Portugal and Spain were the winners of the Footvolley World Challenge 2024, which took place in Albufeira, between the 18th and 19th of October, at Praia dos Pescadores.
The event, part of the visit programme of the Evaluation Committee for Albufeira’s candidacy for the title of “European City of Sport 2026”, was attended by teams from several countries, namely Germany, Argentina, Cape Verde, Spain, Israel and Portugal.
Organized by the National Footvolley Federation, with the support of Albufeira City Council and several local partners, the competition began on the 18th with the Group Stage. In total, 12 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams played 24 matches throughout this first day of competition.
The men’s quarter-finals and women’s semi-finals took place on the second day. In the women’s competition, the Spanish duo Yosi Vera and Maria Matias beat the Germans Nicole Weber and Jule Saam, while Amanda Leal and Beatriz Sousa (Portugal 2), national champions and European vice-champions in 2024, beat the Portuguese team made up of Amanda Hollerbach and Luísa Siqueira (Portugal 1).
In the men’s semi-finals, the Portuguese duo Rodrigo Otero and Fábio Murraças (Portugal 1) and the German team formed by Michael Weber and Dennis Weber secured their place in the final, by beating the duos from Portugal 2 and Spain respectively.
In the women’s final, the Spanish duo Yosi Vera and Maria Matias won the title by beating Amanda Leal and Beatriz Sousa in three sets.
In the men’s competition, the Portuguese duo of Rodrigo Otero and Fábio Murraças were crowned champions, defeating the German team in a game also decided in three sets.
“Holding events of this size reinforces Albufeira’s position as a reference in international sport, boosting not only our candidacy for European City of Sport 2026, but also sports tourism, an area that is increasingly important for the development of the local economy”, said the mayor José Carlos Rolo.
Cristiano Cabrita, vice-president of Albufeira City Council and councillor responsible for the event, stated that “this type of international competition reinforces Albufeira’s position as a reference destination for high-level sporting events, demonstrating the excellent organisational capacity of the municipal technicians, as well as the outdoor and indoor sports facilities and facilities”.