HISTORY

For many, football is a passion that begins shortly after we take our very first steps on this Earth. Medicine is another passion, however, this journey usually begins later in life. These two passions often compete ferociously and usually one prevails. It is with great pleasure that The World Medical Football Federation seeks to carry on the tradition of uniting Medicine and Football.

This tradition has been incubated by Dr Ferran Morell in the form of The World Medical Football Championship for Medical Teams which for 10 years saw various Medical Teams come together in Barcelona. The training fields and Football Estadi of F.C. Barcelona embraced the coming together of many doctors from all parts of the globe but primarily from around Europe in the form of regional and international football teams of doctors. Football, friendship, sharing of medical knowledge through a structured lecture format and celebration amongst like-minded professionals has created for many, a trip of a lifetime.

In 2004, Dr Morell cut the umbilical cord and set his baby free to travel the globe. Rio de Janeiro under the guise of Dr Carlos Figuiredo hosted the XIth World Medical Football Championship for Medical Teams. 6 regional teams from Brazil and 5 teams from abroad competed in a very successful tournament in a heartland of football passion.

Dr Clemens Vogel took great opportunity in hosting the following year’s championships the week prior to the World Cup in Mainz, Germany. Out of necessity, the number of teams was restricted and as such the flavour of the tournament moved more toward truly international teams. Spain, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Sweden, Lithuania, South Korea, Hungary, Great Britain and Austria competed with Brazil ending up eventual winners against Spain in the final. The conference hosted numerous experts in their respective fields of medicine with a lecture program of the highest quality. The social highlight involved a cruise down the Rhine river followed by dinner and raucous singing in the dungeon of a castle.

Since Germany, the competition has been hosted in Australia, Lithuania, South Korea, Austria, England, Sweden, Hungary, Brazil and United States. This year the tournament will be hosted by the Catalonian Medical Team in Barcelona.

Chronological History

Started by the Catalonia team

First international competition in 1978

Australia first competed in 2003

First world cup with 1 ‘national’ team/country – 2006 Mainz

Tournament hosts since 1978:

CANNES 1978, 1980                                         Jeux Mondiaux de la Médicine

LIÈGE 1979

BORDEAUX 1982

ALGERIA 1983

VENICE 1990, 1992, 1994                         Football Medical Championship

BARCELONA, SPAIN 1995-2004                World Medical Football Championship

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL 2005                  World Medical Football Championship

MAINZ, DEUTSCHLAND 2006                    World Medical Football Championship

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA 2007                World Medical Football Championship

KLAIPEDA, LITHUANIA 2008                      World Medical Football Championship

SOEUL, SOUTH KOREA 2009                     World Medical Football Championship

INNSBRUUK, AUSTRIA 2010                      World Medical Football Championship

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND 2011                 World Medical Football Championship

MALMO, SWEDEN 2012                            World Medical Football Championship

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY 2013                      World Medical Football Championship

NATAL, BRAZIL 2014                                   World Medical Football Championship

LONG BEACH, UNITED STATES 2015          World Medical Football Championship

BARCELONA, SPAIN 2016                           World Medical Football Championship

LEOGANG, AUSTRIA 2017                       World Medical Football Championship

PRAGUE, CZECHIA 2018                         World Medical Football Championship

CANCUN, MEXICO 2019                           World Medical Football Championship

MAR DEL PLATA, ARGENTINA 2022     World Medical Football Championship

VIENNA, AUSTRIA 2023     World Medical Football Championship

Coaches:

Peter Carey – 2005

Gary Phillips 2006-2007

Ian Greener  2013- 2017

Dean Ugrinic 2008-2012; 2018-PRESENT

Captains

2005: Alan Jones

2006-2010: Nic Rendina

2011: Doug Warne

2012: Alan Jones/Chris Lilley

2013: 

2014: Paddy Begley/ Peter Forgiarini

2015: Paddy Begley

2022: Terry Finney/Jack Gilpin

2023: Terry Finney/Jack Gilpin

Australia’s first goal scorer

Peter Forgarini in 2004 (Australia lost 13-1).

