Top Eight Battle at Phygital Contenders Abu Dhabi – Football
The quarterfinals have concluded, and they didn’t disappoint.
The fourth day of competition of Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi – Football took over ADNEC with intense matchups, wild comebacks, tactical brilliance, and raw emotion. With only a few spots left available in the Phygital Football discipline at this year’s Games of the Future 2025, the pressure was real and the energy even more so.
So here’s how the day played out:
Starting the day strong, two of the tournament’s most in-form clubs collided in a high-stakes quarterfinal clash as México Quetzales - Armadillos FC faced off against FC WhiteBird. The digital round ended evenly at 4–4, but once the match moved to the pitch, México Quetzales - Armadillos FC showed their clinical edge, scoring four unanswered goals to book their spot in the semifinals.
Miguel Hernandez was the game-changer, securing a hat-trick on the field to lead the charge.
"Our aim is to reach the Games of the Future 2025. It's very important to be there in December, represent, and go for the win. That’s our number one target," said David Alatorre López, Administrator, México Quetzales - Armadillos FC.
Once again, Zero Tenacity were dominant. They secured a 7–5 win against KMF Titograd with strong performances on the digital round and the pitch. Žarko Matić was the standout, netting a brace and keeping the momentum alive for his side.
"To be honest, when we came here our vision was to get into the semifinals. With this win, the Games of the Future is in sight. We want to go all the way and lift the trophy here in Abu Dhabi!", said Marko Roksić, Captain and Goalkeeper, Zero Tenacity.
CM Jardim were on fire in their match against IndexG, delivering one of the most dominant performances of the tournament so far. From virtual arena to the field, they controlled the game from beginning to end, wrapping up the win with a commanding 10–3 scoreline.
To close out the day, Libertadores PT and Greni Smith went head-to-head in a fiery, high-stakes encounter. The digital round couldn’t separate them (4–4), but on the pitch, Greni Smith showed grit and determination to grind out the win and keep their campaign alive with a total score of 6-5.
Next Stop: Semifinals
With the final four teams now confirmed, the Phygital Contenders: Football – Abu Dhabi tournament enters its most intense stage yet. The semifinals kick off tomorrow, 29 July, followed by the grand finale - where the Phygital Contenders: Abu Dhabi – Football champion will be crowned and it’ll be revealed who will officially make it to the Games of the Future 2025, taking place 18–23 December in Abu Dhabi.
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