Generation adidas Cup is back and it’s bigger than ever in 2022.
The elite youth tournament will have 80 professional academies from 10 countries across four continents that will compete in U-17 and U-15 tournament play at the Toyota Soccer Center at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas from April 9-17, Major League Soccer announced Monday.
SCHEDULE: View games
All 28 current MLS clubs will have academy representation in both divisions, while 2023 MLS expansion side St. Louis CITY SC will field a team in the U-17 division.
In 2019, Seattle Sounders FC's U-17 squad became the first MLS team to win the event since its international expansion in 2014, defeating Valencia 1-0 in the Champions Division title game.
Generation adidas Cup further strengthens the competitive collaboration between Liga MX and MLS, building on the successes of Campeones Cup, Leagues Cup and the 2021 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target.
“In the form of a world-class competition, Generation adidas Cup provides the stage to introduce and showcase the next generation of stars from MLS academies and top clubs around the globe,” MLS Vice President of Player Youth and Development Fred Lipka said in a release. "The expansion of the field to 80 teams will only heighten the level of competition, and we are excited to see our MLS academies competing head-to-head with many of the top international programs.”
Biggest clubs in the world
Adding to the largest field in the 13-year history of the Generation adidas Cup are 23 international teams from some of the largest clubs in the global game.
Represented in both the U-17 and U-15 divisions are Manchester United of the Premier League, River Plate of the Argentine Primera División, Celtic of the Scottish Premiership and Flamengo of Serie A.
MLS-Liga MX rivalry
The rivalry between MLS and Liga MX will also be played out at Generation adidas Cup with 10 teams from seven different Liga MX clubs competing against their MLS counterparts.
Competition format
Forty teams, divided into 10 groups of four, will compete in each of the two age divisions. MLS club seeding was determined by Generation adidas Cup Qualifiers at the inaugural MLS NEXT Fest in December 2021. Each team will play three group matches to determine qualification for the knockout round.
Sixteen teams will qualify for the winner’s side of the draw with winning teams advancing to play in a bracket-style elimination format. All teams competing in GA Cup are guaranteed to compete in seven matches and matches will be 60 minutes in length, comprised of two 30-minute halves. Select matches played inside Toyota Stadium, the home of FC Dallas, will feature 35-minute halves.
How to watch
More than 30 games throughout Generation adidas Cup will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube. Additional GA Cup broadcast details, including the schedule of games featured, will be announced in advance of the tournament.
Awards
Following tournament play, awards will be presented in both age groups to the Generation adidas Cup Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer, as well as the Generation adidas Cup Best Goalkeeper presented by Allstate. The Generation adidas Cup XI presented by BODYARMOR will highlight the top performing MLS academy players from each position at GA Cup.
U-17 Division international participants
- A.S. Roma (Italy)
- CA River Plate (Argentina)
- Celtic F.C. (Scotland)
- C.F. Monterrey (Mexico)
- Club Tijuana (Mexico)
- Cruz Azul (Mexico)
- Flamengo (Brazil)
- Manchester United (England)
- Remo Stars Academy (Nigeria)
- Santos Laguna (Mexico)
- Tigres UANL (Mexico)
U-15 Division international participants
- CA River Plate (Argentina)
- Celtic F.C. (Scotland)
- Club America (Mexico)
- Club León (Mexico)
- Club Tijuana (Mexico)
- FC Porto (Portugal)
- Flamengo (Brazil)
- Manchester United (England)
- Monterrey (Mexico)
- Tigres UANL (Mexico)
- Valencia CF (Spain)
