streetfootballworld festival 16: Lyon, ten years after Berlin
From 28 June to 7 July 2016, 500 young people from disadvantaged communities met in Lyon during EURO 2016. How festival 16 compared with Berlin's festival 06.
Ten years after the streetfootballworld festival 06 on Mariannenplatz, the idea came back to Europe. During UEFA EURO 2016 in France, the streetfootballworld festival 16 brought young people from disadvantaged communities around the world to Lyon. Comparing the two editions shows how the idea had changed in a decade.
The facts
According to the UEFA Foundation for Children, which supported it:
- Dates: 28 June to 7 July 2016.
- Place: the heart of Lyon.
- Participants: 500 girls and boys from disadvantaged communities worldwide, selected for their wish to help change the world through football.
- Organiser of the tournament: Sport dans la Ville, a French organisation, which ran a solidarity tournament as part of the festival.
- Programme: educational and cultural workshops were a major part of the event, so that participants could build new skills and use them back home.
The tournament around it
The festival ran alongside UEFA EURO 2016, held in France from 10 June to 10 July 2016. It was the first European Championship with 24 teams, expanded from the 16-team format used since 1996. Matches were played in ten cities, including Décines-Charpieu, Marseille, Paris and Saint-Denis.
The final, at the Stade de France, was won by Portugal, who beat the hosts France 1–0 after extra time to win the title for the first time.
Berlin 2006 and Lyon 2016 side by side
| festival 06 | festival 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| City | Berlin (Mariannenplatz, Kreuzberg) | Lyon |
| Dates | 2–8 July 2006 | 28 June – 7 July 2016 |
| Alongside | FIFA World Cup 2006 | UEFA EURO 2016 |
| Participants | 22 teams, players aged 16–21 | 500 girls and boys |
| Focus | A tournament for the Copa Andrés Escobar | A solidarity tournament plus educational and cultural workshops |
| Key partner | German Federal Government (opened by Foreign Minister Steinmeier) | UEFA Foundation for Children; tournament run by Sport dans la Ville |
Two shifts stand out. The first is scale: from 22 teams to 500 participants. The second is emphasis. In 2006 the headline was a trophy, the Copa Andrés Escobar, and a final decided on penalties. In 2016 the source describes workshops as a major part of the event and frames the football as a “solidarity tournament”. The festival had moved further from competition and closer to education.
The organisations involved had changed too. By 2016 streetfootballworld had worked with FIFA on the Football for Hope centres, and a year later it would launch Common Goal, asking professional footballers to pledge 1% of their salaries.
What we don’t know
The UEFA Foundation page does not give the number of countries or teams, the match format or results. We have not found an independent record of the tournament’s winners comparable to the RSSSF page for 2006. If you have documentation, we would like to hear from you.
FAQ
When and where was streetfootballworld festival 16?
In Lyon, France, from 28 June to 7 July 2016, during UEFA EURO 2016.
How many people took part?
500 girls and boys from disadvantaged communities around the world, according to the UEFA Foundation for Children.
Who organised the tournament?
Sport dans la Ville ran the solidarity tournament, supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children.
Who won EURO 2016?
Portugal, beating France 1–0 after extra time in the final.
Conclusion
festival 16 kept the core idea of festival 06, bringing community football projects to the edge of a major tournament, but grew it and shifted its weight towards education. More on the network’s history in the streetfootballworld section.