Two Premier League Clubs to Take Part in New 8-Team Competition

Lionel Messi, in the swansong of his career, is always looking for new and inventive ways to platform football’s young talent – and his latest drive comes in the form of the inaugural Messi Cup. It’s an eight-team, six-day competition that will welcome the competing clubs’ young talent to compete for glory at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium and training ground.

The one-time World Cup winner – widely regarded as one of the best footballers of all time – recently linked up with Top Baller, a street organisation that has created an ever-popular 1v1 street football tournament. Now, he’s set up an initiative of his own.

Its very first edition will involve eight teams at U16 level, with Barcelona, Newell’s Old Boys, Inter Milan, River Plate, Atletico Madrid and Inter Miami (a smattering of clubs close to the 38-year-old Argentine’s heart) all taking part between December 9 and 14. But who are the two teams heading across the pond to represent the Premier League?

Two Premier League Clubs Taking Part in The Inaugral Messi Cup

The only team that he played for that won’t be represented at the competition’s launch showpiece are Paris Saint-Germain; he played for the Paris-based juggernauts between 2021 and 2023 and notched 67 goal contributions (32 goals and 35 assists) in 75 outings. Chelsea and Manchester City will be flying over from England.

In terms of the former, the Blues are likely to send the likes of Josh Henry, Reggie Watson, George Jobling, Erinyayo Faromo-Adebayo and Hezekiah-Daniel Grimwade to represent them at the first-ever Messi-led tournament. Grimwade is, perhaps, the most famous of them all with him already being represented by Nike.

Chelsea’s inclusion may come as a surprise, however, given the record Ballon d’Or winner once named the west Londoners as a team who Barcelona hated more than Real Madrid.

Announcing the tournament on his Instagram page, Messi admitted to being ‘thrilled’ at the prospect of hundreds of youngsters battling it out for glory from a football perspective. “Thrilled to finally share this with you. This December, Miami will host a very special youth tournament featuring some of the top clubs around the world,” he said before adding:

Promoted by Messi’s 252 Rosario global media company, which is named after his home city, they are hoping to showcase the best young talent on the planet in the heart of Miami. Tickets to watch the wonderkids in action start at $120, per the competition’s official website, but an entry pass worth $1,100 is also on offer for additional perks such as an exclusive meet and greet.

Speaking about the new and exciting initiative, chief executive of 525 Rosario Tim Pastore said: “The Messi Cup is where today’s game meets tomorrow’s players. It is an opportunity to celebrate talent, culture, and community, while creating legacies and bonds that will endure well beyond the pitch.”

The seasoned winger is hoping the event will be a roaring success and that it could be the start of something very special in the football space. It has been reported that a number of other events involving industry and culture will be hosted throughout the tournament.

How the tournament will work is that all eight teams will be split into groups of four, each playing in a round-robin over the first three days of the six-day period. The top teams will then advance to the play-off stage to determine final rankings before the final day will feature the third-place match and the final.