There is something quietly defiant about the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE). In an age dominated by mega-events and corporate spectacle, this modest yet fiercely spirited gathering of Europe’s smallest nations serves as a refreshing counterpoint — one that prizes community over commerce, grit over grandeur.
This year, the honour of hosting falls to Andorra, the pint-sized principality nestled between France and Spain, whose rugged Pyrenean charm offers a fitting stage for this week-long celebration of underdog athleticism. From 26th May to 1st June, Andorra la Vella will welcome over 800 athletes from nine nations, each with a population under one million, competing across a range of sports that includes athletics, judo, swimming, and basketball.
The GSSE may lack the profile of the Olympics or the UEFA Euros, but it is no less emblematic of the European spirit. Conceived in 1985, the Games were born of a desire to give microstates a chance to shine on the international stage.
Participating countries — Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, and San Marino — often find themselves overshadowed in global sporting events. Here, they are front and centre, free to chase glory without being dwarfed by giants.
For Andorra, hosting the 2025 edition is both a logistical challenge and a point of national pride. The country has invested significantly in its sporting infrastructure over recent years, and this week’s Games are a chance to showcase its capabilities not just as a ski haven, but as a multifaceted sporting destination.
“This is more than just a competition,” said Xavier Espot Zamora, Andorra’s head of government, during the opening preparations. “It is a statement that size does not determine ambition, that even the smallest nations have the right to dream big and perform on a European stage.”
Indeed, for many athletes, the GSSE is the pinnacle of their competitive careers. It is where personal bests are smashed, national anthems sung with tears, and medals earned with the same sweat and sacrifice seen on grander podiums. But the Games also serve a deeper purpose: strengthening diplomatic and cultural ties among countries that share more than just geographical modesty. They share histories of resilience, linguistic distinctiveness, and the perennial balancing act between preserving identity and engaging with an often indifferent global order.
This year’s competition is expected to be particularly fierce. Cyprus and Iceland, traditional powerhouses in the Games, will be defending hard-won reputations, while Montenegro and Luxembourg are tipped as rising contenders. But the host nation, driven by the energy of home support, could spring a few surprises.
Andorra’s athletes, including track hopeful Júlia Serra and judo champion Marc Font, have been training at altitude for months in anticipation. “There’s an edge to performing on home soil,” Serra told The Telegraph. “It’s not just about personal achievement. It’s about giving the crowd something to believe in.”
But it’s not all rivalry and medals. The GSSE is as much about fraternity as it is competition. With cultural events, open-air concerts, and school visits planned alongside the sporting fixtures, the organisers have placed a premium on community engagement. The youth of Andorra, many of whom rarely encounter international diversity outside textbooks, are being given the chance to meet their counterparts from across the continent.
The Games also come at a time of increasing scrutiny of mega-events and their long-term social value. As controversies swirl around the cost and environmental impact of the Paris Olympics and the 2026 World Cup, the GSSE stands out as a reminder that sports can still be intimate, inclusive, and grounded in human-scale priorities.
There will be no billion-pound opening ceremonies here, no Hollywood cameos, no security cordons stretching for miles. Instead, there will be handshakes at finish lines, flags waved by schoolchildren, and medals placed around necks by local dignitaries — scenes that recall the original ethos of the Olympic movement, now often buried beneath layers of sponsorship and politics.
In the end, that is the quiet triumph of the GSSE. It is not just about small states competing — it is about small states being seen, heard, and celebrated. And in today’s Europe, that matters more than ever.
As the first whistle blows in Andorra la Vella, the eyes of a continent — if only briefly — turn not to Brussels or Berlin, but to the Pyrenees, where Europe’s smallest nations stand tall.
Main Image: GSSE.
