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The excitement of football tournaments in different countries is an amazing opportunity for young academy players and their families.

For many, it’s their first time traveling to another country and an experience worth relishing.

From getting ready for the trip to playing in thrilling matches, every moment is full of anticipation and fun.

Preparation:

International tournaments happen mostly during school breaks and last for 3 – 5 days.

In the UK, academies use the school year to classify players, while in Europe, they use the calendar year. This means that in the UK, a child born in August 2014 will be in a different football group than someone born in September of the same year.

As such, academies in the UK combine two groups of players for these tournaments. This can sometimes be a slight disadvantage since some of the boys may not have played with each other before.

But its also an opportunity for some of the younger players to gain much need experience playing with and against older boys.

However, to compensate, a few weeks before the tournaments start, friendlies are arranged so that the team plays practice matches to get used to each other’s styles.

There’s also a meeting for parents and players arranged by the club to learn about the tournament and what’s expected.

Players are given special kits to pack for the trip. They travel together a day before the tournament starts, with academy staff.

When they arrive, players are paired in rooms in a hotel, which helps them bond as a team.

Parents’ Role:

While some tournaments allow parents to come, they must make their own travel plans and can’t stay in the same hotel as the players.

They can only talk to their kids briefly before and after games or while waiting for the bus.

Even with these rules, parents enjoy watching their kids play and often turn it into a holiday.

For those parents that cannot travel they see their kids become more independent and responsible in such a short time.

The Tournament:

Football tournaments are like special training camps for academy players. Here’s why:

Lots of Games: Tournaments cram many matches into a short time. This lets players practice their skills and tactics more often.

They also face different opponents and situations in each game and get used to playing hard for longer periods.

Winning Matters: After the group stage, tournaments are usually “knockout” style, where one loss means you’re out. This pressure can be good because it teaches players how to make quick choices under pressure.

In addition, it teaches them how to stay focused and stay calm during a game and what it feels like to play for an important win.

Playing in tournaments gives them a chance to win medals, which is different from their usual focus on development in the academy.

Learning from Mistakes: Tournaments show players how important it is to avoid silly mistakes. One mistake can get your team knocked out!

They also learn how to be more careful with their passes, crosses, and shots.

Opportunities: Players have been known to be scouted by big clubs while they are at some of these tournaments. As was the case of Ian Poveda who was scouted by Barcelona when he went for a tournament in Spain with Arsenal.

Academy Football Youth Tournaments

Mina Cup Dubai U12 – U16

Founded in Dubai in 2021, it has rapidly become the world’s premier youth football experience.

Hosting year-round tournaments for boys and girls aged 7 to 16 in multiple formats and countries, the competition reaches its peak during the spring holiday with the Mina Cup.

This flagship event draws elite football clubs from across the globe, with teams from every continent competing on the top-class pitches at JA Sports Centre in Dubai.

The Norwich City MINA Cup is set to take place at the club’s training ground on October 11–12 2025, featuring 16 top U12 teams from around the world competing at an elite level.

This tournament acts as a qualifier for the Mina Cup in Dubai, with the winning team earning a complimentary spot to represent on the global stage.

Premier League U12 Truce Cup

Each year, the Premier League hosts the Truce Tournament in Ypres, Belgium, to honour the ‘Christmas Truce’—a brief ceasefire during the early months of World War I, when British and German soldiers set aside their weapons to play a game of football.

To participate in the tournament, Premier League U12 teams must complete three missions, each focused on a different war-related theme.

The 2024 theme is ‘Pals Battalion,’ highlighting a British Army strategy that encouraged men from the same community to enlist and serve together.

Crystal Palace Academy are one of the participants in 2024.

Abano Football Trophy

The 31st edition of the Calcio Abano Terme U14 Tournament will take place from June 3–7, 2025, in the scenic town of Abano Terme, Italy.

This prestigious youth competition upholds its tradition of uniting elite U14 teams from around the world for a week of top-tier football, international friendship, and memorable moments.

Sixteen teams will compete in 44 matches across five action-packed days.

Nottingham Forest U14 are set to take part in the 2025 edition of the tournament.

Portimao Cup U14 Tournament

The tournament will take place in Portimão, Portugal, and will follow an 11-a-side format.

Group stage matches will consist of a single 30-minute half, while the finals will be played over a 35-minute half.

Each team is guaranteed a minimum of eight matches, all played on one of the three artificial grass pitches.

A total of 36 teams will compete, divided into six groups. During the group stage, each team will play five qualifying matches.

Based on the results, all teams will be ranked in a combined table from 1st to 36th place.

If two or more teams are tied, the final ranking will be determined by a coin toss conducted by the organisers.

Teams ranked between 17th and 36th will be placed into smaller groups to play three additional matches for final placement, following the same tie-breaking rule as the group stage.

Meanwhile, teams ranked 1st to 16th will enter a knockout phase. In this stage, the highest-ranked team will face the lowest-ranked team in the first round, and the competition will continue until a winner is determined.

Birmingham City Academy U14s participated in this tournament in the 2024 edition.

