Strasbourg to host Europe's leading blind football teams

Around 120 players will head to Strasbourg for a week of elite competition, with teams from England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Spain and Türkiye competing just across the water from the European Parliament.

Organised by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), the event is a major fixture in the European blind football calendar, with qualification places at stake for the 2027 IBSA Blind Football World Cup in Brazil and the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

While results on the pitch will be front of mind for the players, the championship will offer an opportunity to showcase the strength of blind football and the values that sit at its heart: inclusion, accessibility, equal opportunity and determination.

Skill, accessibility and equal opportunity are defining features of blind footballMateusz Slodkowski/UEFA via Getty Images

Growing blind football

The championship arrives at a time of growing interest in blind football. The event will build on the attention generated by the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where a sell-out crowd of 11,000 sometimes struggled to keep the volume down – silence is crucial at key moments so players can hear the ball – as they watched France overcome Argentina in the final.

"When we talk about blind football, the first questions are no longer so much about being visually impaired," said France’s Gaël Rivière, Paris 2024 Paralympic gold medallist and Board Member of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee. "Instead, people really remember those moments from the Paralympic Games, those emotions. We have moved into the sporting sphere, whereas previously we were more in the sphere of disability."

The tournament will provide another high-profile showcase for blind football, with all matches streamed online and fixtures involving the host nation expected to be shown by free-to-air broadcaster France Télévisions.

Accessibility is built into the event. Admission is free for young people and people with disabilities, wheelchair-accessible viewing is available, and every match will offer audio description in both French and English.

Large crowds watched the blind football at the Paris 2024 Paralympic GamesFranco Arland/Getty Images

Supporting the game’s development

UEFA and the IBSA have a long history of working together to support the growth and development of blind football across Europe, strengthening participation pathways and creating opportunities for players.

Joint initiatives include support for youth development activities, such as the Youth Blind Football Cup, which brought together young athletes from four UEFA member associations in June.

The collaboration also supports the continued growth of the women's game. During 2026 and 2027, the IBSA is organising friendly international fixtures for European women's blind football national teams, creating more competitive opportunities and helping accelerate development across the continent.

Later this year, Türkiye will stage the 2026 IBSA Women's Blind Football European Championship, where national teams will compete for silverware and places at the 2027 Women's Blind Football World Cup.