Powerchair Football World Cup Heats Up in Buenos Aires: Ten Nations Reach Key Rounds as Hosts Argentina Fall to Italy in an Upset
Buenos Aires — The 2026 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup is under way at the Parque Olímpico de la Juventud in Buenos Aires, Argentina, running October 17 to 23 with ten nations competing — Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Japan, the United States and Uruguay — in the fifth edition of the tournament.
Matchday three on October 19 produced a surprise: Italy beat host Argentina 1-0, continuing a run that has made the Italians the surprise team of the tournament with four wins in their first five matches. The United States split its two matches that day, beating Italy 2-1 behind first-half goals from Nathan Mayer and captain Jordan Dickey before falling 4-0 to France, the two-time defending champions. The results left the U.S. fourth in the round-robin standings, with the race for the top four tightening.
Under the format, each team plays a nine-match round-robin schedule, and the top four advance to the semifinals on October 22, with the final on October 23. On October 20 the United States faces Uruguay and then hosts Argentina, the latter a headline fixture in front of the home crowd. All matches are streamed live on FIPFA's YouTube channel.
Powerchair football is played on a basketball-sized court with four players per side using power wheelchairs to attack, defend and strike a 13-inch ball. Athletes include players with quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy, competing in mixed-gender teams. First held in 2007, the quadrennial World Cup is the sport's premier event.
Source: Compiled from U.S. Soccer's October 19, 2026 match report and FIPFA tournament materials.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 资料图：轮椅足球世界杯比赛场面（法国对比赛利时），Olivier Epron 摄，CC BY 3.0（Wikimedia Commons）
