Spain to host 2025 Walking Football Cup

Walking football governing body has just announced that Spain has been successful in its bid to host the 2025 World Nations Cup.

This is amazing news for the sport as well as Mark Coleman and Mark Kavanagh who put the Spanish bid together. Federation of International Walking Football Associations (FIWFA) announced today, August 10, that Alicante will be the host of next year’s October tournament. Paul Carr, CEO and founder of the league has put his trust in Spain this time round.

But, what is Walking Football?, I hear some of you ask. The game, which can be played indoors or out, has grown massively in recent years from its humble beginnings as a bit of fun to keep the over-50s active. Until, that was, a documentary on broadcast on Sky Sports in 2017 led to many clubs forming teams. Since then, it has become a massive craze with teams starting up all over the world.

No kicking the ball over head height

Based on the fundamentals of traditional football, there are some notable differences: If a player runs or kicks the ball over head height, that incurs a free kick for the opposing team. The idea is to promote cardio-vascular fitness while avoiding undue stress on the body, making this a much less aggressive and a more friendly competitive sport.

Originally, the game was played without goalkeepers, although some versions of the game, still in development, do have goalies too. The game, created by John Croot in 2011, gained a lot of its popularity when featured in a 2014 Barclays Bank TV commercial which showed a Walking Football match to promote its products. 
Similar walking sports include Walking Rugby, Walking Basketball, and even Walking Netball. I think I may have found my sport.
Congratulations to Team Spain for the good news. We look forward to covering the 2025 World Nations Cup next year.