Finland is quickly becoming the go-to country for obscure and wacky sporting traditions. Locals earned themselves quite the reputation for celebrating the most oddball events from the Wife Carrying World Championships to the World Berry Picking Championship. Now, it’s time to gear up for the annual Swamp Soccer World Championships.
Hyrynsalmi, a town located smack dab in the middle of more than 50 acres of swampland, hosts the raucous tournament every year. More than 200 teams converge on the town to compete in one of the dirtiest sporting events in the world. Vodka has become the traditional drink of choice for players and spectators before each match, so you can probably imagine how entertaining the tournament is to watch.
When the competition is over, locals and visitors clean off and gather for a series of rock concerts around town. Even if you’re not sure how soccer is played, there’s no doubt you’ll still have a great time hanging out with the locals. It’s an all-day and all-night party with the simple goal of bringing together a bunch of people to have fun.
There’s not even a real prize for the winners, just the right to call themselves the Swamp Soccer World Champions. Did we mention this event goes down in the middle of winter?
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