FC Barcelona, Juventus, RSC Anderlecht and Newcastle United – big names that once featured in the illustrious history of the International Messe Cup 2025 in Milan. While the tournament is now reserved for amateur teams from Europe’s leading trade fair organisations, it has lost none of its intensity or sporting value. Last saturday, Fiera Milano hosted the 43rd edition of this renowned sporting event in Lombardy. For the first time since 2019 Messe Frankfurt was back on board with a team that proved to be more than competitive by finishing sixth.
The International Messe Cup 2025 in Milan has been played – with some interruptions – for over half a century. But it’s much more than just a sporting competition. It’s a celebration of European fair industry camaraderie, team spirit, and cross-border networking. Staff from all departments are welcome to take part, and the host city takes turns – with this year’s tournament organised with heart and soul by Fiera Milano.
Eight teams competed in two groups: Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Hanover, Milan, Nuremberg, the German Agricultural Society (DLG), and the newly assembled team from Messe Frankfurt. The games took place on Saturday, 7 June at the Pero Sporting Club, just eight kilometres from Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium. While the pitch and the facilities couldn’t quite match the level of the teams’ performances, the day was a blast thanks to catering and music. A pre-tournament dinner and team draw on Friday and a gala evening with DJ on Saturday added the expected flair – making it clear: this event is about much more than just goals.
Looking sharp in brand-new presentation kits – a timeless combination of white polo shirts, red performance jackets, and classic black trousers – the Frankfurt team certainly looked the part.
With only two training sessions under their belt, the Frankfurt team quickly forged into a tightly knit and spirited unit. Tactical flexibility, full concentration, and a good dose of courage carried them into match day – ready to prove themselves on international turf.
In the opening match against Amsterdam, the Frankfurt side – bolstered by Lorenzo Lopizzo from our Italian subsidiary – displayed confident football but couldn’t break the deadlock in a 0-0 draw. The physicality of the Dutch team, however, would take its toll later on.
Game two pitted the squad against pre-tournament favourites Deutsche Messe Hanover – under the scorching midday sun. José Marcos Rios served up a perfect pass for Ercan Mutlu, whose thunderous equaliser drew audible gasps from the crowd. Nico Artelt followed up with a goal to make it 2-1, silencing the Hanover fan section. Frankfurt dominated the match with strong pressing and tireless running, but a late counterattack saw Hanover salvage a 2-2 draw.
The final group game against a sharp Berlin side ended in a hard-fought 0-2 defeat. Berlin’s keeper thwarted Frankfurt’s early dominance, before the capital’s team clinically finished their chances to book a place in the semi-finals.
The play-off for fifth place followed a lively lunch break featuring a choreographed routine from the Nuremberg cheerleading team which served as a perfect prelude to a game that witnessed more than one hundred enthusiastic fans on the stands. Despite all motivation, Frankfurt’s legs were tiring, and Nuremberg – with a youthful bench and deep rotation – ran relentless sprints in 30+ degree heat. Battered by injuries and weakened by fatigue, the team threw everything they had into the balance and especially Goalkeeper Edi Schwab delivered heroics between the posts, but the match ultimately ended in a 0-2 loss. Thus, Messe Frankfurt finished in sixth place – a strong showing in their first Inter-Cities Fairs Cup appearance after six years.
Delegation leader Stefan Jakob and captain Lucio Pellegrino now look ahead to 2026, when the next edition of the International Messe Cup 2025 in Milan will take place just 50 km from Frankfurt, hosted by the DLG in Groß-Umstadt – a true home game! The team is already looking forward to seeing plenty of supporters cheering from the sidelines.