The spectacular Closing Ceremony, which marked the official end of the tournament, took place in Kazan, Russia, in a unique format that brought together artists and digital performers. Moving, programmable screens and projection surfaces once again blurred the lines between the real and virtual worlds in a way that reflected the overall concept and philosophy of the first Games of the Future. The Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov attended the ceremony. 

"We did it! The first ever Games of the Future have taken place! Russia has created and hosted a tournament in a new sports format called phygital. technological, inspiring, dynamic and captivating. Spectators from over 100 countries watched the competitions, which  combined traditional and e-sports. We gave the whole world an unforgettable celebration of sport", stressed Chernyshenko. 

"The Games of the Future have already become a recognised brand. This is a monumental success! Russia has once again claimed its leading role in the global sports community. The Phygital competitions will continue to delight fans around the world and engage more and more people in the Phygital movement," he added proudly. 

An event of the scale and scope of the Games of the Future would not have been possible without the passion and commitment of volunteers. At the Games of the Future these enthusiasts met guests and participants at airports and train stations, helped them in the arenas, accompanied athletes in hotels and on excursions, translated interviews and briefings for the media, supervised transport and did much more. 

On the final day of the Games of the Future, the 21 most outstanding volunteers from Russia, Algeria and India were honoured. In total, there were more than 2,000 volunteers from 20 countries, ranging in age from 15 to 83. 

The Games of the Future are a unique, large-scale sporting event that innovatively combines traditional and e-sports. This inaugural phygital tournament took place from 21 February to 3 March 3 in Kazan, Russia. It featured 21 cutting-edge disciplines, such as phygital football, phygital basketball, phygital hockey, phygital MOBA, Dota 2 + Super Final, CS2 + laser tag, battle of robots, sports programming, drone racing and more. 

The Games of the Future brought together more than 2,000 athletes from over 100 countries and 294 multinational teams, and were based on the principles of balanced development, openness, adaptability and technological progress.

Some quotes from the participants:

Tomás Gauna, Peñarol phygital football team (Uruguay): "I am very grateful. This is my world, this is what I do for a living. Russia was incredible. The organisation, the tournament, it was so amazing. I think we have seen a very good digital level, a very good pitch feel level. This [tournament] is the first one, and Peñarol won it - and it is amazing for us, this will be something that will go down in history." 

"In ten years' time we'll look back and say: 'We were the first to win this huge tournament with 15 different matches' - so it's like the Olympics, you know? I am very, very happy to live this experience. Thank you all very much and I hope to come back to Russia," he commented. 

Matias Dell Olio, Latino Gang, phygital skateboarding (mixed Latin American team): "To be honest, it's still hard to believe that we got this result. Being in Kazan is a great opportunity. I am really happy to be a part of the Games of the Future. I'm also happy to be a part of something that's getting super strong - I think it's something that's going to get better and better." 

"This is the first event where you really have to think about strategy like this, because in normal events it's one person, me. We are together, we are riding and it makes us happy – winning takes discipline," he remarked. 

Aleksei Nesov, SMP Racing phygital racing team (Russia): "It is difficult to switch from a simulator to a real car. There is a big difference in the steering and especially in the risk of collision. In the simulator it is not so dangerous, you just lose a few seconds." 

"The braking points, clutch moment and aerodynamics are also different. Taking part in a phygital competition was a step into the unknown. I had to prepare very seriously and now, after winning, I have the feeling that I have become part of a historic event," concluded the Russian.