Fifth Paris Saint-Germain Academy Cup to kick off on 15 May 2019 in Paris

On 15-20 May, 250 children aged 9-13 will battle it out in Paris for the prestigious Paris Saint-Germain Academy Cup. Hailing from France, Brazil, Morocco, Lebanon, the USA, Turkey, Qatar, Canada and Egypt, they are all learning their football at Paris Saint-Germain Academies, the prestigious training centres operated under licence by the Parisian club.

Twenty-two teams from nine countries and four continents will face off in a tournament comprising two age categories: U-10/U-11 and U-12/U-13. The group phases will be held on Thursday and Friday, followed by the final rounds on Saturday and then the grand final in each category, with all matches to be played at the Marcel Bec Complex in Meudon. The 250 participants are aiming to succeed Brazil and Florida, last year’s respective winners in the U-10/U-11 and U-12/U-13 age groups.

Paris Saint-Germain Academy Programme Director Nadia Benmokhtar said: “More than 12,000 children around the world attend our football academies year round. We are delighted to once again offer them the opportunity to come to Paris to meet and talk to each other and contest this mini World Cup. For the last five years now, the Paris Saint-Germain Academy Cup has become an eagerly awaited date on the calendar. There is a lot of enthusiasm for it among children, parents and coaches. They appreciate how seriously we take our sport, the dynamic nature of the programme, and the emphasis we put on sharing, values and intercultural exchange.”

The goal of the Paris Saint-Germain Academies is to provide quality training and mentoring for young people aged 5 to 17, while stimulating them and nurturing their growth and development as people. They offer all football lovers a unique opportunity to share the values of a great European club, one that is recognised around the world for its expertise and the quality of the training it provides.

As well as fighting it out for the Paris Saint-Germain Academy Cup, the 250 young participants will have the chance to visit the Parc des Princes and the French capital’s historic landmarks and will also enjoy a gala dinner at the Cirque Bormann. The highpoint of their stay in the city will come on Saturday 18 May, when they will attend Paris Saint-Germain’s home match against Dijon on matchday 35 of Ligue 1. To make the experience all the more memorable for them, they will be invited to take a lap of honour of the Parc des Princes pitch just a few minutes before kick-off.

Watch the video here.