Save the date! The second edition of the Football World Cup in Sailing will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2026. The top 40 nations from five continents will compete for the title of Sailing World Champion.
On Friday the 29th, CBVela officially announced that the Star Sailors League Gold Cup (SSL) will be held in Rio de Janeiro, with support from Visit Rio.
Renowned for hosting major international events, Rio de Janeiro will welcome another World Cup in 2026. This time, the competition will take place on the waters of Guanabara Bay. Supported by the City Hall and Visit Rio, and organized by the Brazilian Sailing Confederation (CBVela), the Star Sailors League Gold Cup (SSL), known as the “Football World Cup in Sailing,” will be held in Brazil from November 18th to December 13th next year, with athletes from over 65 countries participating. As the host nation, Brazil is automatically qualified for this exciting competition.
The official announcement, including the unveiling of the event’s logo, was made on Friday 29th of August at 9 a.m. at Marina da Glória, the venue that hosted the sailing competitions during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Among the prominent figures attending the ceremony were Rio's Deputy Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere, Sports Secretary Guilherme Schleder, CBVela CEO Marco Aurélio de Sá Ribeiro and World Sailing CEO David Graham.
“Brazil is uniquely equipped to host major events and competitions, and Rio de Janeiro has emerged as a key player in this regard in recent years. There's no better place to announce the arrival of the SSL in our country than Marina da Glória, surrounded by the city’s iconic landmarks and such a symbolic venue for both Brazilian and global sailing. We’re confident this event will be a success, and we’re already looking forward to welcoming the athletes and boats,” said Marco Aurélio.
“The Star Sailors League Cup in Rio is the result of joint efforts by Visit Rio, public agencies, and the private sector. An event of this magnitude reinforces the city's position as a sporting destination, boosts the economy, increases international visibility, and further consolidates Rio's legacy as an Olympic City,” said Luiz Strauss, CEO of Visit Rio.
David Graham CEO of World Sailing announced that the 2026 SSL Gold Cup in Rio has been granted Special Event status by the sports governing body. “This status is only granted to a few major sailing events in recognition of their importance. In this partnership, WS is working together with the SSL and CBVela to make the event a huge success. The universality of the event is providing attractive so far with over 65 nations confirming participation to date”. He concluded by thanking the representatives from the City of Rio for their support.
The deputy mayor of Rio Eduardo Cavaliere spoke about the city's capacity to host major events, such as the 2007 Pan American Games, the 2014 World Cup, and the 2016 Olympic Games. He also expressed his gratitude for SSL's choice of Rio for the next Gold Cup. "We are very happy and proud. Thank you for choosing us, and you can count on the full support of the city government, our mayor, and all of us. We will make it happen."
Event Reaches Its Second Edition
First held in 2022, with the finals taking place in 2023 in Spain, the SSL is one of the world’s main sailing events and follows a format similar to the FIFA World Cup. After a qualifying stage, countries are divided into groups of four nations to compete in a series of races. The top two teams from each group advance through the knockout rounds until the grand final, where Hungary emerged as the first champion. Italy and the Netherlands completed the podium, with Brazil finishing eighth.
At the time, the Brazilian team was captained by five-time Olympic medalist and two-time Olympic champion Robert Scheidt and featured standout sailors: Martine Grael (two-time Olympic champion), Andre Fonseca, Henry Boening, Gabriel Borges, Henrique Haddad, Alfredo Rovere, Mario Tinoco, Mario Sergio de Jesus Júnior, along with reserves Gabriel Kieling and Pedro Trouche.
In addition to the final phase, the Americas qualifiers are also scheduled to take place in Guanabara Bay, from November 10 to 16. During the first edition of the SSL Gold Cup, 65 races were held over 25 days, drawing more than 3 million live views, over 5.9 million social media engagements, and searches in 132 countries.
Throughout the event, Marina da Glória will be open to the public, allowing visitors to get a close-up look at the boats. There will also be an athletes' village featuring attractions for guests. The competition will be broadcast live both on-site and through digital channels, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.
“SSL has an easy-to-follow format for the general public. That’s why we’re sure people will be excited to follow the event closely,” added Marco Aurélio.
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