Sport & Travel: TUI Socca Champions League in Crete a resounding success

October 29, 2025

Corporate

The TUI Socca Champions League brought together 106 teams from 40 nations in Rethymno, Crete – over 700 children took part in the TUI Socca Diamond Kids Tournament
Winning team comes from Poland: EXC Mobile Ochota from Warsaw clinch the coveted trophy in the final against Eintracht Spandau
Next up: the TUI Socca World Cup in Cancún, Mexico, starting on 28 November

Hanover, 29 October 2025: The TUI Socca Champions League 2025 has transformed the Greek holiday island of Crete into the sunny world capital of small-field football. A total of 106 teams from 40 different countries and more than 12,000 fans gathered in Rethymno to compete for the most prestigious title in international 6-a-side club football. The result was a celebration of cultures, emotions and sport. The electrifying atmosphere brought tourists and locals together in equal measure.

After four days of exciting matches, EXC Mobile Ochota from Warsaw, Poland, lifted the trophy, defeating Eintracht Spandau from Germany 2-0 in an outstanding final. Both teams impressed with their fighting spirit, team performance and sportsmanship – reflecting the values that define this sport and this event.

"The TUI Socca Champions League embodies what socca and TUI stand for – shared experiences, diversity and unforgettable moments that connect people from all over the world," said TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel. "It was incredible to see players and fans from so many countries come together to celebrate their shared love of the game. I was able to experience the electric atmosphere for myself at the venue."

The TUI Socca Champions League was organised by the International Socca Federation (ISF) and supported by TUI as title sponsor. The matches were broadcast live by 25 television stations and reached a global audience of more than 80 million viewers on various platforms.

In addition to the main competition, the TUI Socca Diamond Kids Tournament provided another highlight, bringing together 700 children from six different countries – a joyful reminder that sport and travel can inspire the next generation across borders. The winning team received a free TUI Musement adventure

"Crete has once again proven that sport and travel together can create magical moments full of joy, respect and shared passion," said Thanos Papadopoulos, CEO of the International Socca Federation.

The TUI Socca Champions League has quickly become one of the largest international amateur football events in the world, uniting athletes, fans and cultures through the universal language of small-sided football, friendship, competition and camaraderie.

Further Socca tournaments:

The TUI Socca World Cup 2025 will take place in Cancún, Mexico, starting on 28 November 2025, bringing together 48 nations in 6-a-side football for the first time — the largest tournament of its kind to date. The venue will be a spectacular TUI pop-up stadium right on the coast, offering an impressive backdrop with Caribbean flair. The tournament will be broadcast worldwide on over 70 television channels and accompanied by statistics and highlights via the Socca app. And the World Cup is more than just a tournament: the event is a festival that combines culture, sporting spirit and global togetherness.

Further tournaments for 2026 – including in Turkey and Portugal – are already firmly planned and will be announced shortly. TUI offers its guests in Crete and Cancún transfers to the respective Socca venues via the TUI app. An up-to-date overview of the TUI Socca tournaments is available at tui.com/events and soccafederation.com.

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About TUI Group

The TUI Group is one of the world's leading tourism groups and operates worldwide. The Group is headquartered in Germany. TUI shares are listed in the MDAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in the regulated market of the Lower Saxony Stock Exchange in Hanover. TUI Group offers its over 33 million customers integrated services from a single source and forms the entire tourism value chain under one roof. The Group owns over 400 hotels and resorts with premium brands such as RIU, TUI Blue and Robinson and 18 cruise ships, ranging from the MS Europa and MS Europa 2 in the luxury class and expedition ships in the HANSEATIC class to the Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises and cruise ships operated by Marella Cruises in the UK. The Group also includes Europe's leading tour operator brands and online marketing platforms, for example for hotel-only or flight-only offers, five airlines with 125 modern medium- and long-haul aircraft and around 1,200 travel agencies. In addition to expanding its core business with hotels and cruises via successful joint ventures and activities in vacation destinations, TUI is increasingly focusing on the expansion of digital platforms. The Group is transforming itself into a global tourism platform company.

Global responsibility for sustainable economic, environmental and social action is at the heart of our corporate culture. With projects in 25 countries, the TUI Care Foundation initiated by TUI focuses on the positive effects of tourism, on education and training and on strengthening environmental and social standards. In this way, it supports the development of vacation destinations. The globally active TUI Care Foundation initiates projects that create new opportunities for the next generation.

Magnus Hüttenberend

+49 (0)511 566 6060 magnus.huettenberend@tui.com

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