Mayor Nurminen to lead Tampere in Keskustori floorball friendly ahead of World Championships

Tampere will face Turku in a friendly floorball match at Keskustori on Thursday, 27 August, according to Aamulehti.

The match is the highlight of a free, family-focused floorball festival marking the 100-day countdown to the men's World Championships; the festival opened at Keskustori 100 days before the tournament. Kickoff is at 17:00. Visitors can try floorball, meet athletes and enter competitions. It's free.

Tampere's team is captained by Mayor Ilmari Nurminen, while Turku's is led by city office manager Tuomas Heikkinen. Both sides mix athletes and local personalities.

Tampere's lineup includes floorball players Joona Rantala, Julia Saarinen and Nico Salo; basketball player Saana Kujala; TV producer Jyrki Laaksonen; media figures Arttu Laitinen and Nella Lipsanen; former ice hockey players Jukka Peltola and Vesa Toskala; Finnish baseball player Nina Taipale; and musician Juha Torvinen. Turku's roster features floorball players Veera Kuosmanen and Reetta Käpylä, CrossFit and Hyrox competitors, volleyball player Eemeli Kouki, media personality Laura Satamo and pole dancer Iida Sulonen.

The men's World Championships run in Tampere from 5 to 13 December. Early-round matches will be at Hakametsä and the Kauppi Sports Center, with the finals at Nokia Arena. Turku will host the women's World Championships in December 2027.