Sama da matasa 1,000 na maza da mata daga yankin Houston sun hau mataki na tsakiya makon da ya gabata, yayin da gasar Road to the Cup ta kai kololuwa a cikin FIFA Fan Festival™, tana mai canza mafarkin ƙwallon ƙafa na matasa zuwa gaskiya a ƙarƙashin yanayin FIFA World Cup 2026™.
An yi wasannin ƙarshe na kowane rukuni na shekaru a Aramco Arena, filin wasa na 7v7 da aka gina musamman a wurin Fan Festival. Ga yawancin waɗannan 'yan wasan, shi ne karon farko da suka dandana yanayin babban taron wasanni na duniya — kuma ɗaya da ba za su manta ba.
Gasar da aka gina daga ƙasa
Road to the Cup ta fara a watan Maris tare da zagaye na cancantar da aka yi a wurare daban-daban na wasanni a duk faɗin babban Houston da Kudancin Texas. Jimla ƙungiyoyi 125 suka shiga gasar, wadda ta kasance a buɗe ga yara maza da mata daga matakin U-11 zuwa rukunin U-18/U-19. Ƙungiyoyin da suka fi ƙarfi daga kowane zagaye sun ci gaba zuwa gasar ƙarshe a Lahadi 21 Yuni.
Tsarin 7v7 zaɓi ne da aka yi da gangan. Charles Rotramel, Shugaban kwamitin ƙananan Grow the Game na Houston Host Committee, ya bayyana hujjar: "Ba a ga 7v7 sau da yawa a matakin matasa a Texas ba. Wannan nau'i na wasa yana da sauri, mai ƙarfi kuma mai nishaɗi sosai, kuma shi ya sa muka so mu yi amfani da shi ga wannan gasar."
'Yan wasannin ba su fita filin wasa na wucin gadi da rigunan ƙungiyoyinsu na yau da kullun ba. A maimakon haka, godiya ga masu tallafin gasar, kowace ƙungiya an ba ta kambun tunawa da aka ƙera musamman don wannan liyafa — abin tunawa na musamman na ƙwarewarsu ta Kofin Duniya.
Gado ga tsara mai zuwa
A gare masu shirya gasar, Road to the Cup koyaushe ta kasance fiye da sauƙaƙan gasar ƙwallon ƙafa. Chris Canetti, Shugaban FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee, ya bayyana shi tun farkon aikin: "Road to the Cup fiye da gasar ce. Muna son ba wa ƴan wasa matasa, maza da mata, ƙwarewar da za su ɗauka tare da su har abada."
An mai da hankali na musamman kan haɗa kai: yawancin ƙungiyoyin da suka shiga sun fito daga unguwoyin da ke fama da talauci, kuma an ba su daidai damar shiga Kofin Duniya kamar yadda suka ba ƙungiyoyin daga ƙauyukan da ke da wadata.
Gasar ta jawo hankalin manyan mutane a garin da kusan yara da matasa 75,000 ke buga ƙwallon ƙafa mai tsari, an rarraba su a ƙungiyoyi sama da 100. Rotramel yana ganin nesa: "Mun riga muna neman hanyoyin mayar da wannan taron al'ada. Watakila za mu iya mayar da shi wani ɓangare na gado na dindindin na Kofin Duniya."
A ranar Lahadi, lokacin da aka ba da lambobin yabo na ƙarshe, abin da ya ɗauki hankali Rotramel shi ne farin ciki a fuskokin yara. Ya ce: "Zaka iya ganin nan da nan yadda suke alfahari da wasa a nan. Fan Festival ta riga ta yi suna a cikin al'ummar ƙwallon ƙafa. Mutane da yawa suna zuwa nan, amma kaɗan ne kawai aka ba su izinin wasa a wannan filin. Wannan shi ne ainihin Road to the Cup."
