What is the Messi Cup? The youth tournament featuring the club Leo bought
The U-16 competition brings together 16 clubs from nine countries in Florida. Among the invitees is UE Cornellà, acquired by Messi this year, which has already beaten Manchester City's youth side.
The Messi Cup is an international U-16 club tournament backed by Lionel Messi. Its second edition runs from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, 2026, at Inter Miami's facilities in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The event grew from eight participants in 2025 to 16 this year. River Plate came in as defending champion after beating Atlético Madrid 2-0 in the inaugural final.
The groups
The academies taking part in the 2026 Messi Cup
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | River Plate, Chelsea, Ajax and Inter Milan |
| B | Barcelona, Palmeiras, Arsenal and Newell’s Old Boys |
| C | Atlético Madrid, Benfica, Independiente del Valle and Inter Miami |
| D | Manchester City, Boca Juniors, Flamengo and UE Cornellà |
No Mexican club is taking part in this edition.
Six guaranteed games for every team
The format guarantees six games for every team. After the group stage, the top two in each group advance to the Gold Cup, which decides places one through eight. The third- and fourth-place teams move on to the Silver Cup to determine places nine through 16.
That way, teams keep competing even after dropping out of the race for the main title. In all, the schedule includes 48 games.
Messi's club has already beaten City
The most curious detail lies among the invitees: Cornellà announced Messi as its new owner in April 2026. Leo backs the competition, plays for the host club and also owns one of the participants.
The Spanish side also pulled off a surprise on Oct. 27 by beating Manchester City's U-16 team 2-1.
Messi's club is playing in his tournament, but the main title is already out of its reach.
The win wasn't enough to send Cornellà to the Gold Cup: it finished third in its group and moved on to the Silver Cup.
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