The Middle East delegation has returned from Spain with silverware, two Cup finals and a breakthrough run from Iraq. Over three days at Futbol Salou, near Barcelona, 39 schools from across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East competed in six age groups at the second stop of the 2026/27 WSG World Series. Five of them came from the Middle East: Dubai College, Dwight School Dubai, Sunmarke School, Lycée Voltaire (LFQV) of Qatar and The British International School of Sulaymaniyah (BIS Sulaymaniyah), the first Iraqi school ever to compete at the World School Games.

Each age group began with a group stage, after which teams were split into three knockout competitions based on where they finished. The top teams went into the Cup, which decides the champions of each age group. The next tier played for the Plate, and the teams below that for the Bowl. It is a format that guarantees every team meaningful knockout football, and a trophy to play for, right to the final day.

Flying the Flag for Iraq

Some of the delegation's youngest players made one of its biggest impressions, and history in the process. As the first Iraqi school to take part in the World School Games, BIS Sulaymaniyah, from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, brought their U11 boys to Salou to face eight teams from around the world. Over an eight-game group programme they grew into the tournament, beating Harton Grange Academy 2–0, MeadowHall School 3–0 and British School Tashkent 3–1. In between, they ran CIS Lagos close in a narrow 2–1 defeat.

Those results earned a place in the Bowl, the third tier of the knockout stage, where they reached the final against Socrates Educa International School. In a lively contest BIS Sulaymaniyah fell 4–2, finishing as Bowl runners-up and sixth overall. For a school making Iraq's debut at the World School Games, it was a proud weekend, and a sign of what the next generation can achieve.

Two Cup Finals for the UAE

While Iraq's U11s were making their mark, two UAE schools were competing for the top prize in their age groups.

Dubai College's U15 boys came through their group into the Cup, then edged Deutsche Schule London 2–1 in the quarter-final and St Catherine's 1–0 in a tight semi-final. That set up a final against Beths Grammar, who took the title with a 2–0 win. It was the second year running that Dubai College have finished as Cup runners-up, and their record across the weekend backed that up: five wins from eight games, with ten goals scored and just four conceded. The school's U13 girls also competed, finishing sixth in their age group. Their combined points made Dubai College the highest-ranked Middle East school in the overall table, in 13th place.

Sunmarke School's U16 girls were just as impressive on their way to the Cup final. They produced one of the performances of the weekend in the semi-final, beating CIS Lagos 8–1. Kemnay Academy proved too strong in the decider, winning 6–0, but finishing second out of 11 teams was a fine return for the Dubai side.

Plate Glory for Qatar

The Middle East's silverware came in the oldest age group. Qatar's Lycée Voltaire (LFQV) beat British Georgian Academy 2–1 in the U18 Plate semi-final, then edged Radnor House Sevenoaks 1–0 in the final to lift the Plate trophy, the second-tier prize. That finished their tournament fifth of 11. Completing the delegation, Dwight School Dubai's U15 boys took on the largest age group of the tournament and finished 21st of 24.

At the top of the overall school table, St Catherine's claimed first place with 800 points from six teams, ahead of Scarisbrick Hall (550) and Beths Grammar (520). For the Middle East, though, the story of Salou was one of finals, silverware and a young Iraqi side that showed it belongs on the world stage.

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