Ethiopian youth football team disappears during Sweden's Gothia Cup

Around twenty members of an Ethiopian youth football team – primarily boys aged 14 to 17 and several adult coaches and leaders – vanished after the final day of the Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden. Swedish police have confirmed that the group has not returned to Ethiopia and suspect a coordinated illegal‑migration effort.

Swedish authorities have not launched an active search, awaiting further information on the team’s whereabouts. Tournament organizers have been in contact with a team leader who says the players are safe and have been in touch with their families. The Ethiopian Football Federation has distanced itself from the team and says it lacks a full overview of the situation. If the youths apply for asylum, their cases would be handled through the normal procedures, but they are currently listed as missing and not formally registered as asylum seekers.

The incident follows a pattern of African and MENA‑region teams using European youth tournaments such as the Norway Cup as entry points for seeking asylum, raising concerns about sports events being used as migration gateways.