The ACES Gala held last 11th December in Brussels (European Parliament) was a resounding success, bringing together nearly 500 attendees in a full auditorium to celebrate the role of sport as a driver of health, social cohesion and sustainable development worldwide.

The evening brought together representatives of European institutions, national and local authorities, and sport leaders from across Europe and the Americas, reaffirming ACES’ mission to promote sport as a key public policy.

Naples and Guayaquil Lead the 2026 Capitals of Sport

The highlight of the ceremony was the proclamation of Naples (Italy) as European Capital of Sport 2026, taking over the title in a symbolic handover “from Tallinn to Naples”.

On the American continent, Guayaquil (Ecuador) was awarded the title of American Capital of Sport 2026, recognizing its strong commitment to sport, inclusion and urban development through physical activity.

European Cities, Regions and Communities of Sport

Throughout the gala, numerous European territories were recognized for their outstanding sport policies.

Communities of Sport included:

Euro City of Guadiana (Spain–Portugal), Terra di Fumi, Terra del Canavese, Tre Province, Sport In, Sport al Centro, Valle Stura and Val Vibrata (Italy).

At state level, the Republic of San Marino was also recognized as a Community of Sport.

In the Town of Sport category, awards were presented to:

Atarfe, Jaraíz de la Vera, Las Gabias, Manzanares, Pilar de la Horadada, Villadiego and Villanueva de la Torre (Spain);

Cales Tremolat, Cesson-Sévigné, Fougères and Orthez (France);

Kozloduy (Bulgaria), Palanga (Lithuania), Paola (Malta) and Rogaska Slatina (Slovenia).

The N1 European Town of Sport 2025 distinction was awarded to Čelákovice (Czech Republic).

In the City of Sport category, the following cities were honored:

Albi, Saint-Denis (France); Albufeira (Portugal); Belfast (Northern Ireland); Cáceres, El Vendrell, Móstoles, Olot, Oviedo, Palencia, Torrejón de Ardoz and Valladolid (Spain); Cheb (Czech Republic); Dobrich (Bulgaria); Korçë (Albania); Novi Sad (Serbia); Onești (Romania); Prizren (Kosovo); Rzeszów (Poland); Šibenik (Croatia); and Sultangazi (Türkiye).

The N1 European City of Sport 2025 title was awarded to Alcobendas (Spain).

At regional level, Bizkaia (Spain), Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (Croatia), Puglia (Italy) and Veszprém–Balaton (Hungary) were recognized, with Regione Liguria (Italy) named N1 European Region of Sport 2025.

Special distinctions included Konya (Türkiye) as European Capital of Cycling, Elche (Spain) as Mediterranean Capital of Sport, and Alcobendas (Spain) as Greenest City of Sport.

Strong Presence from the Americas

ACES also celebrated sport development across the Americas.

In the American City of Sport category, awards were presented to Caruaru and Rio Claro (Brazil), Escazú and Garabito (Costa Rica), Vicente López (Argentina) and Facatativá (Colombia).

At regional level, Ayacucho (Peru) and Limón (Costa Rica) were recognized.

The ceremony concluded with the award of European Sport and Healthy Company distinctions to AXA, CaixaBank, Sanitas and Universidad Europea (Spain).

A Global Celebration of Sport

The ACES Gala once again demonstrated the growing international impact of the network and its shared vision: using sport as a strategic tool to improve quality of life, foster inclusion and build healthier, more active societies across continents