European Games 2027: confirmation that goes beyond the calendar
Padel will indeed be on the schedule for the 2027 European Games in Istanbul. On the face of it, the news looks like just another institutional validation. In reality, it carries even more weight. The European Games are now the Olympic movement’s biggest continental multi-sport event in Europe, with a schedule validated by the European Olympic Committees and designed as a stepping stone towards Los Angeles 2028. In this context, the fact that padel has been included as a medal-eligible sport is far from anecdotal: it strengthens its political credentials, its sporting visibility and its legitimacy in the Olympic dialogue.
In fact, the FIP insists that this is a fundamental step towards the Olympic goal. The Kraków 2023 precedent left positive traces: finals held in the heart of the city, large crowds, men’s, women’s and mixed formats, and exposure that took padel beyond the circle of initiates. For a discipline still in search of a lasting foothold in major multisport events, being confirmed a second time changes the reading: we’re no longer testing, but consolidating.
For Sweden, Istanbul 2027 is a game-changer
This is precisely where the Swedish angle becomes interesting. Back in 2023, Swedish padel boss Calle Åkesson was already explaining that attendance at the European Games was crucial, not only to play, but also to show, as a federation and as a country, its support for the Olympic padel project. In other words, Sweden has never seen this competition as just another tournament, but as an institutional and sporting showcase.
Sweden is not approaching this event from scratch. In Kraków, the federation sent eight players to an event that was experienced as a first contact with the environment of a major European multisport event. This experience provided a concrete basis on which to work: it enabled us to measure the exposure, the level of demand and the gaps that need to be bridged if we are to make a lasting impact at this level.
Since then, several signals have been pointing in the same direction. The Swedish seniorlandslag is structured around selection criteria linked to the Swedish Padel Tour, Swedish championships and international competitions. The federation has also established a Strategi 2028presented as a steering document for its overall development, and a new spelarutvecklingsplan designed to guide the progression of players from the age of 6 up to the highest adult level. It has also renewed the landslag management team, with the appointment of David Howe and Carolina Navarro Björk, with the aim of better linking training, selection and international requirements. At the same time, the 2026 national circuit has been reduced to six stages and one Masters, to make room for more international events at home.
A sporting milestone, but also a structural gas pedal
On the court, Sweden continues to hold its own on the continental scene. In 2025, its men’s team reached the Final 8 of the FIP Euro Padel Cup. This is not yet the dominant position of Spain or Italy, but it does confirm that there is a competitive base, identified pairs, players trained to international intensity and a federation that seeks to articulate training, calendar, exposure and performance.
In concrete terms, Sweden can achieve much more than just a goal by 2027. It can strengthen its international credibility, stabilize its pairs, clarify its pathway to the top and attract more FIP events to the country. In this light, Istanbul 2027 opens up a strategic perspective for Sweden. Not because a medal is suddenly promised, but because the deadline offers a clear point of convergence: to better prepare players for the very highest level and to set Swedish padel on a clear trajectory on a European scale. For a country that wants to continue to make its mark in padel without being content with its image as an early market, the European Games 2027 could become much more than a sporting goal: it could become a structural acceleration.
To remember:
- Padel is confirmed as a medal sport at the European Games 2027 in Istanbul.
- This decision reinforces padel’s place in the European Olympic movement.
- For Sweden, the stakes go beyond the immediate result: they involve the structuring of the top level.
- Kraków 2023, the reorganization of the landslag and the building momentum of the calendar already provide a concrete frame for the 2027 deadline.
