All over the globe, you’ll find professional foosball competitions, some of which award winners thousands of dollars in cash prizes. Several of these competitions include the top players from all over the world playing on the best foosball tables in the country. If you’ve been practicing day and night to get competition-ready, this guide on how to enter the Foosball World cup and other major competitions will discuss entry fees, categories you can compete in, and what you can expect from the leading foosball competitions from all over the globe.
Main Foosball Competitions
There are professional foosball competitions held all over the world, including:
- Tornado World Championship
- World Series by Bonzini
- Foosball World Championship
- Table Soccer World Cup
- Each competition features several categories including:
Amateur - Women’s
- Double’s
- Men’s
The World Cup Competitions
There are many foosball competitions that are hosted by major organizations and manufacturers. Each competition is split into multiple categories and offers a World Cup Championship award.
If you want to enter a foosball World Cup Competition, there are several factors to consider, including entrance fees, awards, prizes, and travel expenses, if the competition takes place in a different state or country.
Below, you’ll find a list of the major foosball championships:
Table Soccer World Cup
Run by the ITSF, this tournament works the same ways as the Soccer World Cup. This competition takes place every two years, with players who represent their home countries. Any win is awarded back to that country.
Foosball World Championship
Held every three years, the tournament uses a different manufacturer’s table for each competition. This competition is often based in Europe.
Tornado World Championship
This tournament is sponsored by Dynamo Valley, a top manufacturer that produces Tornado Tables. Dynamo Valley offers a wide variety of foosball table sizes. These championships are always held in America.
Qualifications
There are several ways for a foosball player to qualify for World Cup Championships and foosball competitions.
For national championships, you can apply for the following categories, as long as you meet certain criteria:
- Open doubles and singles
- Women’s doubles and singles
- Junior doubles and singles-these players can be female or male. A junior player must be under eighteen years of age.
- Senior doubles and seniors-these players can be female or male. A senior player must be at least be fifty years of age.
Registering
To enter a world cup championship, you’ll register directly on each competition’s website. You’ll find online sign-up forms where you’ll fill out your personal information and make a payment for the entry fee. When you enter an event, keep in mind that some competitions are restricted based on sex, age, and skill level.
Preparing for a Competition
If you’re a beginner, you’ll want to put in more hours training before you decide to enter a competition. If possible, train with an experienced player who can go over the basics of the game, can guide you in terms of defensive strategies, and how to improve your playing strategy.
Regular training and using the right equipment can go a long way toward helping you prepare for an upcoming competition. If you want to practice under World Cup conditions, make sure you’re using regulation foosball tables and other equipment.
Why Enter a Championship
If you know how to serve in foosball, seem to crush every player you go up against, and spend hours training, you may just be ready to enter a competition.
For the serious player, entering a championship, especially the World Cup, is the ultimate goal. Many skilled players all over the country enter a championship to compete against the best players in the world. Aside from winning a large cash prize, a World Cup winner will be included among the greatest players in the game. While applying to enter a competition is easy enough, many foosball players have to spend years perfecting their skills in order to be competition ready.
Prizes
Prizes in a competition can vary greatly. The prize amount often depends on many factors, such as:
- Numbers of sponsors
- Cost of entrance fees
- Number of entrants
There are some competitions that have fixed prizes, so you’ll know what the winner will get before you enter. Other competitions will give a percentage of the entrance fee to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
- When you look up competition information, you’ll find a section devoted to prizes awarded, which can include a full-sized foosball table and cash prizes, depending on the competition.
- When a competition is sponsored by multiple companies, you can expect a larger cash prize, especially for the main match.
- Smaller competitions may award a few hundred dollars, while major competitions such as the World Cup, offers a cash prize of $50,000. Of course, in many cases, a higher cash prize often means a higher entry fee.
Entry Fee
Entry fees can be pretty pricey for major competitions, but for local championships you’re looking at an average cost of $5-$10. For small competitions, you can expect an average entry fee of $25 to $29. For major championships, the entry fee ranges from $50 to $100.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to enter the Foosball World Cup and other competitions, including what category you can enroll in, and what the entry fees are, can help you prepare for one of the most exciting matches of your life. However, before you decide to give professional competitive play a shot, I recommend entering as many local competitions as you can, to get a feel for playing against more skilled players, playing a match in front of an audience, and learning how to play under pressure. This can help you perfect your strategy and learn how to easily and quickly identify your opponent’s playing style.
