Messi announces inaugural Messi Cup U16 tournament in Miami

Lionel Messi on Thursday announced the inaugural Messi Cup, an international under-16 tournament to be held in Miami from December 9 to 14 featuring youth teams from eight major clubs. Organised by Messi’s production company, 525 Rosario, the weeklong event will stage 18 matches at Chase Stadium and aims to combine competition with broader cultural and digital programming for young players and fans.

Messi said the tournament is designed to showcase emerging talent and create "an incredible few days" of matches and activities for the next generation of players. 525 Rosario described the Messi Cup as a digitally driven platform that fuses sport, culture, and innovation and seeks to generate long-term value for athletes, communities, and commercial partners.

The participating academies are Inter Miami, Barcelona, Manchester City, River Plate, Inter Milan, Newells Old Boys, Atlético Madrid, and Chelsea. Competition guidelines provided by organisers indicate an eight-club field and an 18-match schedule, with teams representing established youth systems from Europe, South America, and Major League Soccer.

Tim Pastore, CEO of 525 Rosario, said the project is intended to bridge...