u16s 3 v Barca 1, SF v Atletico Sat 13 ,ESPN YouTube. Messi Cup, Dec 9th-14th.

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

The Messi Cup u16s tournament in Miami, updates...

City qualify with a perfect record...


1st game City u16s 3 Inter Milan 0.
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2nd game City u16s 2 River Plate 1.
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3rd game City u16s 3 Barcelona 1.

Semi Final v Atletico Madrid, on Saturday December 13th, kick off TBC (presuming from the next two pictures it's on at 7:30pm UK time)...


Will update when I know for certain that it's 7:30pm kick off on Saturday.
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Manchester City to compete in inaugural Messi Cup in December alongside Chelsea

Chelsea and Manchester City will be among the teams competing in the inaugural Messi Cup this December, eyeing success in a brand new youth tournament. City’s academy setup will have another chance to…

cityxtra.co.uk

Our u16s and their counterparts from, Inter Miami, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter, River Plate and Newell’s Old Boys will also be play in this tournament.

Messi announced this youth cup earlier this week:
“This December, Miami will host a very special youth football tournament featuring some of the top clubs from around the world.
The future of the game will be on full display, and it’s more than just matches, we’ve got an incredible few days planned with lots of other exciting activities. This is about the next generation.”

The whole tournament is on YouTube here...

ESPN UK

Share your videos with friends, family and the world

www.youtube.com

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

It's in Miami...

The first of 3 games is today and the fixtures are below, I'm presuming listed times are local times, which would mean our u16s kick off at 5pm UK time.

We play Inter Milan today, then River Plate tomorrow, followed by Barcelona the day after, all fixtures are underscored by a line here...
It goes into a knockout stage afterwards and looks like it takes a break on the 12th, then resumes on the 13th & 14th if our lads make it that far.

Tournament website...

Messi Cup 2025 – Youth Football Tournament | Miami, Dec 9–14

Discover the Messi Cup 2025 in Miami, December 9–14. Led by Leo Messi, this global youth football tournament unites 8 elite U16 teams—including FC Barcelona, Inter Miami, Manchester City, and Liverpool—plus keynote talks, a fan village, and more. Celebrate the future of football!

messicup.com

 

[hfc]

Looks like the games will be live on this YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ESPNUK/streams

Young Blues are currently 3-0 up against Inter.

Edit: 3-0 win. Goals from David Eze, Xavier Parker, and Tirenioluwa Aiyegbusi.

 

[cleavers]

Tirenioluwa Aiyegbusi

Easy for you to say !

 

[Centurions]

Easy for you to say !

At least he didn't use his full name, Tirenioluwa Ayobamidele Raphael Aiyegbusi, he's Finnish :)

 

[cleavers]

At least he didn't use his full name, Tirenioluwa Ayobamidele Raphael Aiyegbusi, he's Finnish :)

That's quite a mouthful, I hope he makes our first team, motd would be hillarious.

 

[Centurions]

Goals are at around 1:38:00, 2:04:15 & 2:15:15 (they've included the opening ceremony so there's 2hours and 45minutes or so there.





Full game.

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

Looks like the games will be live on this YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ESPNUK/streams

Young Blues are currently 3-0 up against Inter.

Edit: 3-0 win. Goals from David Eze, Xavier Parker, and Tirenioluwa Aiyegbusi.

Nice one will try and watch it tonight if I don't get too tired sounds like a comprehensive win, at least we know for the future where where all the games are so I'll add the match links to the top post.

Let's hope not just the other two games but more are on this channel, in all honesty it might be a lot tougher with our next games.
That's no disrespect to Inter but more to do with the history of River and Barca's youths always producing top talent, our next opponents River probably have a case for unearthing the most top talents in football history.

It's a great test this tournament most the teams will have top drawer academies, can see it being really competitive bringing the best out of most the sides entering.

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

Looks like the games will be live on this YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ESPNUK/streams

Young Blues are currently 3-0 up against Inter.

Edit: 3-0 win. Goals from David Eze, Xavier Parker, and Tirenioluwa Aiyegbusi.

Easy for you to say !

At least he didn't use his full name, Tirenioluwa Ayobamidele Raphael Aiyegbusi, he's Finnish :)

Reminds me a bit of the first time I saw Tosin Adarabiyoyo's name...

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

At least he didn't use his full name, Tirenioluwa Ayobamidele Raphael Aiyegbusi, he's Finnish :)

He’s no Finnish, he’s only 15.

 

[supercity88]

He’s no Finnish, he’s only 15.

So glad someone posted that!

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

Match link...

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Very evenly matched so far, managed to miss us conceding.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

We need to try and poach the River Plate 10, he's got it.

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

Lineup...

Had to rewind on my phone and find the starters, not sure why the academy page on x/twitter aren't providing it.

Should've equalised before half time I thought, can't tell whether or not the River player got a touch or not.

Expected River to be a very tough game even before it started, I'll probably catch the 2nd half later on or tomorrow morning though.

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

We need to try and poach the River Plate 10, he's got it.

They've always got a good record with producing number 10 river, just whether they go on to become world class or not.

I remember thinking Pablo Aimar looked a nailed on world class talent, good player but he never reached his potential had tons of natural ability.

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

Full match replay from the beginning...

Here's the lineups...

Just before the start of the 2nd half for those who saw the first half...

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

Our u16s play Barca and it kicks off at 7pm here's the link...

Lineups...

After winning our first two games in this Messi Cup against Inter and River all teams play for the 3rd day in a row, don't know why we and the other clubs aren't actively promoting it more no matches have that many views.

 

[Houseman]

They've always got a good record with producing number 10 river, just whether they go on to become world class or not.

I remember thinking Pablo Aimar looked a nailed on world class talent, good player but he never reached his potential had tons of natural ability.

He was too lightweight for his own good since he wasn't shy at all and dare to dribble anyone. He ended injury prone due to that. Yet he was world class (whatever this sort of tags actually mean) in River and Valencia and had some sort of rebirth at Benfica. I wishe he played more for the NT and of coruse he wasn't build nor assertive as fvck like as normally genius alike players tend to be.

And yes the fvckers has a 10 line of production since ever...hard to top nowadays and in recent times the level of people like Di Stefano or Sivori that turned into 10s with age (no surprise if they never produce again that caliber of fellas, it''s juts too much to ask).

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

2nd half just started we're 2-0 up Marlow Barrett put us one up and Barcelona's Ahmed Abarkane scored an own goal, quite comfortable display really was expecting a bit more from Barcelona.

I'm not sure what the 1980's porno beat at half time was all about.