Mechelen Rising Stars U14 Competition

The matches take place at KV Mechelen’s official training ground, all on artificial turf.

A total of eight elite teams will compete, including KV Mechelen, West Ham United, QPR, and Feyenoord.

In the 2024 edition, Rangers claimed victory, defeating KV Mechelen in the final.

Greenport International U14 Tournament

The International U14 Tournament organized by FC’s-Gravenzande has been renamed the Greenport International U14 Tournament.

The tournament takes place on August 23- 25th at Juliana Sportpark, ‘s-Gravenzande – NL

Riga Cup

The Riga Cup Winter takes place in Latvia, with Cambridge City U14s among the teams participating in the 2025 edition of the tournament.

The game is played with 11 players on each team, except for U-12, which is played 9 vs. 9. Game durations vary by age group: U-12, U-13, U-14, and U-15 teams play two 20-minute halves, while U-17 teams play two 25-minute halves.

Each team is guaranteed a minimum of five games, and substitutions are unlimited.

Club NXT

Sixteen elite teams from around the world competed in the 2024/25 tournament of the Club NXT Championship Cup, held at The NEST – Club NXT, Diksmuidsesteenweg 374, 8800 Roeselare, Belgium.

The teams were:

• Club NXT (Belgium)
• Stoke City FC (England)
• N.E.C. Nijmegen (The Netherlands)
• West Ham United FC (England)
• KV Mechelen (Belgium)
• Queens Park Rangers FC (England)
• Hellerup IK (Denmark)
• Feyenoord Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
• Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium)
• Supra Academy (Canada)
• RCDE Helsinki (Finland)
• Malmö FF (Sweden)
• Fredrikstad FK (Norway)
• FC Midtjylland (Denmark)
• Birmingham City FC (England)
• Roda JC Kerkrade (The Netherlands)

A Stoke City side comprising Under-13 and Under-14 boys emerged victorious, returning from Belgium as NXT Cup champions for the 2024/25 edition.

Elite Cup

The U15s 2024 Elite Cup was held at the FC Bayern Campus on August 23, 2024.

The eight participating teams were initially divided into two preliminary groups, with each team playing three matches. Liverpool was drawn into Group A, alongside reigning champions Bayern Munich, Real Sociedad, and Galatasaray.

Group B consisted of Manchester United, Olympique Lyon, Inter Milan, and FC Porto.

Kevin De Bruyne Cup

The Kevin De Bruyne Cup, also known as the KDB Cup, is an international Belgian football tournament for players under the age of 15, which started in 2016.

The tournament takes place in Drongen, Belgium, where De Bruyne began his football career.

The KDB Cup was held in Belgium on the 1st and 2nd of June 2024 with the following teams in attendance:

Chelsea FC, Club Bruges KV, FC Barcelona, KAA Gent, KRC Genk, Manchester City, Manchester United, PSV Eindhoven, Rangers FC, RB Leipzig, RSC Anderlecht and SE Palmeiras.

Manchester are the u15 KDB Cup champions for 2024 after beating KAA Genk 2 – 1 in the final.

Premier League Next Gen Beijing Cup

The Premier League has announced the inaugural Next Gen Beijing Cup, the first edition of the tournament to be staged in China.

Taking place from 3–12 April 2026 at the National Olympic Sports Centre, it will bring together leading English academy sides and top youth teams from across Chinese football.

Jointly hosted with the Beijing Football Association, the competition reflects the Premier League’s ongoing commitment to supporting the growth of football in China at all levels.

The tournament will feature eight teams, including U15 sides from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, alongside four mainland Chinese academy teams and a Hong Kong China U16 select side.

The teams will be split into two groups, with group winners advancing to the Cup Final and runners-up competing for the Shield Final.

Pape Cup

The Pape Cup, held in Magdeburg, Germany, hosted its 22nd edition with teams including Tottenham Hotspur, Cambridge United, Liverpool FC, FC Union Berlin, Haldensleben, and Wolfsburg.

This 5-a-side indoor tournament takes place over two days, drawing up to 5,000 supporters and featuring many of Europe’s top clubs.

Discover the experience of the Cambridge United team that participated in the tournament here.

Burnley FC X Dude Perfect International Youth Cup

The Burnley International Youth Tournament was first established in 2019 and is partnered by YouTube stars Dude Perfect, the popular group founded by Garrett Hilbert, Tyler Toney, Cody Jones and Coby and Cory Cotton.

The tournament will be held this year from Friday the 6th to Sunday the 8th of September 2024 at the Burnley training facilities in Padiham.

Premier League Next Generation Cup

The Next Generation Cup will feature teams from England, India, and South Africa in a thrilling tournament organized by the Premier League.

Scheduled for August 1-4, the competition provides an opportunity for India’s top young talents from the Indian Super League to face off against peers from Premier League Academies and the South African Premier Soccer League.

In its fifth edition, the Next Gen Cup will feature eight Academy teams, including Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur, representing the Premier League.

These teams will compete alongside East Bengal FC, Muthoot FA, Winners Punjab FC, and Stellenbosch FC.

