Bucharest
Bucharest plays minifotbal on rented pitches wherever there is a patch of artificial turf and a set of floodlights, and a lot of the city's evenings end with a match of five against five. In 2027 the MCC Major Champions Cup brings its own 5-a-side event: three Bucharest grounds, a Pitch Round starting 9 April and ending 9 May, and a road that can lead as far as the World Final.
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 Bucharest with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
North Bucarest
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
East Bucarest
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
South-West Bucarest
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Checking live availability...
Minifotbal and fotbal în sală in Bucharest
Romanians use minifotbal for the outdoor small-sided game and fotbal în sală for the hall version, and both are part of the weekly rhythm in the capital. Companies run internal leagues and groups of friends book the same pitch every week. The MCC format of two 15-minute halves on a stop clock fits that habit.
Club football is close at hand. FCSB, Dinamo and Rapid all come from the capital, each with its own part of the city behind it, and Rapid's Giulești ground in the west is a landmark of its own. A derby fixture often decides who a group of friends supports for the season.
The three grounds and the six sectors
Bucharest is divided into six sectors, and the three MCC grounds are drawn across them. North Bucarest covers the area around Herăstrău, Floreasca, Băneasa and the northern sectors. East Bucarest takes in Pantelimon, Titan and the sector three side of the city. South-West Bucarest draws from Drumul Taberei, Militari, Giurgiului and Berceni.
The metro, trams, buses and the ring road connect all of these areas, and traffic in the evening is the usual limit on how far a team will go. For that reason a ground takes up to 128 teams in a round of its own. Venue selection goes through the MCC pitch owner programme, one site per ground, and a venue is only named here after its agreement is signed.
April and May in Bucharest, then the Romanian championship
Spring in Bucharest warms quickly. April often brings 10 to 20 degrees with the occasional shower, and May evenings are comfortable for football. Group play occupies the Friday-to-Sunday weekends beginning 9, 16 and 23 April, and the playoffs get going on 30 April, ending with each ground's final on 9 May.
Romania has no second host city, so each Bucharest Pitch Champion moves directly to the Country Championship, played 28 to 30 May 2027, skipping any city round. The continental stage follows, and the World Final takes place on 7 July 2027.
A Bucharest tournament season rather than a weekend cup
MCC stretches across five weeks, with a published format and groups of four. Any level playoff tie goes to penalties, and the prize for each Pitch Champion is $20,000. The field is amateur teams, each naming a Team President, and misconduct is met with zero tolerance, which can cost a team its licence with no refund.
The road out of Bucharest
- 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 Bucharest
How does a team enter MCC in Bucharest?
Register on this site and pick one of Bucharest's three grounds: North Bucarest, East Bucarest, South-West Bucarest. 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 Bucharest?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Bucharest 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 Bucharest?
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 Bucharest team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the Romania title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Can a company league side from Bucharest register?
Yes, as long as the players are amateurs. A company squad registers under one Team License, with five to nine players and one of them named as Team President. Mixed squads of colleagues and friends are common in the city's leagues.
Why are the grounds called Bucarest here?
The ground names are written as MCC lists them: North Bucarest, East Bucarest and South-West Bucarest. They refer to the same areas of the capital that this page describes in terms of the city's sectors and districts.
Do the Bucharest grounds each play a separate round?
Yes. North Bucarest, East Bucarest and South-West Bucarest each hold 64 to 128 teams and crown their own Pitch Champion. Group matches take place over three April weekends beginning 9 April 2027, and each ground's final is on 9 May.
What is the price of a Team License for a Bucharest team?
Each team needs one license. A one-year license is USD 1,200 when bought before 1 March 2027 and 2,500 afterwards, and a three-year license is 5,000. The page lists no extra fee for whichever ground a team picks.
Nearby in Europe
Claim a pitch in Bucharest
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