Stockholm, Sweden, 11th September, 2026 - GOALS, the free-to-play football game built from the ground up around fair competition, balanced gameplay and player skill, will host the inaugural GOALS Open Grand Finals in Stockholm this Saturday, 12 September, marking the first major competitive event in the studio's emerging esports ecosystem. Following a month of regional competition, 12 players from around the world will compete for a share of a €10,000 prize pool, with the tournament culminating in the first-ever GOALS Open Grand Final.
Tournament Format
The tournament will be played in two groups of six with the top four from each group advancing to the round of eight playoffs. The next four will advance to the semi-finals to decide who is playing for third in the bronze medal match and the contenders for the all-important grand final showdown.
The GOALS Open Grand Finals will be available to watch on the official GOALS Twitch and YouTube channels, with the group stage games kicking off at 10:00 AM CEST.
The Story So Far
The GOALS Open is the first tournament in GOALS' competitive ecosystem, giving players their first opportunity to establish themselves in competitive GOALS and compete on a global stage.
The tournament first opened in August to players around the world, with competitors progressing through regional pre-qualifiers and regional finals across three regions:
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Europe & Africa
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Americas
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Asia, Middle East & Pacific
Ends
Please reach out to The Story Mob at goals@thestorymob.com for any media requests.
GOALS is a game studio focused on creating competitive experiences that players genuinely want to play. Built by an experienced team with a deep understanding of games and the communities around them, the studio combines developer intuition, player data and direct community feedback to guide every decision.
Founded by Andreas Thorstensson and based in Stockholm, GOALS is built by a team with experience from some of the world’s leading games, technology and esports companies, bringing together deep expertise across gameplay, live services, technology and competitive gaming.
Its first entry, GOALS, is changing the world of football by developing a game from the ground up for competitive play that puts skill, gameplay, and the beauty of the game firmly back in the hands of the player.
Follow Goals at:
TikTok: @playgoals
X (Twitter): @PlayGOALS
Discord: @GOALS
Instagram: @goalsfreetoplay
Twitch: @GOALS
YouTube:@playgoals