Foz do Iguaçu hosts 2026 CAIXA Youth Games

The 2026 CAIXA Youth Games (Jogos da Juventude) have officially commenced in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. Organized by the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), the event is expected to be the largest in the competition's history, gathering approximately 5,000 athletes aged 13 to 17 from all 27 Brazilian federative units, as well as invited delegations from Argentina, Paraguay, and Japan.

The competition features 215 events across 20 sporting modalities, scheduled to run through November 3. The program is divided into three distinct periods, beginning with athletics, judo, taekwondo, and table tennis. The event is projected to generate over R$ 40 million in local economic activity through services such as hospitality, food, and transport.

While the games celebrate regional cultural diversity and natural landmarks like the Iguaçu Falls, the event has faced individual challenges. One athlete from Rondônia, Julia Freitas Vieira, was reportedly excluded from competing due to a registration error regarding her category, an incident her family has criticized as a failure in administrative oversight.