Phygital Contenders Astana 2026 officially begins today, bringing together leading phygital clubs and athletes from across Europe, Africa, Asia and South America as they compete for the final spots at the Games of the Future 2026 – and a chance for the ultimate global glory.
Taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan from June 10-14, the tournament will determine the remaining qualifiers for the Games of the Future 2026, the world’s premier phygital sporting event, which returns to Astana from July 29 to August 9. Across five days of competition, participants will compete in Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball and Phygital Dancing, with qualification places for the Games of the Future on the line.
Having progressed through the season-long qualification pathway, including Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals tournaments, clubs and athletes have now reached the final stage of competition. With limited places remaining at the Games of the Future 2026, Phygital Contenders Astana represents the last opportunity to secure qualification and join the world’s leading phygital athletes in Astana this summer.
Across all three disciplines, athletes will compete in the Games of the Future’s signature phygital format, combining digital gameplay and physical performance within a single competitive structure. Success demands precision in both environments, placing equal weight on strategy, adaptability and execution under pressure.
Phygital Football will see 16 teams compete across four groups at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Combat Sports Palace from 10-14 June. Among the contenders are KMF Titograd, back-to-back Phygital Rivals: Montenegro winners; ACF x Allur, a local team combining elite futsal talent with championship-winning esports players; and Oeste SP, featuring Brazilian Fut7 National Team players with experience in competitions including the Kings League, as clubs pursue qualification for GOTF 2026.
Phygital Basketball will feature ten teams competing at the Alau Ice Palace from 10-13 June. The lineup includes Argentina based BOCA, the basketball team of the iconic Boca Juniors sporting institution; Valencia Basket, one of Europe’s most successful basketball clubs with two reigning 3×3 world champions on its roster; and GEPCO, a Lahore-based team known for its strong team culture and success in national competitions.
Phygital Dancing will take place on 10 and 11 June at Comfort Hotel Astana, where 11 athletes will compete for qualification. Among them are Tiago Silva, a multiple-time champion on the national and international stage from Brazil who finished as runner-up at the Games of the Future 2025 and Luis Carlos, the Spanish Just Dance national champion in 2025. Combining rhythm, precision and performance, the discipline offers a competitive platform as athletes compete for five of the final Games of the Future 2026 qualification places in Astana.
John Hewitt, International Marketing & Communications Director at Phygital International, said: “Phygital Contenders Astana 2026 represents the culmination of a season-long journey for clubs and athletes from around the world, and an important milestone in the continued development of phygital sport globally. The level of competition required to reach this stage reflects both the depth of talent emerging across the ecosystem and the growing international demand to compete at the highest level. As the final qualification event for the Games of the Future 2026, Phygital Contenders Astana 2026 will determine which athletes and clubs earn their place on the world’s biggest phygital stage, showcasing the talent, ambition and competitive excellence that are shaping the future of sport and driving the continued growth of the global phygital movement.”
While clubs and athletes compete for qualification this week, attention is already turning to the next competitive cycle. The World Phygital Community (WPC), the global governing body for phygital sport with 120 members across 116 countries, has opened Phygital Origins and Phygital Rivals applications for the 2026/27 season across all four disciplines. Applications will run from 10 June to 10 August 2026. Tournaments will begin on 10 August, with Phygital Football, Phygital Basketball and Phygital Dancing running through to 13 December 2026, while Phygital Shooter concludes on 19 November 2026.
Fans around the world can follow the full schedule, participating teams and results on the official Games of the Future platform. Live coverage on Phygital+ begins on 12 June for Phygital Basketball and 13 June for Phygital Football.
Phygital International is the promoter of phygital sports globally and is focused on innovating and redefining sports. It is the custodian and rights holder of the Games of the Future and oversees the bidding process for each host city. For further information please visit https://Phygitalinternational.com or contact us at: press@phygitalinternational.com
About the Games of the Future (GOTF)
The Games of the Future is an annual international event that fuses the worlds of physical and digital and is the pinnacle of phygital sport. The tournament brings together the next generation of phygital sporting heroes from all over the world to compete in a diverse range of phygital disciplines and challenges. The Games of the Future 2025 were held in Abu Dhabi while the Games of the Future 2026, will be held in Astana.
For more information please visit: https://gofuture.games/
