Day: April 29, 2026
Georgia will co-host the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup, a biennial international football tournament for men’s national teams under the age of 20, with Armenia, following a decision by the FIFA Council at a meeting in Vancouver after a joint bid submitted by the two countries in 2024.
“For the first time in the history of independent Georgia, Georgia will host a world-class tournament under the auspices of FIFA in the form of the U-20 World Cup,” Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, a former professional football player, said on April 29, describing the hosting of the tournament as “a great honor and a significant responsibility.”
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the hosting “will contribute to enhancing our country’s prestige, including improving its sporting image at the international level.”
Georgia previously co-hosted the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with Romania in 2023, when its national team reached the quarterfinals, raising the country’s profile in European football.
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Georgia’s authorities on European integration
“Georgia’s path to European integration should not resemble the trajectories of Ukraine and Moldova,” parliament speaker from the ruling Georgian Dream party Shalva Papuashvili said, arguing that those countries had sacrificed sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Speaking to reporters, Papuashvili said EU membership could not be an end in itself if a country was required to give up its territories, identity or political independence in return. He said Georgia “would never follow the path” that, in his interpretation, was being proposed to Ukraine and Moldova.
Papuashvili cited remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggesting that territorial issues could become part of discussions during Ukraine’s EU accession process.
He also referred to the position of Moldova’s president, who, according to Papuashvili, has considered the possibility of unification with Romania in the context of the country’s EU integration.
He argued that such approaches showed that achieving EU membership was often linked to major political concessions.
“If membership becomes an end in itself, that means sacrificing sovereignty – such a choice is unacceptable for Georgia,” he said.
Papuashvili also criticized the European Union over democratic standards, saying EU institutions were interfering in the internal political processes of other countries.
His comments were linked to a report by the U.S. House of Representatives discussing possible European Union interference in elections in various countries.
Papuashvili said the report raised questions about the European Union’s democratic image.
He claimed that the European Commission and other political groups were “systematically interfering” in elections, including in Georgia.
He also referred to a case which, according to him, involved Danish funding and an alleged attempt to influence the electoral process through a non-governmental organization. Papuashvili said the issue became public only after Danish media took interest in it and turned it into a scandal.
News in Georgia