2026 Lisbon Veterans Tournament 5-a-side Football Tour Report Group A Games 1 to 5

Results

Beijing Rockets (Chn)	0	V	2	FC Tpaktop (CIS)
FC Poloboc (Mda)	1	V	4	PFC (Bra)
Tricolor (Mda)	4	V	5	Beijing Rockets (Chn)
FC Tpaktop (CIS)	0	V	5	FC Poloboc (Mda)
PFC (Bra)	4	V	2	Tricolor (Mda)

The eurofootballfives.com early Summer Veterans Tournament is a moveable feast. Following the veritable delights of Alicante 2019, Lisbon 2013, 2016 & 2022, Mallorca 2014, 2017, 2023-2024, the Algarve in 2015 & 2018, Prague (2024) and Porto (2025) we return to the ever-popular Lisbon for a 5 th Veterans event ( includes a late Summer Veterans event in 2017).

Previous winners:

2013 Lisbon: Sao Marcos (Por)

2014 Mallorca: Palmesanos (Spa)

2015 Algarve: Mini FC (Por)

2016 Lisbon: Sago (Por)

2017 Mallorca: FC Mahou (Eng)

2018 Algarve: Mini FC (Por)

2019 Alicante: Esparta (Spa)

2022 Lisbon: FC Mahou (Eng)

2023 Mallorca: Duktil Balear (Spa)

2024 Mallorca: Aston Birra (Ecu)

2024 Prague: FC Poloboc (Mda)

2025 Porto: FC Poloboc (Mda)

2026: To be confirmed?

FC Poloboc were here in Lisbon and would be hunting down a third successive title at the early Summer Veterans Tournament and a fourth overall (including Barcelona October 2023).

Beijing Rockets (Chn) became the first team to represent China in our events when they made their debut at the 2023 Barcelona Veterans. They did so with aplomb as they recorded 5 wins from 6 games and scored 11 goals whilst conceding just 2 as they won Group A. They were quickly into their stride with successive 3-0 wins over Atletico Funk and Bure Park Seniors. 2-1 and 1-0 wins over TNF and JK Silvertown followed. Their 100% record ended 1-0 to Lucanos Locos but were back to winning ways to crown Group A with a 2-0 victory over AFC Blue Boys. This setup a tasty Cup Semi-Final match against FC Poloboc. It looked a really close contest on paper and so it proved on the pitch as the game was decided by a solitary strike. Sadly for Beijing Rockets it was FC Poloboc who broke the deadlock and went through.

To start Group A, Beijing Rockets and FC Tpaktop met in what proved to be a competitive opening fixture. Both teams were keen to make a positive start to their Lisbon Veterans campaign, knowing that with four group games available, every point could prove crucial in the battle for qualification. It was FC Tpaktop who settled quickest, showing good organisation and composure in possession as they looked to gain the early initiative.

The breakthrough arrived in the first half through Maxim Spiryaev, whose goal gave FC Tpaktop a 1–0 advantage and rewarded a disciplined opening performance. Beijing Rockets remained firmly in the contest and continued to work hard defensively, preventing their opponents from extending the lead before the interval.

At half-time, the game was still finely balanced with just a single goal separating the sides. As Beijing Rockets pushed for an equaliser in the second half, gaps inevitably began to appear, and FC Tpaktop capitalised. Leonid Sislo added a second goal to give his side breathing space and put them firmly in control of the contest. That strike ultimately secured a 2–0 victory and an ideal start to the tournament for FC Tpaktop, who opened their account with three points and a clean sheet. For Beijing Rockets, there was disappointment at the result, but with three group games still to come there remained plenty of opportunity to get their campaign back on track.

FC Poloboc arrive in Lisbon as one of the most successful teams in eurofootballfives Veterans history and the reigning three-time champions. The Moldovans made their debut at the 2023 Mallorca Veterans, reaching the Cup Final before finishing runners-up, but quickly established themselves as a dominant force by winning the 2023 Barcelona Fives title. They successfully defended their crown at the 2024 Prague Veterans Tournament and completed a remarkable hat-trick of titles at the 2025 Porto Veterans Tournament. Across those three victorious campaigns they consistently combined defensive solidity with prolific goalscoring, overcoming some of the strongest veteran teams in Europe. Now returning to Portugal, FC Poloboc are chasing a fourth eurofootballfives Veterans title and an extraordinary fifth consecutive final appearance, cementing their status as the team everyone else must beat.

In their first game they were up against PFC who had won 2x titles in the Open Age section of our events but were additionally competing in the veterans category for the first time. The Moldovans made the brighter start and looked set to continue their remarkable run when Andrian Cucovei opened the scoring to put FC Poloboc 1–0 ahead. However, PFC responded superbly, with Fercundo Cunha equalising before adding a second goal to turn the game around and give the Brazilians a 2–1 lead at half-time. Having seized the momentum before the break, PFC continued to impress in the second half. Ricardo Teixeira extended the lead to 3–1, putting FC Poloboc under increasing pressure, and when Ricardo Pereira added a fourth goal, the result was effectively beyond doubt. The Brazilians combined clinical finishing with a disciplined defensive performance to ensure the holders were unable to mount a comeback.