Tournament Placings:

2005 – Last

2006 – Sixth

2007 – Fourth

2008 – Sixth

2009 – Fourth

2010 – Ninth

2011 – Sixth

2012 – Eighth

2018 – Fourth

2019 – Eleventh

2022 – Fourth

2023 – Seventeenth

World Cup History

Rio 2005
5-0 loss to local Brazilian team “Rio Preto”
1-1 draw against Germany (Goal scorer – Chris Lilley)
1-0 loss to catalonia
3-0 loss to spain
3-1 loss to a brazilian side “Rio” (Goal scorer – Nic Rendina)
Final standing – equal last place
 
Germany 2006
2-0 win over Lithuania (Goal scorer – Peter Forgarini, Nic Rendina)
2-1 win over Sweden (Goal scorer – Peter Forgarini x2)
1-0 loss to brazil
0-0 loss to hungary
3-0 loss to germany (5th/6th playoff)

Final standing – sixth
 
Australia 2007
1-0 loss to brazil
0-0 draw Korea
4-0 win over Lithuania (Goal scorers –Nic Rendina x2, Alan Jones, Chau Tran)
2-0 loss to spain (semi-final)
3-2 loss to great britain (3rd/4th playoff) (Goal scorers – Minh Tran, Nic Rendina)

Final standing – fourth

Lithuania 2008

2-1 win Sweden (Goal scorers – Chris Lilley, Nic Rendina)

1-0 win germany (Goal scorer – Alan Jones)
2-1 loss england (Goal scorer – Nic Rendina)

5-2 loss to spain (Goal scorer – Peter Forgarini, Chris Lilley)

3-0 loss to brazil

Final standing – sixth

Korea 2009:

Australia 4 – Germany 1 (Goal scorers:  Miguel Taliana, Chris Lilley, Andrew Phillips, Nicola Rendina)

Australia 1 – Brazil 1(Goal scorer:  Matias Yudi)

Australia 0 – Austria 2

Australia 5 – Lithuania 1 (Goal scorers:  Chris Lilley 2, Nicola Rendina, Minh Tran, Doug Warne)

3rd/4th playoff:      Australia 0 – Lithuania 1                   Placed:  Forth

“Blue September” 2009

Docceroos v Australia Defence Forces at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Docceroos 1 : ADFA 0        (Andrew Phillips – goal scorer)

“Men’s Health Week” June 2010

Docceroos v Australian Federal Police at Parliament House Canberra

Penalty shootout contest

Docceroos 6: Australian Federal Police 5

Participants: Dean Ugrinic, Chris Clarke, Peter Forgarini, Nick Rendina, Alan Jones, Hon. John Snowdon

(all scored)

Austria 2010:

v Hungary             4-2  loss (Brendon Daugherty 1, Chris V)

v GB                       2-2 draw (Brendon  Daugherty1, Doug Warne 1)

v Spain                  1-0 loss

v USA                    3-2 win (Nic Rendina 2, Brendon Daugherty 1)

v South Korea      4-2 win (Andrew Phillips, Brendon Daugherty 2, ?)     

v Switzerland        9-1 win (Brendon Daugherty 3, Nic Rendina 2, Peter Forgarini, ?, ?)

Final standing     Ninth

Manchester 2011:

v Korea                  3-0 win (Chris Lilley 1, Andrew Phillips 1,?)

v Austria                4-1 win (Andrew Phillips 3)

v Spain                  3-0 loss

v Great Britain     2-0 loss

v Germany            2-1 win (Ian Johnson 1, Andrew Phillips 1)

v Lithuania           2-0 loss

Final standing     sixth

Malmo 2012:

v Spain                  5-2 win (Matt Hucker, Brendon, Chris V, Chris Lilley, Andrew Phillips)

v Lithuania           2-1 win (Brendon, Chris V)

v Germany            3-1 win (Brett, Chris V, Matt Hucker)

v Sweden              2-1 loss (Brendon)

v Germany            3-0 loss

v Austria                3-1 loss (Matt Hucker)      

Final standing     eighth

Cancun 2019:

Vs Colombia             2-0 win

Vs Mexico                  3-0 loss

Vs Catalonia             1-0 loss

Vs Mexico                  3-1 win

Vs Colombia             1-0 loss

Vs South Korea        4-4, Win 4-2 on penalties

Final standing:          Eleventh

Mar Del Plata 2022:

Group

Vs Canada                2-0 win

Vs Brazil                    3-0 loss

Vs Argentina             1-0 loss

Knockout

Vs Czechia                1-1, win 4-3 on penalties

Vs Catalonia             1-0 loss

3rd-4th playoff vs Brazil        2-0 loss

Final Standing:         Fourth

Vienna 2023:

Group

Vs Argentina                2-1 loss

Vs Spain                    1-0 win

Vs Venezuela             3-1 loss

Knockout

Vs Puerto Rico          3-0 win

Vs Mexico              3-0 win

vs Ukraine        0-0 draw, win 5-3 on penalties

Final Standing:         Seventeenth

Total number of goals scored:

2005 – 2

2006 – 4

2007 – 6

2008 – 6

2009 – 10

2010 – 20

2011 – 9

2012 – 12

2019 – 9

2022 – 3

2023 – 9

Goals conceded:

2005 – 13

2006 – 6

2007 – 6

2008 – 12

2009 – 6

2010 – 11

2011 – 9

2012 – 12

2019 – 10

2022 – 8

2023 – 5