Unity Cup 2024: On the road to triumph
On 10 October 2024, a special international tournament took place in Nion, Switzerland - the Unity Euro Cup, in which the Latvian team was the winner. The competition brought together 16 teams from different European countries, representing refugee and local communities. Organised by UEFA in cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), highlighting football as a tool for integration and an inclusive society.
The Latvian team consisted of Ukrainian refugees with four local amateur players, and its creation and participation in the tournament was coordinated by the Latvian Football Federation in cooperation with “Lidl Arena”. The team performed strongly throughout the tournament, beating Armenia (1-0), Slovenia (3-1) and Malta (3-0) in the group stage, Greece 5-3 in the semi-finals and Finland 4-1 in the final.
The ambassador of the Latvian team was Oleg Lazurka - Ukrainian footballer, currently living in Latvia, actively involved in social and sporting activities, creating a platform for the integration of Ukrainians through football.
After this year's successful tournament, the Netherlands takes over - 2025 Unity Euro Cup will be held in Zeist, headquarters of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB). Next year, the competition will bring together players from different countries, further promoting friendship, solidarity and inclusion through sport.