Jellyneo

2024 Altador Cup Tournament

Press Tour

Below is an archive of the 2024 Press Tour blurbs for each returning team.

Keeping Their Eye on the Goalie!

Despite the two-year running streak of coming in second to last this team did not let the light of their passion be snuffed out! Team Altador worked hard year-round at an elite training facility in the outskirt towns of Altador. During this time, the team's goalkeeper, Salayne Ritad, took on the role of main trainer for the team. The team was excited to have him, as Ritad was a great chef who made them all unique and special meals depending on the training regimens he would set up! While he hasn't relinquished the role of captain, Foltaggio did comment that he realised his own expectations may have been holding back the team. Thus he decided to let another take on more responsibilities for the time being. Ritad, as well as the others on the team, say they respect Foltaggio's decision and hope that this change will help the team grow as a whole! And who knows, perhaps this is the change that will lead Altador to victory once again!

What's Their Next Bright Idea?

Going from eighth to fourth to eighth again was a bit of a whirlwind for Team Brightvale, but instead of letting that get them down, they are working towards a brighter future! They have been training hard, and from what onlookers have said, it even appears their tactics look clean and legal. The team's left defender, Gordo Gunnels, gave a statement saying that the team is dedicated to cleaning up their act. To prove it, he even had a referee come and look over their training equipment and get rid of anything that seemed suspicious. However, there are rumours that the team has something even bigger up their sleeve this year in order to win. This begs the question: is Gunnels in on the plan and trying to create a red herring or will it be another Tressif situation with the team lineup soon to change? Either way, this team still seems set on winning no matter the price, so many fans are keeping a close eye on them to see what they can pull off to take home first place in this year's cup!

Storming onto the Scene: Team Dacardia's Debut!

Dreams were dashed as a strange storm razed the land and reduced the once-thriving land of Dacardia to nothing. After finally accepting the invitation to compete in the Altador Cup in Y23, Team Dacardia voluntarily gave up their place in the competition to help their friends and family rebuild, and spent any spare time they had training for their promised debut the following year. Unfortunately, disaster struck again, and while building a new Neohome team captain Tyrra Tamina fell and injured her leg just before the Y24 Cup began. She offered to give up her spot on the team, but her teammates refused to go to the Altador Cup without her – and so once again, they remained behind, healing and training and rebuilding from the ground up. It's been a long road to the Altador Cup, but with the help of Neopians from across the globe and the love and support at home, Team Dacardia is finally ready to show Neopia what they're made of!

An Unexpected Beach Episode!

Some may say the Winner's Curse hit Team Darigan hard last year, as they had their worst season, finishing at 11th place. But some probably shouldn't say that if they wish to keep all of their teeth... Besides a few outbursts, Captain Layton Vickles has taken the hit to their status well. To raise morale he took the team for a much-needed break on the warm sands of Mystery Island's beach! In exchange for taking up some of their training ground, Team Mystery Island requested a few scrimmage games during their stay. As well as a few members of the team asking for a long walk on the beach with Tandrak Shaye! When they were able to pull Shaye away from his adoring fans the team often played volleyball, swam laps around the island, and held sandcastle competitions with each other. All in the name of training, of course! Overall, the team says their time there was well spent, and that they are now well-rested and ready to kick butt in this year's tournament!

We're All in This Together!

Even though they came in last place the year prior, this team is still soaring high! The team captain decided to take a step back and asked for help from the team's right defender, Ciona Broan, with strategising as she has been the one to help him plan plays in the past. However, due to her busy school schedule, she was weary of taking on the work. Ciona confided that she had been struggling to keep up with work, school, and team practice. So much so that it had started to affect her in more ways than she could have suspected and might have to take a break from practice for awhile. Her team was quick to react to this information and came together to rally behind her. In their free time, they helped her study, cooked her meals, and helped take care of any household chores she had. They let her know, whether she stayed or not, they would always be there for her! Sometimes lending a helping hand can make all the difference in the world. Ciona has said while she may not be 100 per cent yet, the love, care, and help they provided has done wonders for her. She decided to take on helping with strategising a bit, but the team helped there too as they all came up with ideas together! The team says that this experience has really helped bring them all closer, and they are more ready than ever to take on this year's competition!

The Good, The Bad, and The Scary!

Although they didn't make the top 10, Team Haunted Woods did rise slowly up the ranks! Throughout the year the team trained very hard for this upcoming Altador Cup. Implementing many of the tactics that "Brains" Mortigan, the team's Centre Defender, learned during his time with the Awakened. While still a part of the organisation, Mortigan has dedicated most of his time to his team teaching them many of the skills he's learned over the years, such as workouts and strategising to name some of the more tame ones. The captain of the team, Krell Vitor, says that with this training regimen have come some interesting developments among the team members, and he is willing to admit they will likely have to hold back on many of the methods they have learned. However, it has really brought out a side to Mortigan they have never seen before and it has been nice seeing him take on the role of a leader. Captain Vitor says he will most likely continue working with Mortigan to see if they can work on adjusting some of the more dangerous tactics and use this knowledge in a way to help the team improve even more moving forward!

In it for a Slice of Victory!

Team Kiko Lake really floated up the ranks last year going from last to 7th place! Due to this significant rise, their new coach informed the team that his fees would be rising as well. To afford the coach and support the team both Lili Lever and Erli Quinnock got jobs making pizzas for Pizzaroo. The rest of the team worked hard too, and Captain Cellers amped up his donation collections 10 fold! Lili and Erli shared that their time at Pizzaroo helped put into perspective how hard it is to juggle a job as well as all their other responsibilities. They said that this not only helped them grow as individuals but brought them closer together. The whole team worked hard so that they could play even harder during this year's games, and they promised to do their best to give their hardworking fans an exciting experience!

This Flag Means Fun!

This team came in low last year, but they are aiming higher than ever now! They once again boarded their ship for tough training on the open seas. On their journeys, they met many interesting individuals but none more intriguing than Captain Bluebeard! She's the captain of a ship entirely made up of petpets that attacked them out of the blue. Since her second-in-command was a Maraquan Yooyu, she decided to spare them, and instead soon asked to spar with them! Team Krawk Island treated them to an intense game of Yooyuball where Bluebeard herself took the winning score! While together the team's Centre Defender, Coco Metrone, and Captain Bluebeard grew close to one another. When the crews finally had to part ways, Bluebeard promised that she would come to cheer them on once the games began! Knowing they will have such a powerful fan in the crowd has got the whole team excited, and they can't wait to show off all they learned in this year's competition!

Don't Let Anger Get The Better of You!

Team Kreludor came close to first place last year and is more determined than ever to eclipse the competition and take home the gold! The team's newest edition, Motor Dahy, did start to cause some issues during training this year, though. He would often lose his temper and storm off for the rest of the day. It got to the point that Captain Fonnet even considered taking him off the team. However, one day as Motor was about to storm off, the team's Goalkeeper, Jurin T., stepped in front of him and would not budge. Jurin challenged Motor to a one-on-one, no-holds-barred competition. It was a gruelling game that seemed to last an eternity and at multiple points, the rest of the team tried to get them to call it off, but nothing deterred the two. Eventually, the game ended in a stalemate due to neither being able to physically continue. The Captain heavily reprimanded the two of them for putting each other and the team at risk of not being able to compete in this year's tournament due to injury. He did note that, ever since that day, Motor has been much better behaved whenever Jurin is around! With the team's new dynamic, they are sure nothing will stop them from destroying the competition!

Don't Look a Gift Alabriss in the Mouth!

While the team came in fourteenth place last year they never seemed to waver under the heat and remained optimistic! They even were able to remain cheerful when most of their training equipment was lost in a freak sandstorm this year. Somehow the team's left defender, Luvea Trivon, was able to acquire a decent amount of money to help the team replace most of what they needed. When asked how he came into possession of so much out of the blue, he refrained from commenting. However, there have been reports of seeing him around known members of the Desert Scarabs. The rest of the team shared no other explanation on this matter besides that of being grateful to Trivon and promising they put the new equipment to good use! Thanks to their stroke of luck, they believe they have everything they need to make their loyal fans proud this year and really test the limits of how far they can go!

You Beast Believe in Your Team!

