Shalom Women's Soccer "Toner Italia Cup"

Top-tier women's football arrives in Castelpoto

For the first time in its history, the Shalom Women's Soccer "Toner Italia Cup" chose Castelpoto, a town in the province of Benevento, Campania, as the venue for its final stage. On June 20 and 21, 2026, the local Municipal Sports Facility hosted the sixth edition of a tournament that has established itself over the years as one of the most followed women's football competitions in Southern Italy, under the patronage of the FIGC-LND Regional Committee of Campania.

The choice of a hilltop village in the Sannio region is no coincidence: the trophy was born with a popular and itinerant spirit, bringing women's football to places where it rarely reaches—the municipal fields of small towns, with stands open to residents and families.

The 2026 format: four teams, semifinals and finals

The Castelpoto edition featured a four-team tournament: two semifinals on Saturday, and a third-place play-off and grand final on Sunday. The most significant change compared to previous years was the adoption of 45-minute regulation halves instead of shortened matches, a choice that made the tournament more authentic and competitive.

• Napoli Independent F.C. — winner of the Campania Women's Excellence championship
• Invictus Sant'Antonio Abate — winner of the Campania Italian Cup and 2025 trophy holder
• U.S. Salernitana — standout of the Promotion championship
• S.S. Campobasso Calcio — third place in the Women's Excellence league

The outcome: 37 goals in two days

The technical stats speak volumes about the offensive spirit of the four teams: 37 goals in total across four matches. In the semifinals, Napoli Independent defeated Campobasso 8-3, while Invictus Sant'Antonio Abate edged out Salernitana only after a penalty shootout. The third-place final went to Salernitana, who won 5-1 against Campobasso; the grand final, played on Sunday evening, once again rewarded Invictus Sant'Antonio Abate, who beat Napoli Independent 4-3 in a thrilling match.

The awards ceremony, attended by municipal administration representatives and federation officials, recognized all clubs and presented several individual awards: three joint top scorers with three goals each (Martina Miroballo, Federica Iannetta, and Stephanie Galluccio), Best Coach to Giuseppe Rosi, Best Player of the tournament to Ilaria Caponigro, Best Goalkeeper to Raffaella Boccia, and the Fair Play Award to Campobasso.

Football against violence towards women

The Shalom Women's Soccer tournament is more than just a summer event. Since its first edition, it has carried the slogan "football against violence towards women": the two days of competition are accompanied by awareness-raising moments, speeches by authorities, and testimonials, aiming to use sport as a tool for education and respect. This dual nature—high-level technical competition and social initiative—explains why the trophy has earned federal patronage and the support of the administrations that host it.

An itinerant trophy in Sannio

The event changes location every year within the province of Benevento and surrounding areas: the fifth edition, in May 2025, was held at the Ariella Sports Center in Paduli, with six teams and about 150 athletes on the pitch. In 2026, the baton passed to Castelpoto, where the organization led by Nunzio Raffio found the collaboration of the Municipality of Castelpoto, with Mayor Vito Fusco and Sports Delegate Gianluca Muccio.

Castelpoto, the village that hosted the tournament

Castelpoto is a town of a few thousand inhabitants perched on the hills west of Benevento, in a landscape of vineyards and olive groves that forms the agricultural heart of Sannio. The medieval historic center can be explored in half an hour; the municipal sports area is located a short distance from the village. For visitors, the tournament is an opportunity to discover a corner of inland Campania far from the usual tourist circuits, with its rustic cuisine and Benevento wines.

How to follow the tournament

In addition to grandstand attendance, the 2026 matches were broadcast via live streaming on the tournament's Facebook page and the "Trofeo Shalom" YouTube channel: a useful choice for fans of the participating clubs, especially given the high temperatures that June weekend.