Gothia Cup 2023 officially opened in front of over 51 000 spectators

A lot of joy when Gothia Cup was officially opened in front of a large crowd.

The world's biggest youth football tournament was inaugurated with pomp and show in front of over 51 000 happy and enthusiastic children, young people and leaders at Ullevi tonight.
– It was a fantastic and memorable opening, says Gothia Cup's event director Anders Albertsson.

Last year's inauguration was witnessed by 42 126 young people at Ullevi and was the first since 2019. This year there were significantly more spectators at the inauguration. Specifically, 51 073 people. And the atmosphere was at least as electric as last year. It was immediately apparent that the participants were charged. First, the participants had to play their first matches. And then they got to top off the day by cheering and experiencing a great opening show with their teammates on Monday night. It was noticeable that the young people had longed to experience the opening ceremony of this magical arena. 

The opening highlighted the community and joy that pervades the entire Gothia Cup. The audience was treated to wonderful numbers of various kinds. The show included fireworks as well as high-class dance and music numbers. All 70 countries were presented one by one in the usual order. It was a lot of screaming when Sweden, which has 1 000 teams in the tournament, was introduced to the tunes of Gothenburg citizen Håkan Hellström's hit song "Din tid kommer", but all countries received great cheers. As an extra spice, the Swedish national anthem was played on an electric guitar. It was a spectacular show that will be a lifetime memory for the visitors to Ullevi. 

The Gothia Cup 2023 is hereby officially inaugurated! Gothia Cup's event manager Anders Albertsson is very satisfied with the outcome of this year's inauguration.
– It was a fantastic and memorable opening ceremony. It was permeated with joy, community, friendship, warmth and wonderful energy, which is exactly what Gothia Cup is all about. I hope that all players and leaders go home with a smile on their faces after this magical evening, says Anders Albertsson.

Facts about Gothia Cup 2023:
Participating teams: 1872 teams.
Number of participants (players plus leaders): 43 400 people.
Number of participants, including fellow travelers: 54 400 people. Nations: 70 nations.
New nations in 2023: Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago.