The competition will take place in December.
Lionel Messi has unveiled a new tournament dubbed the Messi Cup, which will include eight clubs from across the world, including Barcelona, Chelsea, and Atletico Madrid.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has had a busy month, handpicking ten potential stars for a recent Adidas advertising campaign.
Messi chose Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, along with Nico Paz, Kendry Paez, Andrey Santos, Rodrigo Mora, Brajan Gruda, Kader Meïte, Mika Godts, Lily Yohannes, and Clara Serrajordi.
The Argentine definitely knows a thing or two about wonder children.
On Tuesday, he announced the first edition of the Messi Cup, an international event that will take place in December, providing a platform for some of football’s greatest prospects to demonstrate their abilities.
Messi took to Instagram on Tuesday, writing: “Thrilled to finally share this with you – this December, Miami will host a very special youth football competition including some of the world’s top clubs.
“The future of the game will be on full display, and it’s more than just matches — we’ve got an incredible few days planned with a variety of exciting activities.” This is about the future generation. I hope you like it! “This is the #MessiCup.”
The Messi Cup, organised by 525 Rosario, Messi’s production business, has been regarded as a “groundbreaking” youth football competition.
The under-16 tournament will include eight young teams: Barcelona, River Plate, Inter Milan, Newell’s Old Boys, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and Manchester City.
The Messi Cup competition format is explained.
The competition will be divided into two groups of four teams, with each group playing in a round-robin format for the first three days. The top teams will then advance to the play-off round, which will determine the ultimate standings.
The last day will feature the third-place match and the final, both of which will take place at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
According to Tim Pastore, CEO of 525 Rosario, the competition is a “opportunity to celebrate talent, culture, and community, creating legacies and bonds that will endure beyond the field of play.”
He went further: “The Messi Cup is the meeting point between the football of today and the players of tomorrow.”
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