- Danone Nations Cup
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The Danone Nations Cup is an international football competition organized every year since 2000, on the initiative of Groupe Danone.
Supported by Zinedine Zidane, it gathers 10 to 12 y.o. teams from 40 different countries and all continents. This competition is made of 40 national tournaments and a world final agreed by the FIFA. Each year 40 teams are qualified to represent their country at the world final of the event.
Beyond the sports events, the competition is also a way to promote the values of Groupe DANONE : Humanism, Open-mindedness, Proximity and Enthusiasm.
2,5 million children worldwide take part every year in the event.
History
Following the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Groupe DANONE decided to create an international football tournament for kids.
In 2000, edition of the Danone Nations Cup takes place, gathering 8 teams from 2 continents : Bulgaria, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine: Already 35000 players and 125 000 spectators worldwide . France becomes the first team to raise the DNC trophy, whilst one of the Turkish players involved in the tournament was Aydın Yılmaz, who is now playing, as a professional, for one of the best clubs in Turkey, Galatasaray. Stories like this confirm the philosophy of the event, "Believe in your dreams".
In 2001, the event considerably grows up as 24 teams, representing 24 nations from 4 continents are part of it. Reunion Islands wins the victory in 2001, while Argentina wins the 2002 edition.
In 2003, the Danone Nations Cup moved up to a higher level , 32 countries participate and Zinedine Zidane becomes the official ambassador of the competition. Between 2003 and 2006, the event is respectively won by South Africa, Spain and Reunion Islands.
In the year 2007 the Danone Nations Cup takes another step by gathering 40 countries from all over the world. Therefore, new countries join the adventure such as Saudi Arabia, Chile, Hungary, Uruguay, Namibia and Bangladesh. The world final takes place in front of 35,000 spectators and more than 250 journalists. South Africa is the winner of this edition.
In 2008, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Mauritius Islands and Qatar participate in the event. Eight years after its first victory, the team representing France makes its dream come true by winning the 9th edition in front of their ambassador and World Cup Champion Zinedine Zidane.
The World Finals of the 10th and 11th editions of the Danone Nations Cup will take place in the same country, and the same year as the FIFA Football World Cup: in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Champions
External links
Categories:- International association football competitions hosted by France
- Groupe Danone brands
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