Trabzon 2024 Becomes the Largest Football Skating Event in the Sport's History

Trabzon 2024 Becomes the Largest Football Skating Event in the Sport's History

Twenty-four countries officially participated under their national flags and recognized federation structures, making the 2024 World Cup the largest international Football Skating event recorded from 1882 to that date.

The 15th Senior Football Skating World Cup and the First Junior Football Skating World Cup, held in Trabzon, Türkiye, in November 2024, became the largest international event in the recorded history of Football Skating.

According to the historical records and official assessment of Federation International Football Skating - FIFS, no previous Football Skating competition since the earliest documented history of the sport in 1882 had brought together such a broad and formally structured international participation.

A total of 24 countries officially participated in the Trabzon 2024 World Cup programme. Each participating country was represented under its national flag and through a national federation, national delegation or officially registered structure recognized within the FIFS international participation framework.

This unprecedented level of representation established Trabzon 2024 as the largest Football Skating event held from the earliest documented origins of the sport through the end of 2024.

A Record-Breaking International Participation

The participation of 24 countries represented a historic achievement for the international development of Football Skating.

For the first time, such a large number of countries were officially assembled within a single FIFS World Cup programme involving:

• National flags and country representation;
• Registered national federations and delegations;
• Senior and Junior competitions;
• Athletes, coaches and team officials;
• International referees and technical personnel;
• Federation presidents and national representatives;
• Official meetings and the FIFS International Congress.

The presence of officially recognized national delegations distinguished the Trabzon World Cup from informal, club-based or independent competitions that had previously taken place during the long history of Football Skating.

Trabzon 2024 was not simply the largest gathering measured by attendance. It represented the most extensive formally organized international participation under the authority, regulations and governance of the world federation.

From the Earliest Record in 1882 to Trabzon 2024

The documented history of football played on skates dates back to 1882. During the decades that followed, different forms of Football Skating were played and developed in several countries, communities and sporting environments.

However, the sport's development was not always supported by a unified international governing structure. Many previous activities were organized locally, regionally, independently or through individual clubs and sporting communities.

The creation and international development of FIFS established a formal framework for:

• International governance;
• Recognition of national federations;
• Standardized competition regulations;
• World Cup organization;
• Referee and technical structures;
• International representation;
• National-team participation;
• Long-term global development.

The Trabzon 2024 World Cup demonstrated the results of this international structure by bringing 24 countries together within one formally governed World Cup event.

Senior and Junior World Cups United in One Historic Event

The scale of Trabzon 2024 was further strengthened by the simultaneous organization of two international competitions:

• The 15th Senior Football Skating World Cup;
• The historic First Junior Football Skating World Cup.

The addition of the Junior competition expanded the World Cup beyond elite Senior participation and introduced an official international pathway for athletes under 17.

This combined format brought established players and the next generation of Football Skating athletes together within a single international event, reinforcing the importance and historical value of the Trabzon World Cup.

A Milestone for FIFS and Global Football Skating

The record participation in Trabzon confirmed the growing international reach of Football Skating and marked a major achievement for FIFS.

The event demonstrated that the sport had developed beyond isolated competitions and entered a new stage characterized by:

• Formal national representation;
• Wider federation participation;
• International technical standards;
• Senior and Junior development pathways;
• Stronger global coordination;
• Greater institutional recognition;
• Expanded potential for future World Cups.

The participation of 24 countries also created new opportunities for national federations to strengthen their teams, develop coaches and referees, introduce youth programmes and prepare for future international competitions.

A New International Benchmark

Trabzon 2024 established a new benchmark for the scale and organization of Football Skating events.

Future FIFS World Cups will build upon this achievement by seeking broader international participation, stronger federation structures and expanded Senior, Junior, school, club, freestyle and ice competition programmes.

The historic success of Trabzon demonstrated that Football Skating possesses the international appeal, organizational potential and global community required to support substantially larger events in the future.

As of the conclusion of the 2024 World Cup, Trabzon officially held its place in Football Skating history as the host city of the largest international event organized in the sport from its earliest documented record in 1882 to that date.

About Federation International Football Skating - FIFS

Federation International Football Skating - FIFS is the international governing body responsible for the governance, regulation, development and promotion of Football Skating worldwide.

FIFS organizes World Cups and international competitions, recognizes and supports national federation structures, develops technical and educational standards and leads the global expansion of the official Football Skating disciplines.