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Three gold cup trophies and bronze medals as football tournament prizes on a wooden stand, with a blurred grass pitch visible through the sports hall window in morning light.

What prizes should I buy for my football tournament?

⚽ Choosing the right football tournament prizes: trophies, medals or vouchers compared by cost, plus tips for an award ceremony everyone will remember.

Updated on 5 min read
  • planning
  • beginners
  • youth-football

At a glance

  • Trophies for 1st–3rd place, medals for all players from the top two teams, and a small give-away for every participant make up a solid basic set.
  • Order trophies and medals at least two weeks before tournament day to avoid surcharges for express delivery.
  • Many sports retailers offer club discounts or provide prizes as sponsorship if you reach out early enough.
  • Schedule the award ceremony right after the final: third place first, then second, the winner last.
  • Announce the team photo after the handover; otherwise everyone rushes onto the pitch at once.
Table of contents

The awards ceremony is the emotional highlight of a football tournament and at the same time the part most organisers put off the longest. The result: too few medals, trophies that don't fit, or a ceremony that rushes by so quickly nobody remembers it.

In this article you'll learn which prizes you actually need, what to budget roughly, and how to run the awards ceremony so that everyone (players, parents, coaches) goes home feeling good. Prizes are only one part of tournament planning; the full overview with timeline, budget, and equipment list is in the football tournament checklist.

The three prize categories you need

Three categories that together carry every awards ceremony.

Trophies for 1st–3rd

Visible, photogenic, ends up in the club cabinet. Small to medium for youth tournaments — never a giant cup for seven-year-olds.

Medals for every top-2 player

Each player from winner and runner-up gets a medal. Supports intrinsic motivation more reliably than a single trophy recipient.

Give-away for everyone

Lanyard, sticker or a bag of gummy bears per team. Nobody goes home empty-handed; cost stays under €1 per child.

Newman et al. 2026 (Million Coaches Challenge) show that broad, autonomy-supportive recognition sustains youth-sport motivation better than winners-only awards.

Trophies are the classic choice for the top finishers (1st–3rd place). They're visible, photogenic, and end up on a shelf. For youth tournaments, small to medium-sized trophies work best; an oversized cup looks out of place with seven- or eight-year-olds.

Medals are the practical solution when you want to recognise as many players as possible. Every player on a team gets a medal, regardless of whether they won or finished last. This works especially well for youth tournaments, where inclusion matters more than hierarchy.

Prizes are a great addition or alternative: kits, footballs, sports shop vouchers or tickets to a professional match go down well. They feel more personal than a standard trophy and often spark more conversation. For children, sweets also work brilliantly: a large bag of gummy bears per team reliably produces beaming faces.

A sensible baseline for a tournament with 8 teams: trophies for 1st–3rd place, medals for all players in the winning and runner-up squads, and a small give-away (e.g. a lanyard or sticker) for all participants.

What does an awards ceremony cost?

As a rough guide: for a youth tournament with 6–10 teams, the cost of trophies and medals is something you can comfortably cover with a mid-three-figure budget, as long as you order in advance and don't need express delivery.

Where do you buy the prizes?

For standard trophies and medals there are plenty of online retailers specialising in club and tournament supplies. Search for terms like "football trophies club" or "sports medals engraved", you'll find options quickly.

Alternatively, it's worth visiting a local trophy shop or print shop that also offers engraving. The advantage: you can see the products in person, and for repeat orders you'll have a contact you already know.

For prizes like balls, kits or vouchers, approach sports retailers in your area. Many offer club discounts or are even willing to provide prizes as sponsorship if you get in touch early enough.

How to run a smooth awards ceremony

  1. Fix the timing: Schedule the ceremony immediately after the final, not after the teardown. The atmosphere is still there.
  2. Prepare the prizes: Set out trophies and medals on a table in advance so you're not scrambling at the last minute.
  3. Keep the order: 3rd place first, then 2nd, then the winner. Classic build-up of tension.
  4. Keep speeches short: Two or three sentences per placement is plenty. The kids want their medal, not a speech.
  5. Plan for photos: Announce in advance that parents can take a team photo after the presentation. That prevents everyone rushing onto the pitch at once.

With the right preparation, the awards ceremony becomes the highlight of your tournament, not an afterthought. If you're planning your next tournament, AreaCopa helps you keep track of everything: groups, schedule, results, all in one place.

Create tournament nowFree and no sign-up

Sources

  • Newman, T. J. et al. (2026): Million Coaches Challenge — Autonomy-supportive coaching in youth sport. Autonomy-supportive recognition (medals for all, not just a trophy for the winner) strengthens intrinsic motivation in youth sport.
  • DFB: Jugendordnung, booklet 08, version 16.07.2024. General provisions on recognition in youth football, recommendation for inclusive awards ceremonies.