The region’s tournament of choice returns on 17-18 February 2024 at Zayed Sports City, with over 2,000 players set to take part in the fifth edition.
The countdown is on with just one month to go until teams from around the world head to Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City for the fifth edition of the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup, set to feature over 2,000 players from more than 160 teams when play gets underway on Saturday 17 February.
Following a record-breaking 2023 tournament, which saw global interest with over 1,700 players and 6,000 fans, the 2024 edition of the Abu Dhabi Cup will welcome teams from 13 countries.
Launched in 2017, the Abu Dhabi Cup is a youth football tournament held by Manchester City FC, supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Department of Culture of Tourism, and welcomes players from all over the globe and of all abilities to Abu Dhabi, with the aim of developing and inspiring youngsters.
Following unprecedented demand, the 2024 tournament will include new teams from across the region and beyond, and new categories, including further divisions for girls’ clubs to participate in response to strong growth in the women’s game worldwide.
The tournament will take place over the weekend of 17-18 February 2024 at Zayed City Sports Stadium, the UAE’s largest multi-purpose sports venue and the home to the Abu Dhabi Cup, as well as the recently launched Abu Dhabi League to inspire the next generation of sporting stars in the capital.
The age categories for the 2024 tournament will be:
Boys: under 8s, under 10s, under 12s, under 14s and under 16s
Girls: under 12s, under 14s and under 16s
Players and fans can also look forward to a thrilling weekend on and off the pitch, with fun activities in the City village at Zayed Sports City, including a variety of the UAE’s favourite food stops and more.
Simon Hewitt, City Football Group Head of Football MENA, said: “We are counting down the days until we welcome all teams from around the world to this year’s Abu Dhabi Cup, in what we hope will be the best edition of the competition to date.
“The global interest from international teams, as well as from clubs in the UAE, continues to grow year-on-year, with more players, teams and countries participating than ever before. The inclusivity of our tournament allows players of all ages and abilities to take part in a fun, safe environment with silverware up for grabs for our winners. We look forward to seeing all of the teams in Abu Dhabi in just a few weeks’ time.”
The tournament offers teams of all abilities the chance to compete, have fun and win with several tournaments in one – The City Cup, The City Shield, The City Trophy and The City Plate.
The City Cup winning teams from each age group are automatically entered into a live draw to win an all-expense paid, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Manchester.
For more information on this year’s tournament, please visit @abudhabicup on Instagram or https://www.mancity.com/city-football-schools/abu-dhabi-cup.