IberCup Andalucia

The IberCup Andalucia or World Sports Festival is the biggest youth tournament taking place in the renowed holiday destination close to the city of Malaga.

The IberCup Costa del Sol (now Andalucia) was the first ever Ibercup event organized in Spain and has over the years attracted an array of elite teams from all over Europe, the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool or Juventus. 2023 will mark the 7th edition of this event, which combines football and relaxation to perfection.

The tournament will be played over the course of a week with futsal and basketball played between June 25th and 28th and football between June 29th and July 2nd.

If you’re interested in refereeing challenging games across many age categories while enjoying the superb holiday facilities of the area, walk onto the field at top-class stadiums and then go for a dip in the clear waters of the Mediterrenean, or for a night out, the Ibercup Andalucia is the tournament for you!

Arrival day depends on which sport you’ll referee in:
Football: arrival day is Wednesday 28 Jun 2022 and departure day is evening of Sunday 02 July 2023 or Monday 03 July 2023.
Futsal & Basketball: arrival day is Saturday 24 Jun 2023 and departure day is evening of Wednesday 28 Jun 2023 or Thursday 29 Jun 2023.

Transfers to and from fields can include using Uber. This is done by each referee and then reimbursed after the tournament so please bear this in mind in terms of downloading the Uber app and linking a payment card to it.

By attending this tournament, included in the participation fee, you’ll receive:

– Accommodation for the entire tournament in hotel lodging;
– Full board across the week;
– Transfers to and from games;
– Referee Abroad merchandise;
– Observers from across Europe and beyond who will give you feedback on how to improve your refereeing;
– Games with assistants and fourth officials, and possibility of using communication headsets;
– Finals in stadiums / possibility of appearing on live TV;
– A fantastic week of refereeing, friends, and fun! 

All referees over the age of 16 are welcome to apply for the Ibercup Experience.

Please note – if you are under the age of 18 you will need to travel with a responsible adult or have a full waiver signed by your parents/guardians sent to us before you travel.

The Ibercup Experience – Costa del Sol is a development experience which aims at supporting up-and-coming referees from all around the world in becoming better match officials. In order to do so we welcome to the tournament referee observers (assessors) interested in aiding these match officials offering them feedback.

Every year we require around ten referee observers, as an observer you’ll be entitled to:

– Free accommodation from the day before the tournament starts, to the day after the finals. 

– Free breakfast, lunch and dinner starting with dinner on the day of arrival, finishing with breakfast on the day of departure. 

– Free public transport to/from the hotel and pitches, as well as the airport. 

Read more and apply on our dedicated observers page. 

Referees participating to the Ibercup Andaucia will be accommodated in a local hotel. Rooms are based on multiple occupancy (up to 4 referees per room).

The name of the hotel will be announced only later during the year. In the past referees have been accommodated at Hotel Pierre Vacances in Estepona or Hotel Pierre Vacances Manilva.

On the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by the mountains of Sierra Bermeja to the north and the Mediterranean to the south, Estepona is a touristic resort full of life and charm.

The city center is characterized by its narrow streets, with charming shops, bars and cafés, which, combined with the modern leisure port, offers visitors the pleasure of experiencing the typical Andalusian atmosphere, enjoying modern leisure activities, sun and the wonderful beaches.

Many of Estepona’s beaches have been awarded the blue flag distinction for their cleanliness and infrastructure. These include Playa El Cristo, Costa Natura, Sabinillas, Playa de Puerto Duquesa and Sotogrande.

Malaga “Pablo Picasso” Airport (AGP) is one of Spain’s biggest and can be easily reached by a variety of airlines from all major (and sometimes minor) European cities. Airlines the likes of Iberia, British Airways, KLM, Alitalia but also low-cost carriers such as Easyjet and Ryanair fly into Malaga from many airports scattered around Europe on a daily basis.

Free transport to/from Malaga airport is provided by the organization, at fixed scheduled bus times.

This is definitely the way to go as this area of Spain lacks in train or bus infrastructure. Other than flying the only other option would be to rent a car (available at very cheap prices in Spain, for as low as €10 a day).

British referees may consider also flying into Gibraltar International Airport (GIB) which lies at roughly the same distance as Malaga airport. However flights into Gibraltar are much less frequent, and the border crossing into Spain can include some long waiting times.