Coming in at third place last year, Team Maraqua was in a whirlpool of emotions! Most of the team was excited about their improvement, but Captain Hughlis voiced his frustration about never being able to do better than third. Soon after, the captain had them all return to the Maraqua Trench for endurance training. While there Hughlis seemed particularly reluctant to work with his team, barely passing even in practice rounds. It got to the point where the team's right defender, Barit Jowes, who is well-known for being nonconfrontational, got fed up and yelled at Hughlis. Before anyone could react, a ginormous tentacle reached from the depth below them and grabbed Jowes. A Titanic Giant Squid rose from the inky dark water, bringing its prey closer. The rest of the team quickly took action and started pelting the creature with their practice yooyuballs while trying to dodge its other tentacles. Captain Hughlis was stunned but shook it off and started instructing his teammates on the best places to attack as he caught ricochetting balls and passed them to those in optimal locations. Eventually, the beast relented, letting go of Jowes long enough for him to escape and swim with everyone else to safety. After this harrowing experience, the team has said they are working together better than ever and believe they are ready to take home the gold!

Pushing it to the Limit?

Team Meridell took a hard hit last year, coming in at twelfth place, the lowest they have ever scored. When the team returned home to Meridell, King Skarl called them into the throne room and threatened to replace them all. With Captain Windelle trying to be granted knighthood, this seemed to affect him the most. The team ran drills nonstop for weeks until the team's right forward, Fiorina, was injured in a routine play. Captain Windelle seemed to almost try brushing it off until Ilsa Ellits, the team's centre defender, stepped up and called him out for it. After this, the team had a heart-to-heart where Windelle apologised for his actions. He tried stepping down as captain, but the rest of the team wouldn't allow it. They didn't want him to run from his problems but instead face them head-on. Them coming in so low was not his fault, but his reaction to it was, so now he must step up and be better. The team took a break after that to let Fiorina heal, the rest of the team rest, and the captain reflect upon himself. Once they started training back up, though, the team seemed better than ever. The captain promised to keep working on himself for the future, and the rest of the team fully believes he will follow through with the promise. They are all excited to put their trust in one another as they play on the field again during this year's tournament.

A Party to be Remembered!

Coming in hot at sixth place last year, Team Moltara is burning with passion and joy for a multitude of reasons. Their goalkeeper, Harlis Neyhbol, became engaged to his partner Wila Benne, who is on Team Tyrannia. To celebrate this, Captain Aldric Beign hosted the engagement party at his house as an opportunity for the two teams to come together. It was a beautiful party that was held in the backyard where Beign's husband had prepared their garden with a mix of flowers in the two teams' colours. While the teams had gotten to know each other slightly over the years from trades and Neyhbol and Benne's relationship, they had never been too close. However, the air was full of joy during the party, and all who attended could feel the bond between the teams become closer in a matter of hours! The shared comradery helped get Team Moltara excited to train as hard as possible, so they returned to their lava training field. Training there last year helped them move up six whole spots in the ranking, so if the pattern holds true again, they will surely be taking home the first-place trophy!

It's About the Friends You Make Along the Way!

Last tournament Team Mystery Island came in lower than expected, but they bounced back quickly to start training for this year's games! The team's left defender, Selmon Woulf, while not the brightest coconut in the batch, came through when he had the great idea to scrimmage with Team Darigan Citadel when they visited the island. The teams got along surprisingly well. The days were full of training and volleyball games, while the nights were spent around the campfire and long walks to look at the stars. They didn't spend all their time together though. Team Mystery Island still worked hard on honing their own unique talents and were often seen swimming back and forth from Umbuku Island. It is thought they were visiting the Island Mystic so who knows, perhaps they are already aware of what is to come this year!

Running Away with the Circus!

Team Roo Island really bounced up the rankings last year coming in at fourth place! The team worked closely with the crew of Roo Island's very own Circus Rooleil last year to put on a performance for the kingdom that all involved loved and still talk about to this day. In fact, the team's left forward, Jair Tollet, enjoyed working with them so much that she never stopped and quickly became a fan favourite at the circus. She performed in many roles from clown to knife thrower, but her favourite acts were that of the ariel ropes and trapeze. She even invited some of her own techniques that were inspired by how she plays on the field! These were so popular that she was invited to bring the whole team back to train with them for another performance. During this time, they were able to improve their agility, flexibility, stamina, and overall performance by leaps and bounds and feel that they are ready to tumble and roll right into first place this year!

Giving Back is What it's All About!

