KUDUS – Since Friday evening (07/31/2026), participants have been arriving in Kudus. Some traveled for hours from cities including Semarang, Salatiga, and Rembang. While some chose to rest immediately to prepare for the following day's matches, others used the time to reconnect with members of various communities they had not seen in a long time.
For these participants, the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 – City Playoff is more than just a futsal tournament. It is a highly anticipated annual event that brings together European football fan clubs and university students from diverse regions. While they may be rivals on the court, off the court they reunite as members of a shared futsal community.
Throughout the two-day event on August 1–2, 2026, the Bung Karno Sports Hall in Kudus was buzzing with constant match action. Between games, players were seen socializing, sharing community updates, and capturing memories together. While some were meeting for the first time, many others used the gathering as a chance to catch up with friends from other cities.
A Community-Anticipated Event
For European football supporters' clubs, the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 has become a staple of their annual calendar. The tournament serves not only as a venue to test their futsal skills but also to strengthen the ties between communities built through sports.
Saffana Firdaus of the Pena Real Madrid Indonesia (PRMI) Kudus Regional chapter noted that her community has been active since approximately 2010 with roughly 200 members. Futsal is a weekly routine, making the City Playoff a much-awaited event for the membership.
According to her, the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 – City Playoff in Kudus provided a unique experience by offering a competitive atmosphere that remained accessible and enjoyable for both participants and spectators.
"PRMI Kudus was established around 2010 with about 200 members. Our routine is to play futsal once a week. In my opinion, this tournament is very well-organized; the atmosphere created by the fans, the MC, and the venue itself is far more satisfying than in other cities. I hope futsal in Kudus continues to thrive, remain united, and compete strongly with other districts," she said.
PRMI Kudus is no stranger to this competition. They were previously the champions of the 2024 Solo Regional and the 2025 City Playoff. However, for Saffana, achievements are not the primary reason her community keeps returning. Tournaments like this offer a chance to maintain team cohesion while broadening connections with other communities that share the same passion.
Opponents on the Court, Friends Outside
A similar sentiment was shared by Milanisti Indonesia Sezione Semarang. To participate in the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 – City Playoff in Kudus, they chose to arrive a day before the matches began. The journey to Kudus was not just about the schedule, but a core part of the experience they enjoy together as a community.
Angga Hardiansyah, the leader and an official for Milanisti Sezione Semarang, said the most memorable moments often occur away from the pitch. Staying together, eating together, and talking after the matches serve as vital opportunities to strengthen the bonds between members.
“This tournament has strengthened the bonds between our members and players. Staying together in Kudus was the highlight because it fostered a genuine sense of family. Furthermore, we had the opportunity to network and reconnect with friends from other cities. The organization keeps improving, especially with the addition of a videotron live scoreboard on the court,” he said.
According to Angga, every City Playoff event brings together familiar faces from various regions. There are communities that meet regularly at every tournament, alongside new members who are expanding their own networks. These connections extend beyond the final whistle, continuing through various futsal activities in their respective home cities.
This atmosphere distinguishes the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 – City Playoff. While teams compete fiercely on the court, the rivalry quickly transitions into casual conversation, photos, and information sharing about upcoming community events once the match ends. They leave Kudus not only with tournament experience but with deeper ties to fellow futsal enthusiasts from across the region.
The Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship City Playoff also provides a unique experience for university participants. Beyond testing their futsal skills, the competition serves as a platform to meet students from different campuses who were previously known only through matches or social media.
M. Kanzul Karomi of the UIN Walisongo Semarang Futsal Student Activity Unit (UKM) noted that such tournaments offer value far beyond the sport itself. He believes students gain firsthand insight into professional event management while building professional connections with participants from diverse areas.
“Through the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship, we aren't just learning to play futsal; we are learning about event management and observing the growth of local SMEs around the arena. Most importantly, it's about relationships. We can meet and compete with friends from Kudus, Semarang, Salatiga, Jepara, and Rembang. The pathway is clear: from the Kudus City Playoff, we can advance to the Semarang Raya Regional Final and reach the National level,” Kanzul explained.
Kanzul added that every campus has a distinct training culture and playing style. Interacting with participants from various regions provides an opportunity to learn from one another, both in terms of tactics and broader competition experience.
Competition as an Introduction to Kudus
For some participants, the City Playoff marks their first visit to Kudus. Among them is Dwiki Fahmi Rizal from the Universitas Wahid Hasyim (Unwahas) Semarang Futsal UKM. He and his team arrived not only to compete but also to explore a city they had never visited before.
Throughout the competition, Dwiki praised the tournament's organized management. He noted that the presence of Liaison Officers (LOs) assigned to each team made it easier for participants to access information regarding match schedules and technical requirements while at the venue.
“The organizing committee is excellent, and having an LO assigned to each team is very helpful. The city is welcoming and warm. Even though the weather is quite hot, we have really enjoyed our time in Kudus. We even plan to try the local soto kerbau (buffalo meat soup) after the tournament. Events like this are crucial platforms for students to showcase their talents,” said Dwiki.
Dwiki’s story highlights how a sporting competition can also serve as a gateway to exploring a region. Once the matches conclude, he and his teammates plan to sample the local soto kerbau, a dish synonymous with Kudus. Such simple experiences are part of the journey they take home alongside the match results.
Between matches, participants took the time to engage with other communities, share experiences, and even coordinate plans for future tournaments. Some discussed team training methods, while others exchanged information about futsal competitions in their respective regions.
The area surrounding Bung Karno Sports Hall became a hub for interaction, where participants, officials, and supporters gathered at culinary stalls or rest areas to soak in the tournament atmosphere. It is this level of engagement that made the City Playoff a unique experience for many attendees.
For communities that have participated in the City Playoff for several years, the tournament serves as a reunion with friends from other cities. For first-time participants, the competition marks the beginning of new relationships that are likely to continue through future championships.
Following two days of competition at the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 – City Playoff in Kudus, participants have returned home with varied experiences. While some departed with victory and others saw their campaigns end prematurely, all shared common takeaways: forming new connections, expanding professional networks, and discovering a new perspective of Kudus.
For European football fan communities, the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 – City Playoff in Kudus served as a platform to strengthen long-standing camaraderie. For students, the tournament offered both a learning environment and a stage to hone their skills. Meanwhile, for first-time visitors to Kudus, the event's hospitality, efficient match operations, and local culinary experiences left a lasting positive impression.
Ultimately, the Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 – City Playoff in Kudus did more than just bring teams together on the court; it united individuals through shared passions and enthusiasm, creating memories that persist long after their return home. From Kudus, they carried back more than just match results—they brought home new stories, broader networks, and an incentive to return for the next Supersoccer Euro Futsal Championship 2026 – City Playoff. (JMY/mainkekudus)