Al Ain International Juniors Tournament

The Al Ain International will feature a league-format tournament where teams play five 80-minute matches over eight days.

The 2025 tournament will be held at the Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium, home of Al Ain FC.

Everton Under-16s will take part in the competition, facing teams including FK Partizan Belgrade (Serbia), Pafos FC (Cyprus), Gremio (Brazil), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), and Al Ain (UAE).

Mediterranean International Cup (MIC) Football – U16

For over two decades, the Costa Brava has hosted a vibrant celebration of youth football every Easter. MIC Football is an international tournament designed to unite young players through their shared passion for the game.

The tournament covers teams from under 12s to under 19s.

The 2025 edition features Under-16 teams from Stockport County, Atlético de Madrid, Girona, Liverpool, FC Porto, Arsenal, and FC Barcelona.

Al-Ahly International Cup – Under 16

Al Ahly, in partnership with “Live Adventure,” will host the first-ever International U-16 Youth Tournament. The event will run from 28 to 30 November 2025 at Al Ahly’s facilities and will feature several leading international youth teams.

QPR Under-16s will be participating this year’s competition against Al-Ahly (Host), FC Barcelona, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon and Bayer Leverkusen.

Geneva Cup – U17

The Geneva Cup plays a crucial role in the development of young players, many of whom are only months away from beginning their professional careers.

It gives Swiss players, in particular, the opportunity to test themselves against some of the most prestigious football clubs.

Everton FC competed against Servette FC, KRC Genk and AFC Ajax in Group A whilst Group B comprised of Sproting CP, UC Sampdoria, Meyrin FC and Odense BK.

Everton U17 where the eventual winners in the 2024 edition.

Nathaniel MG Cup

The Cymru League Cup, now called the Nathaniel MG Cup due to sponsorship, is a football competition in Wales organized by the Football Association of Wales.

The competition started in 1992 and is seen as the second most important domestic cup for Welsh football clubs, ranking just below the older and more prestigious Welsh Cup.

Cardiff City U21 are participants in the 2024/25 edition of the tournament.

The Algarve Cup

The Algarve Elite Cup is a renowned youth football tournament in southern Portugal that draws top clubs and emerging talent from around the world.

Held along the beautiful, sunlit coastlines of the Algarve, the tournament gives young players a stage to display their skills in a highly competitive setting.

Bringing together elite teams from different nations, the competition provides both intense matchups and a valuable chance for players to gain international recognition.

A mix of U14s/U15s from the Leyton Orient Academy will be attending the November 2024 event.

Vitali Daraselia Cup

From August 23 to 28, Tbilisi will host the Vitali Daraselia Cup 2024, featuring six teams of under-16 football players.

This year marks the first time the matches will be played on natural grass pitches. The international tournament will be held at the Ilia Kokaia Football Center and the Saguramo base of F.C. Locomotive Tbilisi.

Watford FC will compete alongside elite international teams like Juventus FC, Galatasaray SK, and Valencia, as well as two of the top clubs from the host country, FC Dinamo Tbilisi and FC Locomotive Tbilisi.

In the most recent edition of this renowned tournament, held in 2023, Dinamo Tbilisi emerged as the champions.

REWE Junior Cup

The REWE Junior Cup is an annual five-a-side tournament hosted in Göttingen Germany.

Held at the Lokhalle indoor arena in Göttingen, this year’s Junior Cup will feature 28 teams competing in front of a lively crowd, divided into four groups of seven.

As a result, each team will play six group matches, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the qualifiers.

Each match lasts 13 minutes, with the ball continuously in motion thanks to boards surrounding the pitch to keep it in play.

Fulham U18s participate in the tournament and attended again in 2026.

FIFA Under-17 World Cup

FIFA announced that starting in 2025, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup will occur annually instead of every two years.

Orange Veins

Orange Veins is a company specializing in organising football tours and tournaments worldwide. Their goal is to support players’ development both on and off the pitch through diverse experiences.

Here is a list of tournaments scheduled for the 2025 season.

Heemskerk Cup

The Heemskerk Cup took place in Heemskerk, Netherlands, on 16 and 17 August 2025, featuring competitions for the Under-17 and Under-19 age groups.

Swansea City entered an Under-19 side for this year’s edition, joining a line-up that included FC Dordrecht U19, RKVV DEM U21, PAOK FC U19, HSV ODIN ’59 U21, Eastside FC U19, and DTA Academy U19.

Mohammed VI Football Academy U19 Tournament

The Mohammed VI Football Academy will host the 2026 U19 International Tournament in Salé from April 22–26.

Established in 2017 and expanded to U19 in 2019, the competition has grown into a key youth scouting event, featuring 16 teams from around the world, including AS Monaco, Boca Juniors, Palmeiras, Villarreal, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds United.

Memories and Lessons:

When the tournament ends, players have memories to cherish for the rest of their lives.

Besides the excitement of playing, the journey teaches important lessons like learning different cultures, independence, and sportsmanship.

For parents, seeing their kids compete internationally fills them with pride and happiness, making the trip unforgettable.

In summary, going to an international football tournament is an amazing adventure for young players and their families.