The ninth edition of Al Kass International Cup will kick off today at Aspire Zone.
Twelve teams will battle for the title of the prestigious under-17 tournament hosted by Aspire Academy and organized by Al Kass Sports Channel.
The opening game will see PSG taking on Kashiwa Reysol (kickoff 16:45), a repeat of the 2018 final which saw the French giants winning their third and last title.
The junior Parisians have taken part in every edition of Al Kass International Cup, the only side to achieve this alongside the hosts Aspire Academy who will face Suwon Bluewings in today’s other game (kickoff 19:00).
The home side’s best performance in this tournament came in 2017 when they reached the final before losing against Real Madrid.
This year, all eyes will be on Glasgow Rangers who won last year’s title after a penalty shootout win over AS Roma in the final. They will kick off their campaign on Saturday against Suwon Bluewings.
Other contenders for this year’s title are Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and debutants Sporting Lisbon, whose academy team produced some of the world’s best players over the past decades, including five-time Balon D’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Two other sides are expected to make their Al Kass Cup debut; FC Zenit of Russia and Mohammed VI Academy of Morocco.
What you should know
Access for all Al Kass International Cup matches is free.
The matches will take place at the outdoor training grounds of Aspire Academy, located near Aspire Dome.
The closest metro station to the location is the “Sport City Station” on the Gold Line.
The organisers offer Daily prizes for best banners and outfits. It has been one of the main traditions of this tournament and it always creates an amazing atmosphere.
All matches are broadcasted live on Al Kass Sports Channel. This year, we can also expect some good coverage from the newly launched Al Kass Digital, the English-language service of Al Kass Channel. The matches are being live-streamed on their official website. Rhodri Williams, Nick Summerbee, Chris Makin and Mark Tompkins will provide English-language commentary and match analysis of each game through a live studio.
Website: alkassdigital.net
Twitter: twitter.com/alkassdigital
Facebook: facebook.com/alkassdigital
Instagram: instagram.com/alkassdigital
Also, check the official website and social media channels of the event for more information.
Website: internationalcup.alkass.net/u17/
YoutTube: shorturl.at/qwAY1
Twitter: twitter.com/alkassintlcup
Facebook: facebook.com/alkassintlcup/
Instagram: instagram.com/alkassintlcup/
The Teams
Group A
Aspire Academy (Qatar)
Glasgow Rangers (Scotland)
Suwon Bluewings (South Korea)
Group B
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
FC Barcelona (Spain)
Kashiwa Reysol (Japan)
Group C
Inter Milan (Italy)
Altinordu FK (Turkey)
Mohammed IV Academy (Morocco)
Group D
Real Madrid (Spain)
Sporting Lisbon (Portugal)
Zenit St Petersburg (Russia)
The Matches
Group Stage
13-FEB 16:45 PSG vs. Kashiwa Reysol
13-FEB 19:00 Aspire Academy vs. Suwon Bluewings
14-FEB 16:45 Inter Milan vs. Mohammed VI Academy
14-FEB 19:00 Zenit St Petersburg vs. Real Madrid
15-FEB 16:45 Glasgow Rangers vs. Suwon Bluewings
15-FEB 19:00 FC Barcelona vs. Kashiwa Reysol
16-FEB 16:45 Altinordu FK vs. Mohammed VI Academy
16-FEB 19:00 Real Madrid vs. Sporting Lisbon
17-FEB 16:45 Aspire Academy vs. Glasgow Rangers
17-FEB 19:00 PSG vs. FC Barcelona
18-FEB 16:45 Inter Milan vs. Altinordu FK
18-FEB 19:00 Sporting Lisbon vs. Zenit St Petersburg
Playoffs 9th/10th
19-FEB 16:45 TBD vs. TBD
Playoffs 11th/12th
19-FEB 19:15 TBD vs. TBD
Quarterfinals
19-FEB 16:45 A1 vs. C2
19-FEB 19:15 C1 vs. A2
20-FEB 16:45 B1 vs. D2
20-FEB 19:15 D1 vs. B2
Placement Matches 5th-8th
21-FEB 16:45 TBD vs. TBD
21-FEB 19:15 TBD vs. TBD
Semi-finals
22-FEB 16:45 TBD vs. TBD
22-FEB 19:15 TBD vs. TBD
Playoffs 7th/8th
23-FEB 16:45 TBD vs. TBD
Playoffs 5th/6th
23-FEB 19:15 TBD vs. TBD
Playoffs 3rd/4th
24-FEB 15:30 TBD vs. TBD
Final
24-FEB 18:00 TBD vs. TBD