PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The City of Philadelphia is abandoning the Unity Cup soccer tournament after nine years.
The annual World Cup-style tournament was conceived by former Mayor Jim Kenney as a celebration of the city’s immigrant communities.
Teams of mostly immigrant players representing 48 countries have competed throughout the fall every year since 2016, except in 2020 because of COVID-19. Mayor Cherelle Parker kept it going for her first year in office, but has now pulled back.
The city did not provide details about why the event is ending, but a spokesperson for the Parks and Recreation Center, which ran the tournament, said there were safety challenges last year.
The city is working on a new format involving “friendly matches,” rather than a tournament, that also celebrates immigrants.
Meanwhile, the CASA and Safe-Hub soccer leagues are joining forces for the “Grassroots Unity Cup” next spring that will include youth teams. Some suburban townships are considering a regional tournament.
Mayor Kenney was sorry to hear the tournament is going away, saying it required only a small investment but had a big impact in bringing communities together.