Football Tournament to Honor Late Goalkeeper Matija Šarkić

The Football Association of Montenegro (FSCG) is set to host the second memorial tournament dedicated to the late goalkeeper Matija Šarkić on April 3 and 4, 2026. This event will take place at the FSCG training camp and will feature eight teams of players aged 14 and under. Notable participants include Premier League clubs Wolverhampton, Tottenham, and Aston Villa, as well as Belgian side Antwerp, Italian club Inter Milan, and Serbian team Partizan. Additionally, national teams from Montenegro and Slovenia will compete.

According to FSCG General Secretary Momir Đurđevac, the tournament aims to honor Šarkić’s legacy. He emphasized the commitment of the association to ensure that the event reflects the significance of Šarkić’s contributions to Montenegrin football. “The first tournament was held in Belgium, but it is fitting for Montenegro and the FSCG to organize this event in tribute to Matija Šarkić,” he stated.

Montenegro will be placed in Group A alongside Antwerp, Aston Villa, and Tottenham. Group B will consist of Inter Milan, Wolverhampton, Partizan, and Slovenia. Šarkić’s father, Bojan Šarkić, expressed gratitude towards the FSCG for their efforts in commemorating his son and highlighted the pride Matija and his brother Oliver felt wearing the Montenegrin jersey.

The inaugural tournament took place in Brussels, at the British College that Matija attended. “We organized that first tournament quickly, starting in January, and managed to gather almost all the teams he had played for,” Bojan noted. Antwerp, which won the tournament in Brussels, will have the honor of opening the upcoming event against Montenegro.

A touching gesture from Slovenian players, who wore black armbands in memory of Matija during a European Championship match shortly after his passing, was also acknowledged by Bojan. He remarked that this gesture deserves recognition from both Montenegro and the Šarkić family.

The tournament will feature 146 young players from five countries and eight teams, celebrating football and fostering grassroots development. Nikola Prentić, grassroots manager for the FSCG, underscored the importance of adhering to UEFA guidelines for development tournaments, which the FSCG began implementing last year.

“Teams will play a structured format with three matches each day, featuring 20-minute halves and rolling substitutions,” Prentić explained.

Matija Šarkić passed away unexpectedly on June 15, 2022. He began his football journey at the age of eight in the academy of Anderlecht, where he spent a decade before moving to Aston Villa. During his time at Villa, he gained experience through loan spells at Wigan, Stratford, and Scottish club Livingston, where he made a significant impact.

He played nine matches for the senior Montenegrin national team, with his last performance occurring just ten days before his untimely death during a match against Belgium in Brussels, where he delivered an outstanding display.

This memorial tournament not only honors Šarkić’s memory but also highlights the growing respect and admiration for young football talent in Montenegro and beyond.