All‑star spectacle and gala ceremony mark 30 years of the Plazma Sports Games for Youth

An all-star spectacle and a gala ceremony in Split marked the 30th anniversary of the Plazma Sports Games for Youth on August 22, 2026, bringing athletes, celebrities and hundreds of children together for sport and celebration.

The penultimate day of the international final began with a "Become a Green Ambassador" quiz, part of the Zero Waste project "Be Part of the Game – Save Our Planet," run in partnership between the Games and Coca‑Cola. Children from North Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovenia took part; the quiz was hosted by quiz-master Din Kotiga.

Later the central square in Split hosted the traditional football encounter: a team of UEFA representatives and sports stars faced a squad representing the Plazma Sports Games for Youth, made up of children.

The All‑Star side featured: Aleksander Čeferin, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Julien Escudé, Georgios Karagounis, Vladimir Šmicer, Stiliyan Petrov, Claude Makélélé, William Gallas, David James, Marcel Desailly, Aitor Karanka, Pavel Nedvěd, Darijo Srna, Mario Mandžukić, Nemanja Vidić, Vedad Ibišević, Emir Spahić, Mehmed Baždarević, Goran Dragić, Nikola Karabatić, Magnus Brunner, Alastair Campbell and Aljoša Asanović.

The Plazma Games team was formed by children from the five member countries of the Games plus guest nation Ukraine. From North Macedonia the participants were Enis Ferati, Enes Ferati, Feta Ferati and Anja Mileska. The All‑Star coaches were Željko Obradović and Predrag Danilović, while the Plazma team was led by Shon Daich and Miodrag Gogić.

The match, played in front of a lively crowd on the Prokurative, produced plenty of goals. Scorers for the All‑Star side were Mario Mandžukić, Darijo Srna, Nikola Karabatić and Zlatan Ibrahimović; for the Plazma team the scorers were Yehor Ubar, Anka Živanović, Ajdin Buljubašić and Marko Radovanović. The game finished 4:4 and the players and children continued to celebrate together after the final whistle. The live broadcast across Europe and beyond featured commentary by Croatia coach Slaven Bilić and British presenter Adrian Chiles.

Gala evening at the Croatian National Theatre

The jubilee ceremony took place in the Croatian National Theatre in Split, where organisers presented new ambassadors of the Games and honoured many long‑time supporters. Guests were welcomed by Davor Božinović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the Republic of Croatia.

Across three decades, dozens of athletes, coaches and public figures have been part of the Plazma story and received special recognitions handed to them by participating children. Among the many names mentioned at the ceremony were Aleksander Čeferin, Predrag Mijatović, Johannes Hahn, Zoran Bogdanović, Davor Božinović, Ivica Kojić, Slaven Bilić, Lana Popović, Jelena Drakulić, Darijo Srna, Mario Stanić, Alastair Campbell, Tomislav Mamić, Vladimir Lučić, Alen Bokšić, Mehmed Baždarević, Dijana Pleština, Josip Komar, Vedran Duvnjak, Zoran Janković, Dragan Stojković, Željko Tufekčić, Lidija Samarđija, Dario Kozul, Ivan Bočina, Nemanja Vidić, Luka Modrić, Nemanja Matić, Vladimir Vranković and Goran Lulić.

Zdravko Marić, who addressed the hall, reflected on the scale of the operation and the role of children in the Games: "Plazma Sports Games for Youth have never been the result of the decisions or work of one person, nor will they ever be. Our permanent team counts about 50 employees, but I am surprised by how many people are needed to organize the Games during a single year – this year around 11,000 people were involved in the organization. When I look back at our beginnings after 30 years, I must admit there were many more reasons to give up than to continue. But when I look at everything we have achieved today, I'm really happy that my team and I always managed to find the strength to stay and continue. For six years in a row we are the largest amateur sporting event in Europe by number of participants. We could never have achieved that without the children, who are our best advertisement. It's impressive that from year to year we connect more and more children. Even more importantly, these children, although they come from different countries which, as we all know, do not have such a distant or simple past, have shown that they are wiser than us adults. They often ask me what message I would send to the children. Yesterday I said I believe they should send us a message. They have already done that and for years have shown us by their example. Regardless of how different we are and from which country we come, we all have the same goal and we all live on the same planet," said Zdravko Marić.

New ambassadors were unveiled at the ceremony: Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration; celebrated tennis player Ana Ivanović; and legendary player and coach Goran Ivanišević. Ana Ivanović said: "Sport taught me many things – discipline, perseverance and fair play, but also how to deal with both victory and defeat. But sport gave me something more: priceless friendships and memories that last a lifetime. Those are precisely the values the Plazma Sports Games for Youth pass on to millions of children across the region. I am proud to be part of this story and eagerly look forward to inspiring new generations together."

Goran Ivanišević, who has supported the Games from the start, added with his trademark humour: "Finally! Zdravko, thank you for finally promoting me to ambassador. We have lived together with the Plazma Sports Games for Youth for 30 years. I come from the same Split neighbourhood, Brda, where Zdravko's story began. You know Split is a bit of a tough city. In Split nothing is cheap and nobody is cheap, and yet at the end of the day everything is fine and everything turns out as it should. Zdravko is one of those people who never gave up. He believed in himself and he believed in this project. That is why it is an exceptional honour for me to represent this event and the Plazma Sports Games for Youth. I am glad we got the chance to be even better, to continue and to include a few more countries. I want to send a message to future ambassadors and to all those who will become ambassadors, whether they expect it or not: pick up the phone when Zdravko calls! Answer, because he will find you. He will call your wife, mother and aunt. He will come to your home. So, to avoid all that inconvenience, you will have to pick up. It's best to say right away: All right, Zdravko, we'll come where needed. And you will come, because this is a wonderful thing. It is a great pride and honour to be an ambassador of such an event. I wish you and your brother Slaven at least another 50 years of this madness, enthusiasm and energy. Just keep going!"

The Republic of North Macedonia closed its first season in the Plazma Sports Games for Youth with pride, returning from Split with seven medals and many unforgettable moments.

Photo: press material from the event