Plovdiv Metro
Bulgarians call the small-sided game minifootball, and Plovdiv plays plenty of it, in halls through the winter and on outdoor pitches once the weather turns. The MCC Plovdiv Metro tournament offers those teams a 2027 season: three grounds across the city and its surroundings, a Pitch Champion for each, and a route that reaches the World Final on 7 July 2027.
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 Plovdiv Metro with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
Plovdiv Centre
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Perushtitsa Sports Hall
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
Plovdiv North
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
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Minifootball in Plovdiv
Plovdiv has two professional clubs, Botev and Lokomotiv, and a football-minded public that splits between them. Below the stadiums, the everyday game is minifootball: sports halls and small artificial pitches rented by teams of friends, colleagues and former classmates, mostly in the evenings.
That is the level MCC is written for. Squads of up to nine play two halves of 15 minutes on a stop clock, in a group of four with three matches each, and then comes the knockout phase with penalties for a level tie. It suits a team that already meets weekly and wants a season to play for.
Plovdiv Centre, Perushtitsa and the north
The three grounds are Plovdiv Centre, Perushtitsa Sports Hall and Plovdiv North. The name Metro reflects that the competition draws from the wider area, not only the city limits: Perushtitsa Sports Hall is the label of the ground covering the area around Perushtitsa, a town in the province to the south-west, and Plovdiv North serves the districts above the river.
Each ground plays out a complete round for 64 to 128 teams. Buses, cars and the regional roads are the main ways of reaching them. One venue per ground will be confirmed under the MCC pitch owner programme, and this page will carry its name once the agreement is signed.
Spring in the Thracian plain, and the Bulgarian route
April and May on the plain around Plovdiv are mild, warming quickly, with occasional spring rain. The group stage runs Friday to Sunday on three April weekends, the knockout rounds begin on 30 April and the grounds crown their champions on 9 May.
Bulgaria has no other host city, so the three Plovdiv champions go straight to the national championship, 28 to 30 May 2027. Whoever wins there carries Bulgaria into the European stage, and only the World Final of 7 July 2027 lies beyond it.
How MCC differs from a hall league
A minifootball league in Plovdiv usually runs through the winter in a hall, with no way out of the city. MCC adds a national and continental ladder and $20,000 for the champion of each ground. Teams are amateur, each names a Team President, and a conduct policy can end a licence without a refund.
The road out of Plovdiv Metro
- 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 Plovdiv Metro
How does a team enter MCC in Plovdiv Metro?
Register on this site and pick one of Plovdiv Metro's three grounds: Plovdiv Centre, Perushtitsa Sports Hall, Plovdiv North. 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 Plovdiv Metro?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Plovdiv Metro 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 Plovdiv Metro?
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 Plovdiv Metro team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the Bulgaria title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Does Plovdiv Metro mean teams from outside the city can enter?
Yes. The three grounds cover the city and its surroundings, and a team registers for the ground it can reach most easily. Any amateur team of five to nine players with a Team President can hold a licence.
Is the Perushtitsa Sports Hall ground played indoors?
Perushtitsa Sports Hall is the label of a ground covering the area around Perushtitsa, not a signed venue. The venue is confirmed through the pitch owner programme like every other ground, and the Plovdiv page names it once signed.
Can a minifootball league team enter together?
Yes, a whole existing team can enter under one Team License. The league name does not matter, but each team needs a Team President and a squad of no more than nine.
Where do Plovdiv Pitch Champions go after the ground final?
To the Country Championship on 28 to 30 May 2027. Bulgaria has no second host city, so the three Plovdiv champions play it directly, and the winners continue to the continental stage.
Nearby in Europe
Claim a pitch in Plovdiv Metro
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