Hundreds of talented youth footballers from around the world will take to Dubai Sports City’s pitches on 21st & 22nd April.
is set to host an international youth football tournament later this month – the Dubai Intercontinental Football Cup for Under 13’s.
Taking place on 21st & 22nd April, hundreds of youth-age footballers from some of the world’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid and AC Milan, will travel to Dubai to compete in the inaugural tournament.
The tournament, which is in partnership with Dubai Sports Council and La Liga, will take place across Dubai Sports City’s world-class facilities and will see local and regional clubs – including Al Nasr and Dubai Club – mix with teams from Australia, Japan, Spain, Italy and the rest of the Middle East.
Dubai Sports City President, Khalid Al Zarooni said:“We are delighted to be hosting the Under 13 Dubai Intercontinental Cup here at Dubai Sports City. Over the past number of years’ football in this country has gone from strength to strength and we are delighted to be playing a part in that. Hosting this world-class event only compliments the world-class facilities we have here at Dubai Sports City as well as the quality of dedicated coaching staff at the Spanish Soccer School.”
Michel Salgado, ambassador for the Spanish Soccer School and Real Madrid legend, said:“We’re very excited to welcome international youth teams to Dubai to compete in the inaugural Under 13 Dubai Intercontinental Cup. It’s a great sign of how youth football in Dubai has grown in recent years, and will show us how our footballers of the future measure up against their international peers.”
The level of youth football in Dubai has risen in recent years due to the increasing competition and development of the Dubai Sports Council Championship, which merged the top private academies and some of the local professional clubs. The growth period has been overseen by Salgado, an ex-professional who played in 343 La Liga games over a 15-year period.
Inaki Beni, Football Academy Manager at the Spanish Soccer School, said: “Dubai’s youth players will be itching to test themselves against players from iconic clubs such as Real Madrid and AC Milan, and will certainly be looking to swap shirts after the games.
“It’s the next step in the development of the Dubai Sports Council Championship and we expect this tournament to become an annual event, we can continue to bring the world’s top youth teams to Dubai.”
As well as action on the pitch, off-pitch entertainment will be available for the whole family to enjoy with the exciting Intercontinental Cup Fan Zone. The Fan Zone will include live entertainment, a variety of food and beverage options and fun interactive activities throughout both days of the tournament.
The full list of teams taking part is as follows: Canadian Academy of Futbol, AFA Angola, Al Wahda – Abu Dhabi, Tokyo Select, FTS Australia, Al Nasr, Al Fateh FC, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Dubai Club, Spanish Soccer Schools.