Six Teams in One Stunning Setting as the Como Cup Returns to the Lake

The Como Cup is back and this year it is bigger and better.

Five clubs are joining hosts Como at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on the shores of the lake, while away from the pitch, fashion, music, food and culture take centre stage.

Following the success of the inaugural Football On The Lake festival last year, Como have upped the ante by expanding the competition.

They will face Spanish outfit Villarreal and Saudi club Al-Ula in Group B, while Europa Conference League holders Crystal Palace, Ligue 1 side Lens and Portuguese top-flight team Famalicao will battle it out in Group A.

The group stage will be played on July 28 and July 29 and will consist of three 45-minute matches per group, with penalties to follow at full-time in the event of a draw.

The third-place play-offs between the runners-up in both groups is set for July 31, as is the match for fifth place match between the two teams that finished bottom. The final, meanwhile, will take place on August 1 and these three matches will be regular 90-minute contests.

Tickets are available through Como’s official website and a range of hospitality packages are also available. Three nights in a four-star hotel with match tickets for the duration of your stay, plus a welcome gift and complimentary drink is €850 per person. Six-day luxury packages are also on offer from between €5000 and €6000, with five-star accommodation in a stunning palazzo setting and pre-match hospitality.

For those wanting a feel for the lake, a one-hour tour in a vintage Italian Ape-Car will set you back €140, while a private one-hour tour in a wooden boat comes in at €450.

Music lovers are in for a treat on Thursday July 30, as Craig David is performing live with DJ Patrick Nazemi at Club On The Lake – Como’s newest private social destination – while a two-day business summit is taking place on July 28 and 29.

Como will also be launching their kit for the new season.

The atmosphere across the week is central to Como’s drive to establish itself as the leading location for football tourism in Europe, a bid aided in no small part by the outstanding scenery and by the their remarkable progress under Fabregas.

Como secured a historic qualification for the Champions League in only their second season back in the top flight and will be rubbing shoulders with European royalty this season.

Football, however, is just one part of the equation.

“Tourism is a key area for us, working similarly to Disney’s travel and tourism sector,” club president Mirwan Suwarso said. “What makes us unique is the way we connect the football experience with tourism in Lake Como, creating a one-of-a-kind synergy.”

He added: “We shouldn’t be a football team: we should be a sports tourism destination.

“We talk about how beautiful this place is, how beautiful the people are… It’s not about football, it’s always about a destination for sports tourism. The ambition is to be the Los Angeles Lakers of Italian football.”

Twelve months ago Como won the inaugural edition of their own tournament, with fans from across the world travelling to the shores of the lake.

“We came from south-west of Saudi Arabia just to attend this tournament,” Al-Ahli fan Rahman told Destination Calcio in the fan zone by the city’s main Piazza Cavour. 

“We had to take two flights and it took us nine hours to arrive here. It’s our first time in Como but we really like it. People here are charming.The lake, the atmosphere. It’s a multicultural city.”

James, from Sydney, was on a trip with friends. He said: “We’re doing a Euro summer tour, and we saw this. We thought it was a good stop. Good team line-ups as well. It’s just such a celebration of the game. It brings tourists to somewhere they normally wouldn’t be able to come and show their love of the game.”

The fan zone is back in Piazza Cavour this year with a range of activities and games, including foot bowling, and a kids’ area.

There is also two days of business and tech events on the schedule. Beginning on July 24, Como and Como Ventures will launch Data on the Lake, a two-day AI hackathon created in collaboration with Google DeepMind which will explore how frontier AI can shape the next generation of club decision-making.