site.btaSofia to Host First Baseball5 European Cup

Bulgaria will host the world’s first European Baseball5 tournament for club teams. On July 25th and 26th, the inaugural edition of the European Cup will take place in Sofia.

The square in front of the National Palace of Culture will be the arena for this street-style version of the classic game.

Twelve teams from eleven countries will take part: Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Turkiye, and France. Representing the host country will be two teams – the Sofia-based Akademiks and NSA Lions.

The event is co-organized by the Bulgarian Baseball and Softball Federation, the Bulgarian Association of North Atlantic Sports, and the Sofia - European Capital of Sport Association. The main sponsor will be the online sports betting platform Sesame.bg.

“This event will become part of our sports calendar. We want to make sure everyone sees this game and enjoys something that’s already popular across the world – and is now finding its place in Bulgaria too,” said Anatoli Iliev, Chairman of Sofia – European Capital of Sport. “We’ll do everything in our power to ensure it is held at the highest level.”

With this tournament, Bulgaria further cements its reputation as a pioneer in the development and promotion of Baseball5. Bulgaria hosted the first-ever international event in the sport — the Balkan Championship in Sofia back in 2018, held in the historic Knyazheska Garden.

Bulgaria also organized the world’s first indoor Baseball5 tournament — the 2020 Balkan Championship inside Bulgaria Mall in Sofia. And in 2022, the capital welcomed the first-ever European U17 Championship, held at Sofia Hall.

“If it weren’t for the support of Sofia - European Capital of Sport, events like this would simply not be possible,” said Yuri Alkalay, founder of Akademiks Baseball Club, president of the Bulgarian Association of North Atlantic Sports, and chief organizer of the 2025 European Cup in Sofia.

“Bulgaria is the trailblazer of Baseball5 in Europe. This is a relatively new discipline — officially recognized only four years ago - and it’s already part of the program for the upcoming 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. It’s a phenomenal sport with simple, easy-to-learn rules that can be played anywhere. It’s suitable for all ages - and uniquely, it’s the only sport where men and women compete together on equal footing at the highest level.”

“This,” he added, “is one of the sports of the future. Because it’s simple. Because it’s accessible. And because it’s for everyone — no matter your gender, age, or physical ability.”

At a special ceremony held on Tuesday at the offices of Sofia - European Capital of Sport, the official group draw for the first-ever European Baseball5 Cup took place.

Twelve participating teams were split into two groups with the help of Ivana Dineva — Bulgaria’s first international Baseball5 umpire.

The tournament format will follow a classic group stage. Teams in each group play each other once. The top four from each group advance to the knockout phase - quarterfinals, semifinals, and the grand final.

Teams that don’t make it to the final rounds will continue competing in placement playoffs to determine rankings from 3rd to 12th place.