It’s been a hectic few weeks for the eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient, who recently selected ten rising stars for a new Adidas promotional campaign. ..Continue reading
Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha was picked by Messi, along with Nico Paz, Kendry Paez, Andrey Santos, Rodrigo Mora, Brajan Gruda, Kader Meïte, Mika Godts, Lily Yohannes and Clara Serrajordi.
The Argentinian clearly has a keen eye for emerging talent.
On Tuesday he gave some of the sport’s most promising young players a chance to shine by unveiling the first edition of the Messi Cup – an international event scheduled for December.
Messi shared on Instagram: “Happy to finally share this with you – this December, Miami will host a very special youth football tournament with some of the best clubs from around the world.
The future of the game will be on full display, and it’s more than just competitions: we have an incredible few days planned with many other exciting activities. This is about the next generation. I hope you like it! This is the #MessiCup.”
The Messi Cup, organized by 525 Rosario – Messi’s own production company – is being billed as a “pioneering” youth football event.
A total of eight under-16 teams will take part, including Barcelona, River Plate, Inter Milan, Newell’s Old Boys, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City.
The format includes two groups of four, each competing in a round-robin format over the first three days. The best teams advance to the knockout phase to determine the final rankings.
The final day will feature both the third-place play-offs and the finals, which will be held at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Tim Pastore, CEO of 525 Rosario, described the event as an “opportunity to celebrate talent, culture and community, creating legacies and bonds that will last beyond the playing field.”
He also stated: “The Messi Cup is the meeting point between the football of today and the players of tomorrow.”
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