Our Mini World Cup, organised by Miss Efreme and Mrs Gillies, came to a close on Wednesday after weeks of exciting football.

The competition began in early June, with over 130 children from Years 4 - 6 signing up to take part in the lunchtime tournament. Players were split into teams of eight across four groups, with four teams in each group. Every team played three group-stage matches, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the knockout rounds.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals produced some nail-biting encounters, with several matches requiring penalty shootouts to decide who would progress. After battling the recent heatwaves and having had to postpone fixtures, the whole of Key Stage 2 gathered to watch the exciting final between Japan and Egypt.

The final certainly did not disappoint. In a closely contested match, Japan were crowned our Mini World Cup champions, edging out Egypt 1–0. The winning goal came from Zac, who scored the decisive goal against his own brother, Ben, who was in goal for Egypt - a moment that made for a truly memorable and unique finale to the competition!

Finishing in 4th place was Bosnia, while Scotland secured a well-deserved 3rd place.

Our Players of the Tournament were Matthew (Year 6) and Oliver (Year 5). Both boys produced outstanding performances throughout the competition and, although their teams did not finish in the top places, they should be incredibly proud of the football they played.

A huge thank you goes to our fantastic team of Year 6 referees and linespeople, who took their roles seriously and officiated every match with enthusiasm and maturity. A special mention also goes to Zac from Heathcote School, who was on work experience and provided invaluable support throughout the tournament.

What a fantastic competition it has been! It has been wonderful to see so many children enjoying football, showing great teamwork, determination and sportsmanship, and making our Mini World Cup such a memorable event.