Entire Football Team from African Country Vanishes in Sweden after Competition
An entire Ethiopian youth football team went missing in Sweden after participating in the Gothia Cup. Swedish authorities have launched an investigation, though there is currently no evidence of criminal activity.
Why it matters
The disappearance of a large group of minors during an international sporting event raises significant concerns regarding immigration and safety protocols.
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An entire Ethiopian youth football team has gone missing in Sweden following their participation in the Gothia Cup, the world's largest youth football tournament, held in Gothenburg.
Players competed in the boys under-17 tournament during the Gothia Cup in the past. Ethiopian players who took part in the 2026 edition vanished.. Source: Getty Images Roughly 20 individuals vanished, including teenage players aged 14 to 17 and at least one adult leader.
Their absence was discovered on the final day of the tournament, which concluded on 19 July, when a school administrator noticed the group had left their accommodation without informing anyone.
Tournament organisers promptly alerted police, who opened a missing persons investigation.
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