Macca’s City Cup 2026: Providing the stage to perform in Victoria

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Image credit: Melbourne City FC

The fifth edition of the Macca’s City Cup, brought to the community by McDonald’s Victoria and Melbourne City FC, will unite thousands of players, supporters and coaches from across Victoria later this month.

Participation at an all-time high

Last year, the 2025 Macca’s City Cup was a resounding success for all players and participants involved.

Over a mere three days of action, the tournament saw 370 teams compete, bringing together over 4000 participants across 903 total games played. In fact, it became the biggest junior tournament in Australia.

Although these numbers are hugely impressive and prove that youth football participation is stronger than ever before, this year promises to go one step beyond.

With 384 teams registered, players and supporters alike can expect to see plenty of action and talent on display when the competition kicks off on Friday 27 March.

The chance to play and perform

The Macca’s City Cup is a shining display what truly matters when it comes to the grassroots game: encouragement, participation and competition. We spoke to Director of Australian Football Skool, Rolando Navas, about the tournament’s popularity and importance for young footballers in Victoria.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of teams that have registered this year,” said Director of Australian Football Skool, Rolando Navas.

“For this year, there will be 388 teams that we’ll admit into the competition. That equates to about over 5000 players,”

“We make an effort to make sure there are as many competitive games as possible, across all age groups. One of the really positive things I’ve seen is the number of girls teams that have joined this year – it’s been incredible.”

 

Combined community effort

Kids of all ages – boys and girls – will be arriving in their thousands for the biggest pre-season tournament in the state. The sheer number of participating teams is testament to AFS’ commitment to providing a supportive sporting environment year after year, as well as to the continued support from McDonald’s Victoria, Melbourne City FC and the City of Casey.

“We’re obviously using three venues this year: Casey Fields, Inez Hunter Reserve and Ramlegh Reserve,” Navas continued.

“They’re amazing fields and, without [the City of Casey], we wouldn’t be able to host such an event.”

It is thanks to the combined dedication of the organisers and partners that young footballers in Victoria will have the chance to showcase their ability once again and, most importantly, enjoy the sport they love the most.

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Football West and Keystart announce three-year grassroots partnership

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Image Credit: Football West

Football West has secured a new three-year naming rights partnership with Keystart, strengthening commercial support for Western Australia’s grassroots football competitions.

From the 2027 season, the men’s State League will become the Keystart State League, with the partnership covering the State League Night Series, Division One and Division Two competitions across First Team, Reserves and Under 18s, as well as the State League Awards.

The partnership will also see Football West rename its annual Junior and Senior Country Week carnivals Keystart Country Week from this year. The event brings regional football associations together in Perth during the September school holidays.

Keystart CEO Mark Tomasz said the partnership would provide the organisation with an opportunity to connect with Western Australians through grassroots football while supporting its broader home-ownership mission.

“We are proud to partner with Football West and support local grassroots football,” Tomasz said.

Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell said the organisation was delighted to secure the three-year commitment, describing the partnership as an important boost for the State League and Country Week.

“These are exciting times for grassroots football in WA,” said Harnwell.

The deal gives Keystart a significant presence across senior and regional football in WA, while providing Football West with longer-term commercial backing for two key areas of the state’s football ecosystem.

Keystart, a WA Government initiative, has supported more than 126,000 Western Australians into home ownership since 1989 through low-deposit and shared-equity home loans.

Partnerships of this kind play an important role in strengthening the grassroots sporting ecosystem, providing organisations with the commercial support needed to deliver strong community participation opportunities. They also give businesses a meaningful way to connect with local communities while contributing to the long-term growth and sustainability of the sport.

LaLiga and CANAL+ strengthen anti-piracy alliance across nearly 50 countries

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LaLiga and CANAL+ have strengthened their partnership with a new anti-piracy agreement covering almost 50 countries. The deal spans Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti. It brings together the league’s anti-piracy capabilities with CANAL+’s technology, intelligence and enforcement resources. The move reflects a growing commercial priority for sports rights holders. Protecting live content has become essential to protecting the value of broadcasting deals.

LaLiga and CANAL+ will share intelligence and coordinate their response to illegal distribution networks. They will also work on joint investigations and enforcement activity. The partnership builds on an existing relationship between the two organisations. CANAL+ distributes LaLiga content across multiple international markets. The new agreement now takes their relationship beyond broadcasting.

The partnership creates a joint focus on protecting the underlying value of the rights being sold. While broadcasters invest heavily in football rights, illegal streaming undermines revenue and weakens the commercial proposition of legitimate broadcasters.

LaLiga’s latest figures highlight the importance of audiovisual income to professional clubs. Broadcast revenue across Spanish professional football fell 5.2% to $2.3 billion (1.43 billion Euros) in the 2024/25 season. Commercial revenue reached $2.4 billion (1.58 billion Euros) and became the largest revenue source.

Piracy therefore represents a direct business risk. Illegal access can reduce the value broadcasters place on future rights packages, ultimately affecting the money flowing back into clubs and competitions.

LaLiga and CANAL+ are responding by pooling resources. For CANAL+, the agreement also protects its investment in international sports rights. The broadcaster operates in nearly 70 countries and has expanded its relationship with LaLiga alongside its international growth. For LaLiga, stronger enforcement can help protect the value of its global media proposition.

The partnership also carries implications for the wider sports industry. Rights holders increasingly need technology, legal expertise and cross-border cooperation to tackle illegal distribution. The message is clear. Winning a rights deal is only part of the commercial battle. Sports organisations and broadcasters must also protect the content once it reaches the market.

LaLiga and CANAL+ are betting that closer cooperation can make that protection more effective. This agreement may provide a model for other leagues and broadcasters facing the same challenge.

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