Kings World Cup Clubs 2026: Format, dates and how to watch global 7-a-side showpiece in Italy

Kings World Cup Clubs will return in 2026 with a streamlined 16‐team format in Italy, as Los Troncos FC attempt to defend their title in what organisers describe as the pinnacle event of the Kings League calendar.

The week-long 7-a-side tournament, which crowns the world’s top Kings League club side, will run from 26 July to 1 August and bring together champions and leading teams from national and continental Kings League competitions.

Clubs from Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Germany, France and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will all compete for what is billed as the definitive global crown in this version of the sport, with high-profile backing from stars including Lamine Yamal, Neymar Jr and James Rodriguez.

Los Troncos FC return as reigning champions after lifting the trophy in Paris last year, when they beat fellow Spanish side Porcinos FC in an all-LaLiga-country final.

What is the Kings World Cup Clubs?

Kings World Cup Clubs is the flagship club tournament within the Kings League structure, bringing together title winners and standout sides from every Kings League competition worldwide to decide an undisputed world champion.

Unlike the Kings World Cup Nations – which pitches national teams against each other – the clubs edition is contested by local and franchise-style teams representing domestic Kings League competitions in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and the MENA region.

The tournament was first staged in 2024 and has quickly established itself as the showpiece event for clubs in this alternative form of football.

For 2026, qualification has been tightened: the field has been cut from 32 to 16 teams, and places are earned via domestic league titles, continental cup victories and season-long performance rather than via open wildcard invitations.

Pique’s reimagined football at global level

Kings League was founded by former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique and is based on seven-a-side football, but with a series of innovations designed to make matches faster and more unpredictable.

Among the signature features are “secret weapons”, special cards that can dramatically change the state of play, and high‐drama penalty shootouts. Those elements remain central to Kings World Cup Clubs, creating an environment in which momentum can swing in an instant.

The 2026 edition in Italy will again offer what organisers describe as the biggest prize in Kings League football – and the opportunity for one club to call itself the best 7-a-side team in the world.

New 16-team format and Swiss-style opening phase

The Kings World Cup Clubs 2026 will adopt a revised structure, with 16 teams replacing the 32-team bracket used previously.

Instead of going straight into a traditional knockout draw, every club is guaranteed multiple matches thanks to an opening “Swiss-style” phase before the competition switches to a single-elimination format.

The tournament begins with three rounds:

– All 16 teams enter Round 1, with the draw ensured to keep clubs from the same domestic league apart in their opening fixtures. – Winners of their first match move into a “winners’ path”, while the losing sides drop into a “losers’ path”. – In Round 2, teams that improve their record to 2-0 qualify directly for the quarter-finals. Those who fall to 0-2 are eliminated from the tournament.

The remaining sides then meet in a “Last Chance” round. Victors there secure the final four spots in the knockout phase, while the defeated teams are knocked out.

Eight clubs advance to the final bracket, which is a straightforward single-elimination quarter-final, semi-final and final.

The four teams that had already booked their quarter-final place with a perfect 2-0 record in the early rounds are seeded to face sides progressing from the Last Chance stage, rewarding their stronger starts.

The winners of the final on 1 August will be crowned Kings World Cup Clubs 2026 champions.

Who is taking part?

Sixteen clubs from seven different Kings League competitions have qualified for the 2026 tournament.

Places have been secured through domestic league titles, success in continental cups and consistent performances across the regular season, rather than through discretionary invitations.

The line-up reflects the rapid growth of the Kings League ecosystem, with representation from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and the MENA region all involved in the hunt for the world title.

Organisers say this is the strongest field in Kings World Cup Clubs history, bringing together domestic champions, continental winners and teams chaired or backed by some of the biggest names in professional football.

Schedule and match days

Kings World Cup Clubs 2026 will be compressed into seven days of competition in Italy, with matches scheduled daily apart from one rest day in the middle of the week.

The timetable (all dates inclusive) is:

– Sunday 26 July – Round 1 – Monday 27 July – Round 2 – Tuesday 28 July – Round 2 (continuation) – Wednesday 29 July – Rest day – Thursday 30 July – Last Chance round – Friday 31 July – Quarter-finals – Saturday 1 August – Semi-finals and final

How to watch on DAZN

Kings League coverage – including Kings World Cup Clubs 2026 – is available live on DAZN in most international markets.

DAZN holds broadcast rights across much of the world, with some notable exceptions where local broadcast arrangements apply. These include Brazil, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Portugal, the United States, the Caribbean, Central America, Latin America, South America and Israel.

Fans in eligible territories can watch every match live via the DAZN app or through DAZN.com. The service is accessible on smart TVs, mobile phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles and web browsers.

Viewers who do not yet have the DAZN app can download it on compatible devices and follow local subscription information to access Kings World Cup Clubs coverage.