Albufeira received coveted sports title
Albufeira will be a European City of Sport in 2026. The official announcement was made on Thursday night through a letter from ACES-Europe and read by local mayor José Carlos Rolo to roaring applause during the municipal sports gala at the Palácio de Congressos do Algarve.
“We did it, Albufeira!” Rolo and his deputy mayor Cristiano Cabrita told the audience at the event.
“We have been working on this bid for nearly four years, maintaining our support of clubs and associations, investing in sports infrastructure and encouraging formal and informal sports activities,” Rolo said during his speech. “We hope to count on the contribution of every Albufeira citizen and all local, national and international sports structures to exceed the expectations that this new title brings to Albufeira.”
Rolo also highlighted that the sport association movement in Albufeira is “very dynamic”, stressing that all investments in local sports associations are “not an expense but a strong investment in people.”
Deputy mayor Cristiano Cabrita – who also acted as the coordinator of Albufeira’s bid – also celebrated the municipal achievement.
“It is with great satisfaction that I say: we did it, Albufeira! It is the recognition of our excellence. Here, we have everything it takes to fulfil our mission of ‘Sports for Everybody’,” Cabrita said, adding that the municipality has been carrying out major investments in the renovation of existing sports facilities, from stadiums to pavilions, as well as improvements to public lighting, parks and other municipal infrastructures.
“Not everything is okay, but we want to improve in order to provide better conditions to everyone,” added Cabrita.
Despite being a “relatively small municipality”, Albufeira boasts one of the highest numbers of registered athletes in the Algarve, with 3,220 athletes, including 2,241 federated across 28 sports, supported by 51 clubs and 27 quality sports facilities. The municipality also permanently supports 11 internationally recognised athletes and organises numerous sports events throughout the year.
European City of Sport is a title awarded by ACES Europe (European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation) to recognize cities that excel in promoting sports, physical activity, and healthy lifestyles among residents.
