The Messi Cup: LM10 launches new youth tournament

Inter Miami star and football legend, Lionel Messi took to his social media to announce the opening edition of the Messi Cup: an international youth soccer tournament.

The Under-16 tournament is slated to take place between December 9 to 14, 2025 and will be held in South Florida.

Messi announced his own tournament

Lionel Messi's new tournament which will take place in the coming December in Miami, will also include his current club, Inter Miami and his former club, FC Barcelona.

Messi launched this brand new youth tournament along with his production company, 525 Rosario to promote youth football and support budding footballers, thus ensuring a safe future for the sport.

The Messi Cup will feature eight clubs which will play 18 matches to decide the champion. The participating clubs in the U-16 competition are Inter Miami, Barcelona, ​​Manchester City, River Plate, Inter Milan, Newell's Old Boys, Atlético Madrid, and Chelsea.

These eight clubs will be divided into two groups, each consisting four teams and will compete with each other in a round-robin format. The group stage will be played out during the first three days of the Messi Cup.

Following the group stage, a playoff match will be played to secure the final positions. The tournament will also have a third-place match before the final is played at the Chase Stadium at Miami, Florida.

Talking about the tournament, the company, 525 Rosario said, "More than a tournament, it is a series of live events and a digitally-driven platform that fuses sport, culture, and innovation".

The company also emphasised that the Messi Cup's mission will be "to generate long-term value for athletes developing their careers, for the communities that unite around a passion for sport, and for brands seeking authentic and lasting connections in the new era of football".

Tim Patore, CEO of 525 Rosario said that the tournament will bring together the "football of today" along with "the players of tomorrow".

Lionel Messi broke the news on the internet as he wrote on Instagram, "Thrilled to finally share this with you. This December, Miami will host a very special youth football tournament featuring some of the top clubs from around the world".

"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 lots of other exciting activities. This is about the next generation. Hope you like it! This is the Messi Cup", LM10 added.

The six-day tournament will be a great boost to youth football, bringing together young talents from the world's biggest clubs.

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