Quetzales-Armadillos and NS Team through to GOTF 2026 Phygital Football final
And then there were two. After five days of spectacular goals, unbelievable comebacks, thrilling penalty shootouts and surprise early exits – we now know who will do battle in the 2026 final of Phygital Football UFL presented by Samruk-Kazyna.
Reigning champions Quetzales-Armadillos remain on course to defend their title after overcoming Club Holcattes in the first semifinal, while NS Team needed penalties to get past the previously unbeaten FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL.
Here’s a look back at the penultimate day’s action.
Quetzales-Armadillos v Club Holcattes
Two of the most experienced teams in the competition met in the first semifinal, with Quetzales-Armadillos looking to make it to their second consecutive Phygital Football final and defend their title. Standing in their way was Club Holcattes.
Neither side managed to break through in a tightly contested digital stage, leaving everything to be decided on the pitch. There, Quetzales-Armadillos wasted little time setting the standard, finding an early goal to take a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, an Eder goal doubled the advantage and put Quetzales-Armadillos within touching distance of the final. Club Holcattes fought until the last whistle, but Quetzales-Armadillos refused to let the opportunity slip away, holding firm to secure the win. Club Holcattes, meanwhile, still have a chance to end on a high in tomorrow's third-place match.
Digital stage: Quetzales-Armadillos 0-0 Club Holcattes
Physical stage: Quetzales-Armadillos 2-0 Club Holcattes
Final result: Quetzales-Armadillos 2-0 Club Holcattes
“We knew we were facing a tough opponent – they are the reigning champions. The digital stage was as even as we expected, but conceding that first goal in the physical stage unsettled us a little. We tried everything, including the attacking goalkeeper, but unfortunately we couldn’t find the goal. Now we have to turn our attention to the third-place match because we still have something to fight for.” – Luis Daniel Rosales, Club Holcattes
“We thought we could get an advantage from the digital stage, so we could give a little to our players on the field. But Holcattes played their game very well and managed to stop us, so I have a lot of respect for them. We know that as long as we don’t go into the physical stage at a disadvantage, we have the best team in the world on the field.” – Rodrigo Ulibarri, Quetzales-Armadillos
NS Team v FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL
The second semifinal was another battle between two teams hungry for a place in their first final.
NS Team struck first with an impressive goal in the opening half of the digital stage and continued pushing forward in search of another. Instead, FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL found the equalizer in added time to send the teams onto the pitch level at 1-1.
Once again, the physical stage carried all the weight. Both teams played with intensity, searching for any opening, before NS Team found one from a dangerous free kick with just 20 seconds left in the first half. Their advantage did not last long. FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL came out flying after the break, scoring within seconds to bring the match back level.
With neither side able to find a winner, penalties would decide who joined Quetzales-Armadillos in the final – and who would have to settle for a shot at third place. NS Team were flawless from the spot, converting all three of their opening penalties. FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL could not handle the pressure, missing their final attempt and sending NS Team through to the Games of the Future 2026 final.
Digital stage: NS Team 1-1 FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL
Physical stage: NS Team 1-1 FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL
Penalty shootout: NS Team 3-2 FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL
Final result: NS Team 5-4 FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL
"We were absolutely ready for the penalty shootout. For two months, after every training session, we practiced penalties. Even yesterday, when we found out that NS Team would be our semifinal opponent, we watched their previous penalty shootouts and studied them. But penalties are a lottery – it's 50-50. Today, luck was just a little bit more on their side." – Timur Turakulov, FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL
"Honestly, I was hoping to avoid penalties. As I said, this is a difficult competition, and when it comes to penalties, you have to trust yourself and your teammates. We came here to win, and we believe in each other. We're a good team, so we were confident that we could win, even in the penalty shootout." – Gaston Godoy, NS Team
All results
Key Takeaways
So, just one final challenge remains for Quetzales-Armadillos and NS Team in their pursuit of the Games of the Future 2026 crown. Meanwhile, Club Holcattes and FC OLYMPIC PHYGITAL still have a chance to finish their campaigns on a high and secure a place on the podium.
The action begins tomorrow (August 9) at 16:30 local time with the third-place match, before attention turns to the main event at 18:00.
Tomorrow marks the final day of the Games of the Future 2026 powered by Samruk-Kazyna, with champions set to be crowned in Phygital Football UFL presented by Samruk-Kazyna and MOBA Mobile MLBB presented by Freedom, bringing 12 days of competition in Astana to a close.
Where to watch
No matter where in the world you are, you can follow all the action live on Phygital+, the official home of the Games of the Future 2026. Subscribers can enjoy live coverage of every discipline, video-on-demand replays, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content throughout the tournament.
Alongside Phygital+, the Games of the Future 2026 is being broadcast by leading media partners across the globe, including Fox Sports Mexico (Mexico), StarTimes (Africa), BIGG TV (France/Worldwide), ESR TV (USA/Worldwide), Play TV (Brazil), Unbeaten (Australia), and QazSport (Kazakhstan).
