The international floorball community is gearing up for an exciting 2026/2027 season, as preparations for the next term of the Champions Cup get underway. We are thrilled to announce that the upcoming tournament will proceed with a lineup of top elite clubs from Finland, Czechia, Switzerland, and Sweden, with all qualifying teams having registered. While we are actively working on a major structural facelift for the competition from 2027 onwards, to further increase the value of the whole tournament, this upcoming season promises top-tier international action. A key part of the future plan is to once again connect the Champions Cup with other European club competitions, creating a unified and highly motivating European club competition pyramid for all countries.
Addressing Financial Challenges & Record Support
The IFF acknowledges that there have been deep discussions recently regarding the financial setup and the economic challenges faced by some clubs participating in international events. To ensure the financial stability of the competition, under current economic conditions, all five Champions Cup stakeholders – the IFF and the national federations of Finland, Czechia, Switzerland, and Sweden – have agreed on a unified approach, and are proud to confirm that up to 180,000 CHF has been allocated for travel support and prize money to assist the participating clubs.
With this substantial support for away games, many clubs will be able to cover their travel costs for these matches. This allows teams to fully capitalise on their home matches, keeping all local revenues from ticketing and sponsorships. These international games can generate significantly more interest than regular domestic league matches, making this financial balance critical for the long-term success of the clubs.
A Sustainable Playing System
A fundamental priority for the Champions Cup is maintaining the traditional home-and-away system. This format is vital because it guarantees every qualifying club the opportunity to host international matches, play in front of their own fans, build their local brand, and secure essential revenue. However, to lower the costs associated with away travel and ensure financial sustainability, the upcoming season will introduce an adjusted playing format.
For the first time at this level of international club competition, matches will be played using 3×15 minute periods. Additionally, teams will operate with a reduced match roster of 14 players and 5 team officials, selected from a broader registered list of up to 25 players and 10 officials. This streamlined format – which has already been successfully implemented at The World Games – directly reduces the financial burden of away travel and aligns the tournament with the systems planned for other European club competitions. Implementing this format now also serves as a crucial stepping stone, as these regulations are planned for permanent inclusion in the newly revamped competition structure from 2027.
Exciting Quarterfinal Matchups
With the format set and the teams confirmed, we can look forward to thrilling quarterfinal encounters across both the Northern & Southern conferences. The confirmed matchups are as follows:
Northern Conference
Women
EräViikingit (FIN) v Thorengruppen IBK (SWE)
FBC Kalmarsund (SWE) v TPS (FIN)
Men
IBF Falun (SWE) v Nokian KrP (FIN)
SPV (FIN) v Storvreta IBK (SWE)
Southern Conference
Women
Tatran Střešovice (CZE) v Wizards Bern Burgdorf (SUI)
Zug United (SUI) v Bulldogs Brno (CZE)
Men
Floorball Thurgau (SUI) v Florbal MB (CZE)
Tatran Střešovice (CZE) v HCR Winterthur (SUI)
Dates
Quarterfinals: North: 22-30 August / South: 22 September – 1 October
Semi-finals: 27 October – 5 November
Finals: 23-24 January 2027
We look forward to an incredible and highly competitive season of world-class floorball!
What is the IFF CHAMPIONS CUP?
The IFF Floorball Champions Cup (CC) is a tournament for the elite European clubs organised by the International Floorball Federation (IFF). The tournament has been played in several different formats including a tournament series, a Final Four event, and its current Home & Away series.
The CC is organised & funded by the IFF in co-operation with the National Associations of Czechia, Finland, Sweden & Switzerland. Two teams in each gender participate from each of these countries, being the national league champion and the cup champion, or runners-up. The teams are divided into a Northern (Finland and Sweden) and a Southern (Czech Republic and Switzerland) Conference, and is played with home and away games, and single matches, as follows:
- Quarterfinals – home and away games within the conference
- Semi-finals – home and away games according to the ballot, where teams may be drawn to play against a team from either conference
- Finals – single matches, with the matches played in the same or separate locations based on the bid proposals from the National Associations of the teams involved in the final matches.
The quarterfinals are played in pairs in home and away games, as follows:
Northern Conference (4 teams)
- Finnish champion vs Swedish runner-up/Cup winner
- Swedish champion vs Finnish runner-up/Cup winner
Southern Conference (4 teams)
- Czechia champion vs Swiss runner-up/Cup winner
- Swiss champion vs Czechia runner-up/Cup winner
The winners of the quarterfinals qualify for the semi-finals, which are played in balloted pairs in home and away games. The final is played as a single match.