The Estadi Johan Cruyff has welcomed more than 2,100 boys and girls and their families from around the world for the 13th edition of the Barça Academy World Cup. The venue was packed as participants gathered for four days of competition across seven categories, all aiming to be crowned champions.

As Barça vice-president Rafa Yuste wished to make clear, the tournament is much more than just a football competition. A total of 192 teams from 29 countries, representing 41 Barça Academy and Campus projects, will play 690 matches over the four days. The opportunity to share experiences with boys and girls from so many different countries is what makes the Barça Academy World Cup truly unique.

Barça Academy director Benny Megreli highlighted the first-time participation of projects from countries such as Croatia, Montenegro, India, Colombia and Canada, underlining the continued growth of the initiative.

Sporting director Sergi Barjuan also emphasised the value of living a unique experience alongside young players from across the globe representing Barça.

Ambassador Cata Coll in attendance

One of the most exciting moments came when Cata Coll, ambassador for this edition, stepped onto the pitch and greeted everyone present. Coll, who had helped Barça Women to a 3-0 win over Real Madrid the previous evening, took part in the athletes’ oath ceremony. The women’s team star, along with Joan Garcia, serves as an ambassador for this year’s tournament. The first-team goalkeeper will be present at the closing ceremony to present trophies to the winners and runners-up in each category.

 

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Exciting moment

One of the most eagerly anticipated moments for all participants is when their academies or camps are announced. Each team chooses a song in advance to accompany their presentation to the rest of the participants, making it a key moment to introduce themselves to the wider Barça Academy family. The most sung song of all, however, was the Barça anthem, performed by all participants to bring the opening ceremony of the 13th Barça Academy World Cup to a close.

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The event also featured the presence of the blaugrana mascot CAT, who was warmly received by everyone, as well as the 'giants' of the Agrupació Cultural Folklòrica de Sant Feliu de Llobregat and the Capgrossos of Molins de Rei. A group of dancers also performed, along with a freestyle footballer who amazed the crowd with his skills.

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