The International Champions Cup Futures Youth Soccer Tournament Has Lofty Goals

By Jacob Feldman | SI

Organizers of soccer’s newest youth tournament are not shy about their ambitions.

“The Little League World Series was a huge inspiration for us,” said Daniel Sillman, the CEO of Relevent Sports, which launched the International Champions Cup Futures event taking place this week. Relevent executive chairman Charlie Stillitano was even more direct: ”There’s nothing like the Little League World Series in soccer; that’s what we are trying to create,” he said.

This summer, they invited top U-14 players from eight European academies, eight MLS development academies, and eight U.S. state all-star teams to compete in a World Cup-style tournament in Florida. The quarterfinals air Friday on ESPNU, with a final Sunday afternoon to be shown on ESPN2. In coming years, there could be girls’ divisions, South America could be represented, early rounds could be played across the country and the globe, and more. (If you’re wondering why they chose U-14, it’s the first age at which teams exclusively play 11-on-11, and right before players reach the pro level.) “We’ll talk to teams and kids and learn from this year and improve it,” Sillman said. “This is just the beginning. We think we can build the biggest and most impactful youth soccer tournament in the world.”

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