Hungarian Silvers, Slovak Bronzes – The First Drone Football European Championship in Bologna Ends Successfully
European drone football has come through a historic weekend: the first Drone Football European Championship was held in Bologna from 24 to 26 July 2026, as part of the “We Make Future” international conference and exhibition.
Hungarian drone football was represented at the continental championship by two teams, the University of Public Service (NKE) and Füleki Gimnázium. Both delegations returned home with medals, making the first European championship a memorable event from both Hungarian and Slovak perspectives.
Hungary was represented at the competition not only by players: Sántha Péter and Nyéki Dominik participated in the continental championship as official Hungarian referees, while South Korean observers also supported the professional work.
Three Hungarian Silver Medals
The team of the Faculty of Military Sciences and Officer Training at NKE achieved a historic result: they won silver medals in all three categories in which they competed.
The officer cadets finished as runners-up in the European Drone Soccer Cup, the competition for national teams, as well as in the International Drone Soccer Club Challenge and the International Drone Soccer School Challenge.
On the first day of the School Challenge, the team also had to deal with technical problems. Despite this, they finished the day in second place with three wins, one draw and one defeat.
In the group stage of the European Cup, the Hungarian team confidently defeated the Romanian national team. They were narrowly defeated by the French and Slovak teams.
In the Club Challenge, on the other hand, they delivered an outstanding performance: with eight victories, they advanced to the knockout stage as group winners.
One of the most memorable Hungarian performances of the tournament came in the semi-final of the European Cup. The Hungarian team put in an outstanding performance against the French national team and scored 22 goals in each set of the match. This also set a new record for that day.
The team of Honvéd Zrínyi SE reached the final by defeating the French champions.
In the finals, the Hungarian teams faced Slovak opponents in all three categories. The matches were extremely close, and the Hungarian teams eventually lost by narrow margins.
The NKE team therefore finished the first continental championship as three-time European Championship silver medallists.
The result is particularly noteworthy considering that the team members were officer cadets studying radio-electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare as part of the Military Infocommunications bachelor's degree programme, together with Alíz Bálint, a fire protection engineering student at the Faculty of Law Enforcement Sciences at NKE.
Two Bronze Medals for Füleki Gimnázium
The team of the Slovakian Füleki Gimnázium also performed excellently in Bologna.
The young competitors won bronze medals in two categories, making the first European Championship a historic achievement for Slovak drone football as well.
Team members:
- Fukáč Norbert
- Szakó Áron
- Bari Alfréd
- Fehér Domonkos
- Nagy Norbert
- Mag Sebastián
- Singlár Máté
The Fülek team's performance is also noteworthy because just a few months earlier, they had finished second at the 1st Hungarian National Drone Football Championship held in Szekszárd.
In Bologna, the team therefore entered the arena with valuable domestic competition experience, and the young players were able to prove themselves on the international stage as well.
More Than a Competition – Building Connections
The three days in Bologna were not only about medals.
The first Drone Football European Championship was an important milestone in the international development of the sport. Participants had the opportunity to learn about new technical and tactical solutions, while also building international connections and sharing experiences.
The presence of Hungarian referees was a particularly important step in Hungary's international involvement in drone football. Sántha Péter and Nyéki Dominik represented Hungary as official referees, meaning that Hungarian professionals were present not only as competitors but also on the professional side of the sport's organisation.
The continental championship also demonstrated that drone football is increasingly becoming an international sport in which competition, technological development, education and international cooperation are closely interconnected.
A Historic Achievement in a Young Sport
The first Drone Football European Championship ended with significant success from both Hungarian and Slovak perspectives: Hungary won three silver medals, while Füleki Gimnázium won two bronze medals in Bologna.
The results show that drone football, a sport born at the intersection of technology and sport, is reaching an increasingly serious professional and competitive level in the Central European region as well.
However, the weekend in Bologna will be remembered for more than just the medals. The first European Championship was another important step towards the development of an international community in which Hungary and neighbouring countries have also become active participants.