The Donosti Cup dining hall will serve nearly 60,000 meals during the tournament
More than 6,000 participants will dine at the Antonio Elorza Velodrome, where this year's tournament introduces themed menus inspired by cuisines from around the world.
Every day, thousands of participants also share one of the most important moments of the day: mealtime. The tournament's official dining hall, located at the Antonio Elorza Velodrome, will once again become one of the competition's main meeting points, with the capacity to serve more than 6,000 diners during each meal service.
Throughout the week, nearly 60,000 meals will be served between lunches and dinners, a figure that reflects the enormous logistical effort involved in feeding thousands of players, coaches and team officials from all over the world.
The catering service is provided by a company with extensive experience in large-scale food services, working throughout the year in numerous schools across the Basque Country. The dining hall operates much like a large school cafeteria: an efficient, well-organised service designed to provide balanced meals to thousands of young athletes in a short period of time.
The main new feature this year is that every lunch and dinner will be inspired by a different country or region. The culinary journey will begin with France and continue throughout the week with Mexico, Latin America, Italy, the United States, Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean and, as the grand finale, Spain. Featured dishes include gratin dauphinois, quesadillas, fajitas, three-delight fried rice, mac and cheese, couscous with vegetables and chicken, lasagne and the traditional mixed paella, among many other options.
In addition to offering a varied and balanced diet, the tournament remains committed to sustainability. Several water refill stations have been installed outside the dining hall so that participants can stay hydrated and refill their reusable bottles whenever needed. Although bottled mineral water will be available for those who require it, the organisation encourages all participants to use reusable bottles in order to reduce single-use plastic consumption and promote more environmentally responsible habits.
Much more than simply a place to eat, the Donosti Cup dining hall is also a place where people come together. Every day, thousands of young people from different countries will share tables, conversations and experiences, proving that football also brings people together around a meal.
