Twenty young Ethiopian football players who participated in the 2026 Gothia Cup in Sweden have gone missing, with reports suggesting they may have fled to seek asylum in the country.
The players were part of a delegation that travelled to Sweden for the world’s largest youth football tournament, which was held in Gothenburg from July 17 to 24, 2026 . They were scheduled to return to Ethiopia after the tournament, but the athletes reportedly left their hotel rooms and did not show up for their departure flights .
The coach of the team reported the disappearance to Swedish police, who have not confirmed whether they have located the players . The players are believed to be between the ages of 15 and 19, and the Swedish Migration Agency has stated they are not aware of any asylum applications filed by the group .
The Ethiopian Football Federation and the Ethiopian government are yet to comment on the incident. This is not the first time players have absconded during international tournaments, with similar incidents reported at youth tournaments in Sweden and Germany in recent years .