Football
ATK Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC up against Everton, West Ham in Next Generation Cup
The academy teams of 3 Premier League teams will be in India for the NextGen Cup from May 16, where they shall face the youth teams of ATK Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, Sudeva Delhi and RFYC.
Action during ATK Mohun Bagan's semifinal vs Bengaluru FC in the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL)
Indian football clubs Sudeva Delhi FC, ATK Mohun Bagan FC, Reliance Foundation Young Champs and Bengaluru FC are set to take on Premier League and South African Premier Soccer League teams as the Next Generation Cup comes back to India from May 16.
Premier League clubs Everton FC, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, West Ham United FC along with defending champions Stellenbosch FC of South Africa will tour India for the 10-day tournament.
The academy teams of these overseas clubs will take on the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) National Phase table toppers – Sudeva Delhi FC, ATK Mohun Bagan FC, Reliance Foundation Young Champs & Bengaluru FC.
The matches will be held across May 17, May 20, May 23 and May 26 in Mumbai, with the final being played on May 26.
The Premier League Next Generation Cup is being hosted in India for the third time, with the first one being held in 2019. Last year, the tournament was played in the UK, where Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC were the touring Indian sides. This edition provides four slots to Indian clubs as opposed to two last year.
Four clubs from India
Sudeva Delhi FC, ATK Mohun Bagan FC, Reliance Foundation Young Champs & Bengaluru FC emerged as the top four teams after two intensive rounds in RFDL – the Regional Qualifiers and National Group Stage.
This saw over 300 matches across nine regions in the country, comprising of teams from Hero Indian Super League, I-League division I&II and Independent Academies nominated by the State Football Associations, making it India’s largest and most inclusive elite youth football tournament.
The eight-team tournament will see clubs being divided in two groups of four sides each. They will square off against each other in a round-robin format.
The Next Generation Cup in 2020 saw the Chelsea youth side emerging as the champions amongst the six teams that participated. Stellenbosch FC won the second season in 2022. This will be West Ham United’s second appearance in this competition and also the first time that Everton and the Wolves take part in the same.
