20 members of Ethiopia's youth World Cup squad go missing in Sweden - Sarmad
Swedish police announced the disappearance of 20 individuals from an Ethiopian team that participated in the Gothenburg Cup, an international youth football tournament known as the “Gothenburg Cup,” held in Gothenburg.
The incident has drawn the attention of Swedish authorities, who confirmed that all current evidence indicates the disappearances were voluntary, while search operations continue in coordination with various relevant agencies.
This year’s Gothenburg Cup, also known as the World Youth Cup, saw the participation of 1,956 teams from 78 countries, including four teams from Ethiopia.
Described as the largest and most extensive international youth football tournament in the world, the World Youth Cup is one of the premier events for young players, featuring competitions across various age categories.
The 2026 edition saw teams from Sweden, France, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Ghana, Germany, Tanzania, England, Spain, Kenya, India, and Iceland winning titles in their respective categories.
According to Swedish police, 20 participants from the Ethiopian team disappeared after supervisors at the school hosting the young players’ team noticed on the day of the final match that several Ethiopian players and accompanying adults were missing.
Police confirmed that the group members have not returned to Ethiopia, adding that they believe the disappearances were voluntary.
Authorities suspect the incident may be linked to an attempt at illegal immigration carried out willingly by the individuals involved.
Elinor Haldé, spokesperson for the Missing Persons Unit in the West region of the Swedish Police, told a local newspaper: “We do not know if they are trying to stay in Sweden. That is just speculation. We have previously seen disappearances during the Gothenburg Cup, but never on this scale. The reasons in previous cases varied; some had already returned to their home countries, while others wanted to stay in Sweden or in another country.”
Haldé added that her unit is working in cooperation with the Migration Agency, the Swedish Border Police, and authorities in other countries to locate the missing individuals.
She explained that she expects to be notified if one or more of the missing persons attempt to cross a border or if they are identified by relevant authorities for any other reason.
She also confirmed: “There are no indications of illegal activity behind this incident, such as human trafficking or anything similar. Based on my experience, such cases gradually come to light over time.”
For his part, Fredrik Beckman, media spokesperson for the Gothenburg Cup, commented on the incident, saying: “From our perspective, it seems strange because we have a good relationship with this team.”
He added that the tournament organizers reported the incident to the police “as a precautionary measure,” noting that ten days after the conclusion of the tournament, the team members are still missing.
Reports also indicated that the last communication the tournament organizers received from the Ethiopian team was a thank-you message from the club’s contact person, expressing gratitude for the “good treatment,” and adding that “the problem seems to have been merely a communication issue.”
However, the message did not include any information about the team’s whereabouts or whether they had returned to their home country.