Coming in at fifth place last year, Team Shenkuu has been showing great improvement year after year! A big thank you has been given to their head coach Ginia, as well as their many fans who helped them train throughout the year. In another great idea set up by the coach, the team has spent a large portion of the year volunteering around Shenkuu. They have put together clean-up days, fundraised for local clubs, made a community garden, and so much more! One of their bigger initiatives was created by the team's goalkeeper, Xana DiLanche, who made a local yooyuball camp for those of all ages to come and learn how to play the sport. The rest of the team helped run this camp, but Captain Grelinek was very impressed to see DiLanche stepping out of her comfort zone to help her community! Really getting to know their home in such a unique way has lifted up the team tremendously and they are more excited than ever to represent the land they love at this year's games!

Cool Down and Look Around!

With the cold truth of coming in at fifteenth place behind them, Team Terror Mountain is working hard to get back on top of the world! During this year's training the team's centre defender, Rinok Fitel, took the team on a camping retreat in the Ice Caves. While they have gone on many trips into the mountains to train this one was centred around reconnecting with nature. At first, many team members were sceptical as no one thought there would be much nature to connect with in caves made of ice, but Fitel proved them wrong as he pointed out the small yet unique floral and fauna hidden all around them. Many of the team didn't know that Fitel had such knowledge of the land as he is not usually one for sharing details about himself, but they could see the passion he held and it excited them as well! The terrain was also very difficult to navigate without the sharp, powerful claws of a Bori, but Fitel had accounted for that as well. He had scouted a route that worked well with each of his team members' abilities and used this as an opportunity to train as they navigated their way through. This, along with learning to appreciate all that around them, has got the team fired up for this year's challenge and they're ready to slide into the winning spot!

An Exciting Suprise!

While last year was their third time in a row coming in 9th, this team is not deterred by their past! During training this year, Team Tyrannia reconnected with their old goalkeeper, Harlis Neyhbol, when he swung by to drop off the team's Gruslens at the request of his partner, Wila Benne, the team's left forward. While there Benne informed him that the reason she had asked for him to come, was she wanted to be surrounded by her family for a very special occasion and proposed to him! Their wedding is set for after this year's Altador Cup and they've joked that if either one of their teams wins they will get married then and there to be able to celebrate with all their fans! With the exciting news pumping them up, Team Tyrannia is ready to shake up this year's competition and break through to first place for their fans and for Benne and Neybol's exciting next steps!

The Leaps and Bounds of Technology!

Team Virtupets came in first place last year, marking the second time the team has brought home the gold! Captian Keetra Deile credited their success to all their loyal fans, of course. But she also gave a special shout-out to their programmer, who prefers to go by their online name, V2_4ever. She said it is all thanks to this computer genius and the amazingly realistic training simulation they created, that the team was able to train as hard as they did! But it's not just in the past! The recent simulation upgrades have been even better than before. The team doesn't want to give away all their secrets, but they shared that now they can train as if they were really on the field playing against the other teams. With the fear of pain included so that they can be sure to always keep their wits about them! With this incredible new technology, the team is confident they can keep their winning score this year!

Help us improve!

Did you find what you were looking for on this page?

Awesome! Glad you found what you needed. :)

Send feedback!

We're sorry to hear that. Let us know what you're looking for so we can plan updates or point you in the right direction.

Your email is required so we can follow-up.

You must provide some sort of feedback.

Prove You're Not a Bot:

Answer this question!

What is this species of Neopet?

You need to answer this trivia question to prove you're not spamming.

Thank you!

Daily Neopets Alerts: Jan 18, 2026

Hourly

Snowager Sleeping
from 10:00 PM to 10:59 PM NST
JN Guide

Minutely

Symol Hole Prize Window
from 4:48:00 PM to 4:51:59 PM NST
JN Guide
Symol Hole Prize Window
from 5:48:00 PM to 5:51:59 PM NST
JN Guide
Symol Hole Prize Window
from 6:48:00 PM to 6:51:59 PM NST
JN Guide
Symol Hole Prize Window
from 7:48:00 PM to 7:51:59 PM NST
JN Guide
Symol Hole Prize Window
from 8:48:00 PM to 8:51:59 PM NST
JN Guide
Symol Hole Prize Window
from 9:48:00 PM to 9:51:59 PM NST
JN Guide
Symol Hole Prize Window
from 10:48:00 PM to 10:51:59 PM NST
JN Guide
Symol Hole Prize Window
from 11:48:00 PM to 11:51:59 PM NST
JN Guide
All Alerts
Close
×