The final whistle confirmed a 4–1 victory for PFC and one of the standout results of the opening round. In doing so, they ended FC Poloboc's extraordinary 21-match unbeaten run in eurofootballfives tournaments, a sequence that had included 20 victories and one draw since their defeat to FC Miracle in the opening-game at the 2023 Barcelona Veterans. It was a statement win from PFC and an early warning to the rest of the field that the Brazilians intend to be serious contenders for Veterans glory.

Beijing Rockets previous appearance was at the 2024 Mallorca Veterans. They opened up with a solid 0-0 against AFC Blue Boys before sweeping to a 5-1 victory over Trojans. They suffered their only defeat of the group phase against VTF Reserves (2-0) before a 1-1 draw with Los Guerreros. It was a result that saw them finish 3 rd in the table and qualify for the Plate. In the Semi-Finals they won a hard fought battle against Rain Dragons (2-1) to set-up a final against VTF Elite. The men from Valencia had too much for Beijing Rockets in the final (5-0) as Beijing Rockets would collect runners-up medals for their efforts. Today, they lost their opener 2-0 but had a chance to make amends against Tricolor (Mda) who were about to kick off for the first time today.

Beijing Rockets and Tricolor served up one of the most entertaining matches of the opening round as the two sides combined for eight first-half goals in a dramatic contest. It was the Chinese side who made the stronger start, with Paul Abram opening the scoring before Colea Coceban equalised for Tricolor. Abram then took centre stage, restoring the lead and completing his hat-trick to put Beijing Rockets 3–1 ahead. Jared Bouri extended the advantage to 4–1 and, at that stage, the Rockets appeared to be cruising towards victory.

Tricolor had other ideas. Anatoli Turcano started the comeback by reducing the deficit to 4–2 before Mihai Gutan made it 4–3. The momentum had completely shifted and Colea Coceban struck his second goal of the game to level the scores at 4–4 before half-time, completing a remarkable fightback from three goals down. After such a breathless opening period, the second half was a far tighter affair with both teams showing greater caution and defensive discipline.

With chances at a premium after the break, it took a decisive moment to separate the sides and that moment arrived through Alex McGowan. His goal proved to be the winner as Beijing Rockets edged a thrilling encounter 5–4. It was a hugely important first victory for the Rockets after their opening defeat, while Tricolor were left to rue their slow start despite producing one of the tournament's most spirited comebacks.

FC Tpaktop came into the game on the back of an opening game victory. They were looking to make it 2 wins out of 2 but were up against tough opposition, FC Poloboc. They had met FC Poloboc in each of the last two years. They lost 2-1 in Prague 2024 and 2-0 in Porto 2025. FC Poloboc came into the game on the back of a first defeat since Barcelona 2023 so maybe this was a good time to play them or maybe it was a terrible time to play them with a potential backlash incoming.

FC Poloboc responded emphatically to their opening game defeat with a commanding performance. Having seen their long unbeaten run ended in their first match, the reigning champions knew the importance of getting points on the board. Any thoughts of a closely contested encounter quickly disappeared as the Moldovans produced a superb first-half display. Grigore Badea opened the scoring before Leonid Cigureanu struck twice to put FC Poloboc firmly in control. Igor Cigureanu added a fourth before the break as the holders raced into a 4–0 half-time lead, combining clinical finishing with the defensive solidity that has become their trademark over recent seasons. FC Tpaktop struggled to contain the relentless pressure and found themselves with a mountain to climb in the second half.

The second period was a more controlled affair, but FC Poloboc still found time to add a fifth goal through Mihai Ratiu to complete an impressive 5–0 victory. The result got their title defence firmly back on track and served as a reminder of why they have dominated the Veterans category in recent years. For FC Tpaktop, it was a disappointing setback after their winning start, but with two games still to play, qualification remained firmly within their own hands.

PFC entered their second Group A fixture full of confidence after producing one of the most eye-catching results of the opening round by defeating reigning three-time champions FC Poloboc. Their opponents, Tricolor, had been involved in a thrilling 5–4 defeat to Beijing Rockets and were looking to get their campaign up and running. With both teams possessing attacking quality, there was plenty of intrigue surrounding this encounter as the race for Cup qualification began to take shape.

PFC made the stronger start and took control of the contest through Ricardo Teixeira, who opened the scoring to continue the Brazilians' impressive form. Nuno Pinto then doubled the advantage to put PFC firmly in command. Tricolor responded positively and reduced the deficit through Mihai Gutan, ensuring the Moldovans remained firmly in the contest at 2–1 heading into the half-time break.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with PFC proving clinical whenever opportunities presented themselves. Ricardo Pereira restored the two-goal cushion with an important third goal before Fernando Cunha added a fourth to put daylight between the sides. Tricolor continued to battle and Victor Unguriano gave them hope with a second goal, but they were unable to find a way back into the game as the Brazilians managed the closing stages effectively.

The 4–2 victory made it two wins from two for PFC and strengthened their position at the top end of Group A. Having already defeated FC Poloboc, the Brazilians were quickly emerging as one of the teams to beat in the Veterans competition. For Tricolor, it was a second successive defeat despite scoring twice, leaving them with work to do in their remaining fixtures if they were to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.

Table