The final qualifying Phygital Football tournament for the Games of the Future 2025 has come to a close. Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi – Football delivered five days of dynamic, high-level competition, bringing together 21 clubs from all corners of the world in a decisive race for the last remaining spots.
The event saw a powerful mix of athleticism, digital skill, and strategic teamwork, hallmarks of phygital sport at its peak. As the final whistle blew, the leaderboard revealed the clubs that will join the main draw of the Games of the Future this December in Abu Dhabi.
México Quetzales – Armadillos FC were crowned champions after a thrilling final that kept audiences on the edge of their seats. The club showcased the strength of well-rounded hybrid athletes, overcoming a strong challenge from CM JARDIM, who finished as runners-up. Greni Smith claimed third place, with Zero Tenacity taking fourth place. All four clubs have now officially secured their spots at the Games of the Future 2025.
“From the moment we got here, the goal was clear: to qualify for the Games of the Future 2025. We knew the level of competition would be high, but we put pressure on ourselves because we know how strong our team is, both on the physical and digital stages. We came here wanting to win this tournament. Now that we’ve made it, we’re enjoying the moment, but the goal remains the same: to become champions at the Games of the Future.” shared Ulibarri, player, Mexico Quetzales – Armadillos FC.
In addition, clubs FC WhiteBird and La Crema both achieved qualification to the Games of the Future 2025 because of both their performance in the arena and the additional ranking points they achieved due to the success of their social media activities.
Held in collaboration with ASPIRE, the local delivery authority, and Ethara, the official Event Delivery Partner, the tournament reinforced Abu Dhabi’s growing role in shaping the global phygital ecosystem, offering a preview of what lies ahead.
All eyes will again focus on the UAE Capital in December, when the Games of the Future will unite the world’s best phygital clubs across multiple disciplines in the ultimate showdown of innovation, sport, and strategy.
Contenders ranking
| # | Club | Contenders points | WPC Member points | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MEXICO QUETZALES-ARMADILLOS FC | 61.5 | 248 | 152.52 |
| 2 | CM JARDIM | 42 | 204 | 85.68 |
| 3 | FC WHITEBIRD | 28 | 196 | 54.88 |
| 4 | GRENI SMITH | 30 | 155 | 46.50 |
| 5 | LA CREMA | 26 | 171 | 44.46 |
| 6 | ZERO TENACITY | 31.5 | 115 | 36.23 |
| 7 | KMF TITOGRAD | 13.5 | 259 | 34.97 |
| 8 | INTERSTELLARS-TEAM JOGA | 11.5 | 267 | 30.71 |
| 9 | LIBERTADORES PT | 28 | 100 | 28.00 |
| 10 | STREET BALL | 10 | 195 | 19.50 |
| 11 | INDEXG | 16.5 | 115 | 18.98 |
| 12 | AIGLES PHYGITAL | 16 | 110 | 17.60 |
| 13 | TEAM SANTA | 6 | 173 | 10.38 |
| 14 | NAVAI | 5 | 172 | 10.32 |
| 15 | TEAM GHANA | 4.5 | 165 | 7.43 |
| 16 | ORLANDO PIRATES FIVES | 6 | 115 | 6.90 |
| 17 | OAA ESPORTS | 6 | 105 | 6.30 |
| 18 | ALKHDOUR FC | 0 | 148 | 0.00 |
| 19 | GENTLE NEIGHBOURS | 0 | 143 | 0.00 |
| 20 | PGM COVIC | 0 | 125 | 0.00 |
| 21 | CEFL PHYGITAL | 0 | 114 | 0.00 |
