FIP Senior World Cup Opens in Buenos Aires: 58 Nations Eye World Glory

Padel's Senior Nations Championship Lands in South America for the First Time

Buenos Aires is staging the fourth edition of the FIP Senior World Cup — padel's world team championship for veteran players — and making history in the process. The event opened on Monday, 14 September, and it is the first time the Senior World Cup has ever been held anywhere in South America. Competition runs until Saturday, 19 September, at venues across the Argentine capital.

Fifty-eight nations are fielding teams across two draws: 32 men's national sides and 26 women's squads. Each tie is decided in a best-of-five match format spanning five age divisions — 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 years old — meaning squad depth and smart lineup management matter as much as individual pair quality. Every age-group match within a tie counts towards the overall result.

Group Stage: Argentina and Spain Lead the Field

On the men's side, defending champions Argentina were drawn into Group A alongside Brazil, Uruguay and Ukraine. Their opening tie on Monday pitched them against Uruguay, with home-crowd support making the Palermo facilities loud from the first ball. Spain, runners-up at the most recent edition, head Group B and face Germany, Egypt and Great Britain in the round-robin phase. France are in Group C alongside Australia, Canada and Venezuela and will be targeting a podium finish after claiming bronze at the last championship.

The women's draw is equally compelling. Spain are chasing a fourth consecutive world title, which would be the longest winning run in the event's history. They entered Group A alongside Chile and Lithuania, with former world No. 1 Lucía Sainz and Lorena Alonso among the headline names in the squad. Spain's opening tie on Monday was against Lithuania. Argentina's women begin their campaign in Group H against Portugal, Switzerland and Canada, backed by home expectations to unseat the champions. Italy are in Group C against Brazil and Uruguay and carry strong podium pedigree from recent editions.

Qualification Stories Worth Noting

Before the main group stage opened, a qualification phase ran from 11 to 13 September to fill the final berths. Gibraltar made history during those rounds — the FIP highlighted their advancement as a landmark moment for padel development in the territory. Paraguay secured a double qualification, earning places in both the men's and women's group stages. Poland, Ukraine and Austria also booked their spots through the qualification phase.

The inclusion of nations at different stages of the sport's development is part of what defines the Senior World Cup: unlike the professional circuit, it assembles amateur national teams whose players combine day jobs with competition, making the event a genuine snapshot of padel's global grassroots footprint.

Schedule: Groups Conclude Wednesday, Knockouts from Thursday

Tuesday, 15 September, is the second of three group-stage match days. The round-robin programme for both the men's and women's draws concludes on Wednesday, 16 September, after which the knockout bracket is confirmed. Quarter-finals and semi-finals run on Thursday and Friday, with all five age-category finals scheduled for Saturday, 19 September.

With Argentina defending the men's title on home soil and Spain targeting an unprecedented fourth consecutive women's crown, the Buenos Aires edition has the ingredients for the most-watched Senior World Cup yet. The group-stage standings over the next 48 hours will decide which path each nation takes into the knockout rounds.