The Code of the Unconquered International Friendship Cup is taking place in Moscow from July 11 to 13. This football tournament features young athletes from Russia, Serbia, and the Republic of Abkhazia.
The sports competition is held under the auspices of the Code of the Unconquered project, with support from the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic, MGIMO University, the World Youth Festival Directorate, the Charitable Foundation of the Holy First-Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul, the Power of Peace ANO, and the National Student Football League.
"The competition is being held for the fifth time. The current format was inspired by the recent tournament in Belgrade last December. At that time, young Russian football players were guests in Serbia, and they still remember the hospitality of their Balkan friends. Today, we reciprocate: we welcome our dear guests in the Russian capital. Genuine support and confident partnership are built on the values of friendship, and we see and reciprocate that bond with those who share our values," said Grigory Gurov, Head of Rosmolodezh, at the tournament's opening ceremony.
The opening was also attended by Denis Pushilin, Head of the DPR; Alexander Voloshin, Senator of the Russian Federation; Stanislav Surovtsov, Vice-Rector of MGIMO University; Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate; and Milos Tanaskovic, Director of the Charitable Foundation of the Holy First-Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul.
"Events like this demonstrate the most important thing: young people are able to communicate and build friendships beyond the realm of politics. Here at the Code of the Unconquered International Friendship Cup, we see honest football, honest sports, and open play–a platform where young men from different countries come together and form connections that will last a lifetime. The demand for such encounters is enormous: we are receiving signals from China, from African countries, and even from Europe–people everywhere want sincere dialogue. Our mission is to open as many such windows for dialogue as possible, so that sports can serve as a language of friendship that is understood by all nations and every child without exception," said Russian Senator Alexander Voloshin.
Eight teams will compete for the main trophy. Russia will be represented at the tournament by football players from the Donetsk People's Republic, the Lugansk People's Republic, the Republic of Crimea, and the Zaporozhzhia and Kherson regions. Athletes born in 2007–2008 and 2011–2012 are taking part in the competition.
Welcoming the participants of the international competition, Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, noted that the three participating countries share a common history, close cultures and traditions, and a fraternal attitude toward one another.
"WYFD systematically supports such private initiatives aimed at developing intercultural dialogue and international youth cooperation. The International Friendship Cup is first and foremost a meeting of people and cultures, and only then a sporting event. The main outcome of the tournament should not be the score on the scoreboard, but the contacts established and the friendships that will continue long after the final whistle," emphasized Dmitry Ivanov.
The competition is held in two stages: a group round followed by a playoff. Teams consist of five field players and a goalkeeper, and matches are played in two 12-minute halves with a single break in between.
In 2025, Serbia hosted the IV International Youth Futsal Tournament, the International Friendship Cup, on December 22 and 23. The competition was held at the Kovilovo Sports Centre. The youth tournament, which has been held since 2023, was expanded for the first time to the level of a multilateral international sporting event, with eight football teams from Serbia, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina competing. The tournament was organized by the Charitable Foundation of the Holy First-Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul, with the World Youth Festival Directorate serving as a co-organizer, and supported by Rosmolodezh and the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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The World Youth Festival took place in Sirius on March 1-7, 2024, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
In line with the Russian President’s instructions to preserve and further develop the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events are now held annually across the Russian Federation. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will welcome 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will take place in 2030.
The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and develop a global community of young people committed to shaping a better future.