Brazil, Israel, Hungary and Slovakia will meet from 19–21 November for three days of international football in Rio de Janeiro. At the heart of the event will be the battle for the Grand Prix title and top spot in the World League rankings, alongside a special ceremony at which Brazilian football legend Zico and Israeli coach Oved Kraus will be inducted into the World League Hall of Fame.

Rio de Janeiro will host one of the highlights of the Unity Football World League calendar this November: Grand Prix Rio 2026, a three-day international tournament taking place from Thursday, 19 November to Saturday, 21 November.

Four National teams will travel to Rio De Janeiro: hosts Brazil, Israel, Hungary and Slovakia. The competition will be played in a round-robin format, with each team facing all three of its opponents. Beyond the battle for the Grand Prix trophy, the results in Rio will also have implications for the race for top spot in the World League rankings.

Israel will arrive in Rio as the world’s No. 1-ranked team following an exceptional period. The team won the 2025 Grand Prix before going on to claim the Masters tournament in Budapest in June 2026, defeating Serbia 6–0 in the semi-final and Hungary 6–3 in the final.

Their biggest challenge is expected to come from Brazil, who will enjoy home advantage and will be looking to reclaim top spot. The meeting between Brazil and Israel on the opening day is already shaping up to be one of the tournament’s headline fixtures.

Hungary, who faced Israel in the Masters final, also arrive as one of the competition’s leading teams, while Slovakia complete a strong European–South American line-up that will contest six matches over three days.

Much More Than Football

The Grand Prix has been designed as an international event combining football with social and business networking opportunities for participants, guests and partners.

Alongside the matches, the program will include official activities, meetings between the delegations, media and digital content, photography and interviews, as well as a special gala event attended by the teams, guests and event partners.

One of the defining moments of the weekend, however, is expected to take place away from the pitch.

Zico and Kraus Enter the Hall of Fame

As part of the Grand Prix, the World League Hall of Fame 2026 ceremony will honor two figures representing different chapters in the history of the competition: Brazilian football legend Zico and Israeli coach Oved Kraus.

Zico, one of the greatest footballers in football history and one of the most iconic figures in Brazil, will receive the honor in his home city of Rio de Janeiro. Beyond his extraordinary International career, Zico has also played a central role with the Brazilian team in World League activities.

Alongside him, Oved Kraus will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after stepping down this year as Israel’s head coach following almost three years in charge. During his tenure, Israel became the World League’s leading team, played some of the competition’s most impressive football, climbed to No. 1 in the world rankings and won the two major tournaments and all without suffering a defeat and with a perfect International record.

The event as a whole is designed to combine fierce competition on the pitch with the principle upon which the World League was founded, using football as a meeting point between people, cultures and nations.

Alongside the sporting program, Rio will host social events, VIP gatherings, media activities and opportunities to bring together figures from sport and business, as well as international guests from different countries.

The tournament will reach its climax on Saturday. Israel will face Slovakia in the first match of the day, before hosts Brazil take on Hungary in the final fixture on the pitch.

At 19:30, the Grand Prix Rio 2026 Closing and Awards Ceremony will bring three days of international football in Rio de Janeiro to an official close.

GRAND PRIX RIO 2026 – FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

Thursday, 19 November

🇸🇰 SLOVAKIA　vs　HUNGARY 🇭🇺　—　14:00

🇮🇱 ISRAEL　　vs　　BRAZIL 🇧🇷　—　16:00

Friday, 20 November

🇮🇱 ISRAEL　　vs　　HUNGARY 🇭🇺　—　14:00

🇧🇷 BRAZIL　　vs　　SLOVAKIA 🇸🇰　—　16:00

Saturday, 21 November

🇮🇱 ISRAEL　　vs　　SLOVAKIA 🇸🇰　—　14:00

🇧🇷 BRAZIL　　vs　　HUNGARY 🇭🇺　—　16:00

🏆 19:30 – GRAND PRIX CLOSING & AWARDS CEREMONY

See you in Rio!