerged from a thrilling finale against CM Contenders: Abu Dhabi took centre stage, as 21 elite clubs from around the world went head-to-head over five days of competition – a mix of physical and digital versions of from July 25-29, the city skyline was the backdrop for the some of the leading phygital football athletes ranging from 19-40 years old showing off their skills. In the summit clash, Armadillos edged out Jardim in a hard-fought contest that brought together lightning-fast digital gameplay and high-impact physical was nothing to separate fro both teams in the first stage with a 3-3 draw at the break. But the Mexican outfit found another gear with a partisan crowd behind them and finished the second stage 3-1 to win by an aggregate of 6-4.'We have had a lot of pressure from day 1 and it would have been such a disappointment if we didn't get a spot, we brought our A-game, and we know we are a fan favourite team,' said Rodrigo Ulibarri, player, México Quetzales - Armadillos battle for third place was also packed with a lot of drama and, yet, inversely to the direction of the final. Greni Smith dominated Zero Tenacity in the digital round with a 6–2 scoreline. But Zero Tenacity pushed back fiercely on the field, scoring four goals in an attempt to flip the match. However, Greni Smith held their ground and found the net once more to seal a dramatic win at the finish line with a 7-6 edge on the semi-finals were also close affairs, indicating the intense competition throughout. Armadillos defeated Zero Tenacity in a dramatic penalty shootout after both stages ended in a 4–4 tie. On the other hand, Jardim earned their place in the final by beating Greni Smith, securing a 3–1 digital round win and drawing 2–2 on the field, for a final score of Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi - Football tournament, was brought to life by ASPIRE in collaboration with Ethara and global rights holder Phygital Hatt, the Chief Executive Officer of Phygital International, said: 'The stage is now set for the Games of the Future in Abu Dhabi. It is the culmination of year-long dedication from athletes from around the world and we celebrate with them in this moment and look forward to what they, and many other athletes, will achieve later in the year. 'Abu Dhabi is the perfect international platform. It's future-focused, tech-driven, and already deeply invested in both sports and cyber competitions. It has the appetite, ability and infrastructure to host entirely new sport formats and do it well.' Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
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Phygital Contenders to kick off in Abu Dhabi ahead of Games of Future
The world of Phygital Football will descend on Abu Dhabi this summer, as top clubs vie for qualification to the prestigious Games of the Future 2025. The 'Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi Football' tournament is scheduled to take place from July 25–29 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Twenty-four elite clubs from across the globe are expected to compete, with representation from North and Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Among the notable participants are Team Joga (USA) and LPT Venezuela, defending champions of the Games of the Future 2024 side tournament. This event marks the culmination of a year-long international tournament season, encompassing the Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals competitions. Abu Dhabi will now serve as the final battleground before the Games of the Future 2025, set for December 18–23 in the UAE capital. Only the top-performing clubs will earn their place on that stage and the chance to be crowned global champions. 'Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi - Football represents the culmination of a season-long qualification process and will set the stage for what promises to be the most competitive Games of the Future to date,' commented Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International. 'We are witnessing unprecedented global engagement in phygital sport, and this tournament reflects its evolution as a legitimate and future-focused athletic discipline.' Stephane Timpano, CEO of Aspire commented "Bringing Phygital Contenders to Abu Dhabi is both a tremendous opportunity and a meaningful responsibility. Abu Dhabi has always championed bold, forward-looking ideas, and phygital sport is no exception. 'We're proud to host some of the world's most elite clubs and serve as the stage where the future of global competition is being defined and look forward to five days of intense competition that will determine the final contenders for the main event this December." The tournament is organized by Aspire, the local delivery authority for the games of the Future Abu Dhabi 2025, in collaboration with Ethara, the Event Delivery Partner, and Phygital International, the global rights holder.
