Belgrade
Belgrade knows mali fudbal as the game played after work on a rented pitch, usually with the same friends and a loud argument about the last result. The MCC Major Champions Cup brings a 5-a-side tournament to the city in 2027: three grounds, a Pitch Round from 9 April to 9 May, and a Country Championship place for each ground's winner.
Three grounds, three champions
Two halves of 15 minutes on a stop clock. Every team plays three group matches in a group of four, and the top two go into the playoffs, where a tie level after two halves goes to penalties. Five weeks of football on each ground leave Belgrade with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
Zemun/North-West
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
New Belgrade/West
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
South-East Belgrade
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Checking live availability...
Mali fudbal in the city of two big clubs
Serbia is a football country, and Belgrade is its centre. Red Star and Partizan dominate the sporting calendar, and mali fudbal on a small artificial pitch with a low goal is a regular part of city life. Companies, faculties and neighbourhood groups run their own leagues through the year.
Those players will find the MCC rules familiar. It is five against five with squads of up to nine, matches of two 15-minute halves on a stop clock, and a short slot for each game. What changes is the structure: groups of four, playoffs, penalties for level ties and a route out of the city.
Zemun, New Belgrade and the south-east: the grounds
The Belgrade grounds follow the two rivers. Zemun/North-West covers Zemun and the north-west along the Danube. New Belgrade/West lies across the Sava, with its wide blocks and large sports centres. South-East Belgrade covers Vračar, Zvezdara, Voždovac and Palilula, where the older city meets the outer neighbourhoods.
Belgrade has no metro, so buses, trams, trolleybuses and the bridges over the Sava decide how long a trip takes. That is why each ground takes up to 128 teams for a round of its own, and teams play close to home. Every ground ends up with one venue, picked through the MCC pitch owner programme.
Belgrade in spring and the Serbian Country Championship
April in Belgrade runs from cool to warm in a few days, often 10 to 20 degrees, and the rivers keep the evenings fresh. Group play takes three weekends, the first starting on 9 April and the last ending on 25 April. The playoffs start on 30 April and the grounds finish on 9 May.
Serbia has no other host city, so the three Belgrade Pitch Champions go straight into the Country Championship, 28 to 30 May 2027. The continental stage follows that, and 7 July 2027 is the date of the World Final in the schedule.
What a Belgrade team gets beyond a one-day turnir
MCC spreads over five weeks, using a published format and paying $20,000 to each Pitch Champion. Entry is limited to amateur teams, each with a Team President on the form, and conduct breaches can cost a team its licence without refund. A group of four plays three matches, and the top two go to the playoffs.
The road out of Belgrade
- 01 · 9 Apr - 9 May 2027
Pitch Round
Groups of four on every pitch, three group matches each. The top two of every group go into the playoffs, and penalties settle a level playoff tie.
$20,000 - 02 · 28-30 May 2027
Country Championship
The Pitch Champions of each country play for the national title: two halves of 15 minutes, a league table, then the playoffs.
$150,000 - 03 · 2027
Continental Championship
Country Champions compete within their region for a place on the world stage.
$500,000 - 04 · 7 Jul 2027
World Championship
A five-team mini-league, then the World Final: two halves of 15 minutes, penalties if level. One MCC World Champion.
$5,000,000
Questions from Belgrade
How does a team enter MCC in Belgrade?
Register on this site and pick one of Belgrade's three grounds: Zemun/North-West, New Belgrade/West, South-East Belgrade. One Team License per team: USD 1,200 for one year until 1 March 2027 (then 2,500), or 5,000 for three years. Payment and KYC verification follow the application.
When does the tournament start in Belgrade?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Belgrade grounds. The group matches are played on 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 April, the playoffs from 30 April, and each ground's final on 9 May. Pitch Champions go straight to the Country Championship on 28-30 May 2027.
How many teams can play in Belgrade?
Up to 384: each of the three grounds takes up to 128 teams, and each needs a minimum of 64 to run its round. A full ground puts an entry on its waitlist instead of turning it away.
What can a Belgrade team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the Serbia title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Which Belgrade ground suits a team from Zvezdara?
South-East Belgrade, which includes Zvezdara, Vračar, Voždovac and Palilula. A team can still enter another ground if its squad lives elsewhere, as each plays its own full round of 64 to 128 teams.
Can students from a Belgrade faculty enter?
Yes, as amateur players. A faculty team registers five to nine players under one Team License and names a Team President. The one-year license costs USD 1,200 until 1 March 2027 and 2,500 after that.
How does the Zemun/North-West ground differ from New Belgrade/West?
They are separate grounds: Zemun/North-West on the Danube side and New Belgrade/West across the Sava. Each has its own venue and its own Pitch Champion, and both go through to the Country Championship.
Do Belgrade teams play Serbian opponents only?
In the Pitch Round and the Country Championship, yes: Belgrade is Serbia's only host city. After that the continental stage and the World Final bring teams from other countries, finishing on 7 July 2027.
Nearby in Europe
Claim a pitch in Belgrade
One Team License per team, for one year or three years. Squads of up to 9 are built in the MCC app after licensing. Registration takes the team, its coach and its Team President.
- USD1,200One year
- 5,000Three years