CHELSEA and Manchester City will send their youngsters to Miami in December – to take part in a tournament named in honour of Lionel Messi.
The duo of Prem youth squads have been invited to join rivals including Inter Miami, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, River Plate and Newell’s Old Boys in the inaugural Messi Cup.
The competition features clubs seemingly dear to Messi’s heart, having played for Inter Miami, Barca and Newell’s Old Boys in his career – meaning the only team he played for that isn’t represented is Paris Saint-Germain.
Both clubs will be sending Under-16 sides to the six-day tournament being held at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium and training ground.
The Argentine great announced the tournament on his Instagram page yesterday:
Messi posted: “Thrilled to finally share this with you. 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. Hope you like it!”
The tournament is being promoted by Messi’s 525 Rosario global media venture, named after his home city.
Tim Pastore, chief executive of 525 Rosario, said: “The Messi Cup is where today’s game meets tomorrow’s players.
“It is an opportunity to celebrate talent, culture, and community, while creating legacies and bonds that will endure well beyond the pitch.”
Messi hopes the event will become something that inspires young players from across the world to be part of and help to shape the next generation of stars.
The competition will have 18 matches from December 9-14.
Chelsea are likely to feature the likes of Josh Henry, George Jobling, Reggie Watson, Hezekiah-Daniel Grimwade, and Erinyayo Faromo-Adebayo, all of whom represented the England Under-16’s in the August international break.
Of those talents, Grimwade has already attracted the attention of fans on social media with a 148,000 strong following on Instagram and being represented by Nike.
His comments are flooded with support from other Chelsea academy stars from age groups above him, including Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Mathis Eboue, and Shim Mheuka.
He made his debut for the Chelsea Under-18s in July 2024, and is clearly highly rated by everybody at the club.
Much has been made of Messi’s relationship with the Stamford Bridge outfit online, with fans claiming he “loves” Chelsea and reports claiming the club even tried to sign him in 2014.
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