Aligning Philadelphia’s first-of-its-kind World Cup-style soccer tournament, this year’s Unity Cup celebrates Philadelphia’s diverse communities, and continues to build momentum toward FIFA World Cup 2026™.
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia International Unity Cup (Unity Cup), presented by the City of Philadelphia in partnership with Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the City’s official FIFA World Cup 2026™ host committee, will kick off its 2022 season on Friday, August 5. The Unity Cup is one of Mayor Kenney’s signature initiatives, designed to unite the city’s neighborhoods and celebrate its diverse immigrant communities through soccer. All 79 Unity Cup matches are free and open to the public.
This year’s cup will introduce four new countries to the competition as teams representing Angola, The Dominican Republic, Portugal, and Uruguay enter the tournament. Reigning champion, and four-time tournament winner Liberia will seek to repeat as victors.
The kick-off weekend for the Unity Cup includes 16 matches, and begins with an opening match between newcomer, Team Portugal, and Team Ivory Coast on Friday, August 5 at Ramp Playground.
Celebrating Heritage: Opening Night Match and Flag Procession
On opening night, the Unity Cup will host family friendly activities, a free vaccination clinic, and an opening night flag procession, celebrating the diverse heritage of Philadelphia’s immigrant communities. The free, family friendly activities will begin at 7 p.m.
What: Unity Cup Kick Off – Team Portugal vs. Team Ivory Coast
Where: Ramp Playground, 3340 Solly Ave., 19136
When: 7:00 p.m. – Family friendly activities
7:30 p.m. – Unity Cup Opening Ceremony and Flag Procession
8:00 p.m. – Kick off – Portugal vs Ivory Coast
The tournament will continue every weekend through September, followed by quarter and semi-finals held September 17-25, all leading up to the championship game on October 8. The championship game will feature a fan friendly day with sponsor activations, kid friendly events, and naturalization ceremony, capped off with the championship match.
This year’s Unity Cup jersey features Philadelphia Soccer 2026 as the primary logo on all 48 team jerseys, which represent each individual nation participating in this World Cup-style tournament. The Philadelphia Soccer 2026 logo joins additional logos and patches on the 2022 Unity Cup Jersey, including the Philadelphia Union, Philadelphia Union Foundation, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, Chickie’s and Pete’s, and Global Philadelphia, highlighting Philadelphia’s designation as a World Heritage City.
Where to watch:
All Unity Cup games are free and open to the public. Regular season matches will be hosted at three locations across the city:
- Ramp Playground at 3300 Solly Avenue
- Smith Playground at 2100 South 24th Street
- The South Philly Supersite at 2926 10th Street
The full schedule is available online at unitycup.phila.gov/schedule/. For updates throughout the tournament, follow @PHLUnityCup on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
The Philadelphia International Unity Cup is managed and organized by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation in partnership with the Office of the Mayor, the Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the Office of the City Representative.