The anniversary edition’s international finale, held from 17 to 22 August, brought together 1,224 young participants from Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and North Macedonia, alongside 204 children from Ukraine. Over three decades, the Games have grown into Europe’s largest amateur sports event for children and young people, involving more than 3.8 million participants since their launch in Split.
One of the highlights of the celebrations was a ceremony at the Croatian National Theatre in Split, where tennis stars Ana Ivanović and Goran Ivanišević, alongside European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, were named new ambassadors of the Games. Their appointment adds three prominent figures to a growing network of ambassadors supporting the organisation’s mission of promoting sport, friendship, fair play and healthy lifestyles among young people.
The anniversary celebrations also attracted an impressive line-up of sporting legends and international figures, including UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Luis Figo, Željko Obradović, Nemanja Vidić, Goran Dragić, Darijo Srna, Dino Rađa and Nikola Karabatić, among others.
The celebrations culminated in an All-Star football match on Split’s Prokurative, where the young participants had the chance to share the pitch with some of those sporting icons. The exhibition match ended 4:4, with goals for the All-Star side scored by Darijo Srna, Mario Mandžukić, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Nikola Karabatić.
Beyond the sporting spectacle, the Games continue to promote a broader message of keeping children active and encouraging them to spend less time in front of screens. Participants compete across 10 sports, while the international finale also gives children from different countries an opportunity to meet, compete together and build friendships beyond national borders.
What began three decades ago as a local initiative in Split has consequently developed into a major regional platform connecting Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and North Macedonia through sport. The 30th anniversary in Split highlighted not only how much the Games have grown, but also the role sport can play in bringing younger generations from across the region together.
