The World Transplant Games Federation have developed the idea to host a Transplant Football World Cup following FIFA rules. Transplant Sport in partnership with the WTGF will be able to submit potentially 4 teams to the Transplant Football World cup comprising: Transplant Sport Team England; Transplant Sport Team Northern Ireland; Transplant Sport Team Scotland and Transplant Sport Team Wales.
The inaugural Transplant Football World Cup will be held in Cervia, Italy in September 2024.Teams of 7 players will compete in three preliminary rounds qualifying for a knockout semi-final and final round. Teams can be of mixed gender and should have a squad of at least ten players. The games will comprise 20- minute halves and unlimited substitutions are allowed. Participants must have received a life-sustaining solid organ transplant that requires or has required the use of immunosuppressive drug therapy.
Daley Cross will co-ordinate the establishment of the home country teams, and has already contacted key individuals within England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Anyone wishing to help establish a Scotland Team should directly contact Daley Cross. Each team will be independently managed but will be representing Transplant Sport. Selection for the England Team will be made during the upcoming Transplant Sport Football Tournament in Wales on Sunday 24 March 2024.
Transplant Sport has led the campaign to include football as a safe sport for transplant recipients through the development of national transplant football competitions in the UK over the last 10 years. In addition, Transplant Sport introduced competitive transplant football at an international level into the World Transplant Games in 2019 and European Transplant and Dialysis Games in 2022.This new Transplant Football World Cup is a further key step forward in the growth of Transplant Sport football, and will provide an opportunity for transplant patients to represent their home country on the international stage showcasing the gift of life and life changing benefit of organ donation
Dr Paul Harden - Chairman TS
Daley Cross - TS Football - daleycrossts@gmail.com