Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup to make return in 2024
- 26 Apr 2023
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup will return in February 2024, building on the success of this year’s tournament.
The Abu Dhabi Cup is a youth football tournament held by Manchester City, welcoming players from all over the globe and of all abilities to Abu Dhabi, with the aim of developing and inspiring youngsters.
Launched in 2017, the tournament has grown in stature and this year’s event — held for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic — attracted global interest with participation from 13 countries representing four continents, with over 1,700 players (including Manchester City Academy players from the UK) and 6,000 spectators in attendance.
On the pitch at this year's tournament, more than 1000 goals were scored across 400 matches and off the pitch, families and players were able to enjoy live entertainment, a match screening of a Premier League fixture and fun activities in the ‘City Village’. Further details of this year’s plans will be released in due course.
The tournament will be held over the weekend of February 17-18, 2024 at Zayed City Sports Stadium, an iconic landmark in Abu Dhabi and the largest multi-purpose sports venue in the UAE.
The age categories for the 2024 tournament will be: Boys: under 8s, under 10s, under 12s, under 14s and under 16s, Girls: under 12s, under 14s and under 16s.
Talal Al Hashemi, Executive Director of Sports Development Sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We were delighted to stage this fabulous event for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, and really overwhelmed by the response we received from the teams, players and families.
“We always try to improve on the past events and 2024 will not be an exception. It’s a great opportunity for young footballers to gain experience of playing against top-notch visiting teams.”
Simon Hewitt, Tournament Director, said: “Following on from the success of the 2023 event, we can’t wait to see so many young footballers with a smile on their faces and having fun at the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup in February 2024. The tournament returns for another year and will be a great experience for everyone involved, from the players, to the families and the coaches. ”
“The tournament is very inclusive, catering to all levels of abilities with day two ending in a selection of finals for the City Cup, City Plate, City Trophy and City Shield all up for grabs. One lucky team will be winning an all-expenses-paid, once in a lifetime trip to the City Football Academy in Manchester.”
The tournament offers teams of all abilities the chance to compete, have fun and win with several tournaments in one – The City Cup, The City Shield, The City Trophy and The City Plate. The City Cup winning teams from each age group are automatically entered into a live draw to win an all-expense paid, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Manchester.