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Local family creates Mini Cup game
A Bellevue father and his 7-year-old son turned their Father's Day kitchen table project into a hit tabletop soccer game called Mini Cup, which is now hitting store shelves nationwide just ahead of the World Cup.
BELLEVUE, Wash. - What started as a Father’s Day activity between a dad and his 7-year-old son has turned into a fast-growing tabletop game now appearing in stores across the Pacific Northwest — and soon nationwide.
"Mini Cup," a soccer-inspired card game created by Bellevue father Nico Santo and his son Lorenzo, is gaining traction just as global interest in soccer surges ahead of the World Cup.
From kitchen table to store shelves
The idea for Mini Cup began at home — with simple materials and a shared love of soccer.
"Last Father’s Day my dad got this idea to make a game," Lorenzo said. "First he grabbed cards…and then I made numbers on papers… and then we would pick one, and that will be the number that we draw."
Santo said the game wasn’t initially meant to become a product.
"At the beginning, we didn’t have the dice, because we started this as a home project, and we print our own cards," Santo said. "After playing one time, he asked, can we play again? … how about we actually turn this into a proper tabletop game that families anywhere and everywhere can enjoy."
The idea quickly evolved.
"This is the end product and this is how it started," Santo said, comparing early handmade cards to the polished version now sold in stores.
The Santo family plays the "Mini Cup" board game
How the game works
Mini Cup simulates a soccer tournament using country cards, dice rolls and penalty shootouts.
"Mini Cup is a tabletop soccer tournament… where nations compete to be world champion," Santo said. "Whoever wins moves to the next stage until we can champion."
Players build brackets, roll dice to advance and use special "power plays" to shift outcomes — mimicking the unpredictability of real matches.
"We try to recreate all the feelings that you get in a real soccer game," Santo said. "The tension of a penalty shootout, the happiness of a victory… the feeling of being powerless when the other team wins in the last minute."
The game also incorporates educational elements.
"For each one of the cards in the back we have fun facts," Santo said. "So as the kids play, they can learn about the world."
A family connection
For the Santo family, the game is about more than competition.
"It’s so fun… and it’s just about having fun, not winning or not losing," Lorenzo said.
Santo said the experience has brought families together in unexpected ways.
"We’ve seen a lot of families where grandparents come home and kids are playing, and they all start playing together," he said. "There’s a lot of family connection there."
That connection extends beyond their own home.
"Whenever one of the parents send me a picture of them playing, it really makes me happy," Santo said. "It’s like, okay, we really did something that families are enjoying."
Growth beyond the Northwest
Mini Cup is now sold in local toy stores, including Snapdoodle Toys, and has expanded to larger retailers.
"We created this game that now you see in many stores across the Pacific Northwest, and soon… across the whole United States," Santo said.
Mini Cup board game
The timing aligns with increased interest in soccer in the U.S., especially with major international tournaments drawing closer.
"Soccer is a universal language," Santo said. "If you know how to play soccer, no matter where you go in the world, you are going to be able to make friends."
A child’s perspective
For Lorenzo, seeing the game grow has been a source of pride.
"I’m proud that my dad’s vision came to life," he said. He said one of his favorite parts of the game is its unpredictability.
"When you play, you don’t know who’s gonna win, and at the end, you find out," Lorenzo said.
What's next:
Santo said the company is already working on a new version of the game.
"We are also working on a new edition… the Mini Cup USA edition," he said. "This one will have the states and all the territories."
Despite the rapid growth, he said the heart of the game remains the same.
"We started it as a way of entertaining ourselves," Santo said. "There’s no better feeling than doing something that people love."
The Santo family is donating a few Mini Cup games to the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club to continue educating children ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup matches.
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The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.