ABU DHABI: After more than 400 matches, the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup came to an exciting close on Sunday, with six teams, each winning across their own age groups, crowned as champions of the youth football tournament following a dazzling display of skill in Abu Dhabi.
The 2023 edition of the tournament, brought by partners Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and PUMA GCC, returned for the first time since 2019, and included 128 teams from 13 countries. Over the two days of action, more than 1,000 goals were scored across the 400 matches at Zayed Sports City.
Manchester City Women’s Head Coach Gareth Taylor oversaw the next generation of male and female footballers in action, and was on hand to award the winning teams with their trophies.
Simon Hewitt, tournament director and MENA senior manager of football operations at City Football Group, said: “It’s been an amazing weekend of football at the 2023 edition of the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup. The tournament has had it all, from wonderful goals, fantastic saves and brilliant teamwork. Importantly, all players coming to Abu Dhabi have had a chance to play with and against young people from around the world and make new friends.
“The game of football is a way of uniting like-minded people and we’ve seen that in abundance this weekend, and lots of happy children enjoying the game, too. We thank all our partners for their support in making this weekend possible, and we congratulate not only the winners but all of the 128 teams for playing their part in making this year’s Abu Dhabi Cup the best tournament to date.”
Talal Al-Hashemi, executive director of the Sports Development Sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “The return of the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup this year has been a landmark moment within the Abu Dhabi youth sporting calendar, as we were delighted to welcome young athletes from across the globe to Zayed Sports City for this year’s tournament.
“Events of this caliber showcase Abu Dhabi’s unparalleled ability to host international sporting events, and the opportunities presented by this tournament to allow for footballers of the future to develop their skills and test themselves against the best young players is vital to our goals for promoting youth development. We congratulate each and every player for their outstanding performances this weekend.”
Following their success in the Abu Dhabi Cup, the winning teams from each of the six age groups went into a draw with Fursan Hispania Football Academy to win a once in a lifetime trip to visit the City Football Academy in Manchester, where they will take part in training sessions and watch Manchester City first team stars train.
