Phygital Contenders to kick off in Abu Dhabi ahead of Games of Future
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
05-07-2025
- Gulf Today
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.
Al Etihad
02-07-2025
- Al Etihad
World of Phygital Football descends on Abu Dhabi for Phygital Contenders
2 July 2025 22:37 ABU DHABI (WAM) 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 to 29 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).The tournament is organised 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 elite clubs from across the globe are expected to compete, with representation from North and Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle the notable participants are Team Joga (USA) and LPT Venezuela, defending champions of the Games of the Future 2024 side event marks the culmination of a year-long international tournament season, encompassing the Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals Dhabi will now serve as the final battleground before the Games of the Future 2025, set for December 18–23 in the UAE the top-performing clubs will earn their place on that stage and the chance to be crowned global of Phygital International, Nis Hatt, commented, '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.''We are witnessing unprecedented global engagement in phygital sport, and this tournament reflects its evolution as a legitimate and future-focused athletic discipline.' CEO of ASPIRE, Stephane Timpano, 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.'
Al Etihad
22-06-2025
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi to host Games of the Future 2025 in December
22 June 2025 14:14 ABU DHABI (WAM)Abu Dhabi is set to host the upcoming edition of Games of the Future in December 2025, following its selection by Phygital International as the first city in the Middle East to stage this global event, and reinforcing the emirate's standing as a leading global hub for innovation in both sports and to the official website of Phygital International, Abu Dhabi was chosen due to its bold vision, cutting-edge infrastructure, and world-class sports venues, making it an ideal location for hosting premier international Abu Dhabi edition will take place over six days at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), bringing together top global athletes for dynamic competitions blending physical sports and technology-driven video games. Visitors can expect an engaging experience that merges electronic gaming with physical challenges and immersive fan event will be officially organised by Aspire, renowned for its successful track record in event delivery, in collaboration with Ethara, a leading Abu Dhabi-based company known for managing high-profile events with international Al Taher, Secretary-General of the UAE Esports Federation, stated that Abu Dhabi's hosting of this unique event demonstrates its leadership in embracing innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence and technology, placing the emirate at the forefront of global advancement in this added that the Federation is launching several new initiatives to bring the latest developments in esports to players and enthusiasts, including the adoption of the phygital system to enhance player interaction and offer a more holistic sports experience. He also revealed plans to introduce the concept of "phygital" to schools, aligning with the nation's broader digital education Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, said the selection of Abu Dhabi to host Games of the Future 2025 marks a major milestone for the event's global journey. He noted that the choice reflects the confidence placed in Abu Dhabi's capacity to deliver a large-scale, integrated event while further cementing its role as a center for sports and tech Timpano, CEO of Aspire - the innovation arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council in Abu Dhabi - affirmed the importance of supporting Games of the Future 2025 as a global platform where sport, technology and imagination converge. He underlined the growing relevance of this emerging category of competition that blends traditional sports with digital said hosting Games of the Future 2025 reflects the UAE's commitment to shaping the future of sports and technology, while elevating its global innovation inaugural edition of Games of the Future, held in Türkiye in 2024, attracted over 2,000 athletes from 100 countries and drew a crowd of more than 300,000 spectators from around the of the Future is a digital-physical (phygital) sporting event that combines real-world competition with virtual experiences. It features hybrid sports such as physical football and digital shooting, alongside interactive events that blend physical and virtual elements. The upcoming edition is expected to draw thousands of athletes and fans from across the globe for a comprehensive experience that unites athletic performance with advanced technology.
