Gallery | Shepparton Nations Cup returns bigger than ever, drawing massive numbers to football fields

By Liam Nash

Jan 15, 2025

Australia’s Willie Sauiluma battles against Italy’s Nathan Cirillo in the tournament opener of the 2025 Shepparton Nations Cup. Photo by Megan Fisher

The world game has brought Shepparton’s melting pot of multicultural diversity to a brilliant bubble.

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Shepparton Nations Cup, the brainchild of local businessman Abbas Alnajar, has drawn hundreds of players and supporters to McEwen Reserve’s back fields for a football smorgasbord each night during the past week.

Reigning cup holder Australia kicked off proceedings with a 0-0 draw against Italy on January 10 and since then all 10 nations have gone head-to-head in hopes of edging closer to the ultimate prize.

News photographers Megan Fisher and Rechelle Zammit were on hand to snap shots of the Australia-Italy and Turkey-Afghanistan clashes.