03 Nov TFWC 2026: England crowned champions as 15 nations bring Frankfurt to life
From 13 to 18 September 2026, FSV Frankfurt 1899 became home to the 2026 Transplant Football World Cup, hosted with TransDia Sport Deutschland e.V. Fifteen national teams of transplant recipients met for a week of seven-a-side football, friendship and celebration – up from the 11 teams who took part in the inaugural tournament in Cervia, Italy, in 2024.
England lift the trophy
England were crowned world champions after beating Spain 5–1 in the final on Friday 18 September. Mexico finished third and Wales fourth.
England manager Daley Cross summed up what the tournament means: “Sixteen heroes return home, thanks to the gift of life from sixteen other heroes. Football has well and truly come home to England, and I don’t want this feeling to end.”
Final ranking: 1 England, 2 Spain, 3 Mexico, 4 Wales, 5 Chile, 6 Colombia, 7 Italy, 8 Germany, 9 Australia, 10 Romania, 11 France, 12 USA, 13 Northern Ireland, 14 Netherlands, 15 Ireland.
A first for women’s transplant football
Alongside the main competition, a Women’s Exhibition Tournament put women’s transplant football in the spotlight. WTGF United – a combined team with players from the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands and Switzerland – won all three of their matches to finish top on nine points, ahead of Great Britain & Northern Ireland (6), Germany (3) and Australia (0).
WTGF United manager Ashton said: “To be honest, I think the trophy is the second prize. The first prize is the gift of life, and seeing women use that gift to showcase their talent, hard work and determination made this experience mean even more to me than lifting the cup.”
Kate Clark, Chair of the WTGF Football Commission, worked with fellow Trustee Orla to make the women’s competition part of Frankfurt – and played in it herself. “It proved the players are there, the passion is there and the appetite for women’s transplant football is growing,” she said. Kate hopes to see at least another four nations join the World Cup in 2028.
Living Forward on the touchline
The Living Forward stand was one of the busiest spots of the week, with player interviews, “Living Forward in One Word”, a Goal Challenge, “This or That” and a customise-your-own cap station. Living Forward is proudly sponsored by Abbott.
Reaching the world
The final day was livestreamed on the WTGF YouTube channel, and the tournament was covered by media including BBC Sport, Hessenschau, Deutschlandfunk and the F.A.Z.
WTGF President Liz Schick said: “When I look back on Frankfurt, I will remember the incredible spirit of this community. Fifteen nations came together not only to compete, but to celebrate life, friendship and the gift of organ donation… Frankfurt showed us how far we have come, and I am incredibly excited about where we can go next.”
Until we meet again – 2028.
Thank you to our host TransDia Sport Deutschland e.V., FSV Frankfurt 1899, every volunteer, and every donor and donor family whose gift made this tournament possible.