Denmark’s unofficial mud football championship kicks off in knee-deep sludge

Twelve teams from across Jutland are competing in this year’s unofficial Danish Mud Football Championship in Lemvig, where players battle in knee-high mud for a case of beer and a place on the travelling trophy, DR reports.

The eighth annual event, organised by local rural youth group Lemvigegnens Landboungdom, features five-player teams playing six-minute matches under standard football rules—though running in thick mud makes the game far more physically demanding.

“It’s extremely hard to run in the mud,” said co-organiser Christian Damgaard. “But that’s what makes it so much fun.”

Preparations for the tournament include ploughing and tilling the pitches before soaking them with water from a slurry tanker to create the ideal “pear porridge” consistency. After the matches, participants and spectators—expected to number between 400 and 600—will gather for a celebration with live music, food, and drinks under a festival tent.

Frederikke Kjærgaard, 21, has competed six times and describes the sport as “mega-fun but mega-hard.” Players struggle to run, the ball barely moves when kicked, and strategy often involves “elbows out and lots of pushing.” Though she’s taking a break this year, she admits the spectacle of players “tumbling in the mud and shoving each other” makes her want to return.

The winning team takes home a case of beer and their name engraved on the championship’s travelling trophy.