After more than four months of intense preparation and competition, the 2019 National Grand Finale of Futbolito Bimbo was held last Sunday in the Corregidora Stadium in the city of Querétaro, where winners of each bracket of the tournament finally met.

Futbolito Bimbo is one of Bimbo’s most important social responsibility activities, through which the company contributes to the overall development of children, promoting the practice of physical activity, combined with study and proper nutrition, as part of a healthy lifestyle. 

More than 89,000 boys and girls on over 7,800 teams participated in the 2019 tournament. They represented more than 4,600 schools in 45 Mexican cities. More than 30% of the participants were girls.

At 10:30 a.m. last Sunday, the games of the National Grand Finale of Futbolito Bimbo began in the Corregidora Stadium. The girls’ finale was played between the teams of the British Institute in the state of Coahuila and Juan Escutia Elementary School in Nayarit; the boys’ finale was held between Playas Elementary School in the state of Baja California and Pedro J. Mendez in Tamaulipas.

 “There are moments in life that make an impression on us. Futbolito Bimbo is an event which has been held for over 55 years in order to promote, through sports, such important values as teamwork, respect, tolerance and fellowship among thousands of children who are in one of the most important stages of their lives. I would like to congratulate all the finalists, because they have managed to make it to this level thanks to their talent, effort and dedication,” commented Juan Nosti, Marketing Director of Grupo Bimbo.

One of the biggest initiatives of the tournament is the issuing of positive-reinforcement Green Card® created by Proyecto Cantera. The card is a tool used by referees throughout the tournament to reward and promote positive behavior on and off the field, since it recognizes commendable behavior, not only by participants, but also by the various members of the teams’ support staff and the children’s family members. Every time the players exhibit positive behavior on the field, they get a Green Card. More than XXX Green Cards were issued during this year’s competition.

Before arriving at the National Grand Finale, the 16 regional winners in both brackets of the tournament participated in a 5-day camp in Mexico City, where they were able to enjoy sports, recreational activities and togetherness, as well as motivational and nutrition talks held by Prof. Leonardo Cuellar and his support staff.

As the award, the champions of the 2019 Futbolito Bimbo Tournament will travel to Orlando, Florida, to enjoy the amusement parks and guided tours.

Futbolito Bimbo, as well as other initiatives, such as Bimbo’s Global Energy Race, are part of a range of activities carried out by the company in order to nourish a better world, promoting health and wellness initiatives in society in order to promote healthy lifestyles.