Drone Soccer European Championship: Drone Soccer Sets Out to Conquer Europe!
Korean Drone Soccer is setting out to conquer the Old Continent. From June 24 to 26, FIDA France will host the very first European Drone Soccer Championship on the sidelines of the We Make Future trade show in Bologna, Italy. As Europe’s largest trade show dedicated to innovation and AI, this event is no stranger to Drone Soccer, having already hosted two Club Challenges organized by FIDA (in 2024 and 2025).
This is likely the biggest milestone for FIDA-style Drone Soccer since its arrival in Europe. Organized by the Drone Soccer France team, Europe is thinking big. Three separate tournaments spread over three days of competition: the European Drone Soccer Cup, the event’s flagship competition, as well as two supporting tournaments, the International Club Challenge and the International School Challenge. This is a major challenge for Pascal Roignau, president of FIDA Europe, who recognizes the importance of such an event for the sport’s development in Europe: This is a major step forward for establishing the sport on the continent. When FIDA approached me about organizing this event, I saw it as a symbol of recognition and a real opportunity for growth.
The European Elite and More
And for this occasion, no fewer than five delegations will be making the trip. Among them are France, the event’s host; Slovakia and Hungary; Kazakhstan and its “golden generation”; and Romania, the newcomer to European drone soccer.
The School Challenge: What’s New About This Event?
A major new feature of this event is the introduction of a “support” tournament called the School Challenge, a competition open exclusively to children and, above all, students. It’s a deeply enriching experience for these young people, who have the opportunity to participate in an international event abroad—and perhaps even prove themselves: « It was important for us to put the educational aspect front and center in this competition. This is a crucial facet of drone soccer for the sport’s development, and one that must not be overlooked in competition. Beyond that, for these young people, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience; some are still in middle school, and being able to participate in such an event as part of their school program—I wish I could have done the same at their age!“ says Clément Maurin, one of the tournament’s organizers.
We Make Future: The Perfect Place
As Europe’s largest trade show for innovation, robotics, and artificial intelligence, We Make Future seems like the ideal venue to host this very first edition. Especially since, as mentioned earlier, the show is no stranger to drone soccer, having previously organized FIDA Club Challenges. For Arthus Collet, a striker on the French national team and one of the organizers, the Bologna Fiere exhibition center brings back many memories: “This is an event that’s perfectly suited to Drone Soccer, one that showcases tech-sports disciplines and attracts a good crowd. Everything is designed to pique visitors’ curiosity as they walk past our arenas. From a sporting perspective, this isn’t the first time FIDA has organized an event as part of the trade show. While this time it’s France—rather than Korea—hosting the tournament, we know that the Bologna Fiere team will provide us with the best possible conditions to host this championship.”