The Gañafote Cup Shines at Fitur with Fernando Morientes as its Patron.
The Andalucía Room in Hall 5 of the International Tourism Fair hosted the presentation of the 10th edition of the Gañafote Cup, the world’s most important youth soccer tournament, held annually in the province of Huelva and sponsored this year by former international forward Fernando Morientes.
Amid photos and compliments, the event’s patron arrived at the Andalucía Hall after stopping by the Huelva booth at Fitur. Waiting for him there were mayors and city council members from the dozens of municipalities that will host the next edition. Speaking on behalf of all of them, Mayor Pilar Miranda emphasized that “this is an unprecedented tourism and sports event, with 6,000 participants and more than 25,000 visitors.”
On behalf of the Huelva Provincial Council, Ana Delgado, president of the Destino Huelva agency, expressed her support for this unique project, which “adds value to tourism” in the province of Huelva. She also invited the project’s patron, Fernando Morientes, to discover the charms of each municipality.
Likewise, on behalf of the Regional Government of Andalusia, the regional delegate for Sports and Tourism, Teresa Herrera, welcomed everyone planning to visit Huelva during the tournament to the autonomous community and noted that the greatness of this tournament lies in the fact that it has already taken the “Andalusia” brand “to all five continents.”
Morientes noted that he is coming to “share with young people the experience” he himself has had as a soccer player. And according to the ambassador for social initiatives, Xanty Elías, “this tournament has an added benefit: to give back to the province what the province gives him.” La Gañafote will be held in April 2025 and will bring more than 350 teams from around the world to Huelva, making the province, for a few days, the epicenter of global youth soccer.
Project director Joaquín Rasco explained the project’s evolution and everything that has been achieved over the years. Perhaps the most significant development is that the preliminary rounds of the Gañafote are now being held on all five continents. Colombina, Dubai, Australia, Japan, Argentina, and Poland, among others, are some of the places around the world where the Gañafote has traveled. The winners of these preliminary rounds will compete in Huelva this April.
All the institutions in attendance—the Huelva Provincial Council, the Regional Government of Andalusia, and all the host municipalities—took the floor, highlighting the growth of this sports project, which has now surpassed the world of soccer to become a major tourist attraction, drawing more than 25,000 visitors, filling 17 hotels in the province, involving 350 teams, and generating an economic impact for the province exceeding two million euros.
In this edition, the tournament venues for 2025 are Huelva, Lepe, Cartaya, Villablanca, Palos de la Frontera, Beas, Bonares, Aljaraque, San Juan del Puerto, Almonte, Ayamonte, and Moguer; Lamiya in La Monacilla has been added as a venue this year, along with the sub-venues in Matalascañas and Mazagón.
