Messi announced the second "Messi Cup" tournament

Lionel Messi, together with his production company 525 Rosario, announced the second Messi Cup, an international youth football tournament for players under the age of 16. The competition will take place from October 25 to November 1 in South Florida, and the main matches will be hosted by Inter Miami's home stadium. Compared to the debut draw last year, the tournament has doubled in size. This time, 16 youth teams representing the leading football academies of Europe, South America and the USA will compete for the trophy. The list of participants includes: Inter Miami, Barcelona, ​​Ajax, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Palmeiras, Arsenal, Messi's hometown club Newell's Old Boys, Flamengo, Cornella, Manchester City, Boca Juniors, Independiente, Chelsea and River Plate. In the first draw of the Messi Youth Cup, which took place in December 2025 in Miami, the victory was won by River Plate (U-16). In the final match, the Argentines met their peers from Atletico Madrid and won a convincing victory with a score of 2:0. "The Messi Cup was created to give young players a unique experience both on and off the pitch during a crucial stage of their development and to introduce them to what it means to compete at the highest international level. We are delighted to see the tournament develop and bring together players from many of the world's leading clubs to compete, share experiences and, above all, enjoy the game of football, said Lionel Messi in his press release. CEO of 525 Rosario, Tim Pastore, emphasized that the expansion of the format from 8 to 16 clubs in its second year of existence is an important milestone for the competition. "Our goal is to secure a permanent place on the world youth football calendar and create a tournament that clubs value, that young players want to compete in, and that fans around the world want to follow. This means continuing to raise the bar every year, both in the quality of football and in the way we organize and run the tournament," Pastore emphasized.