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The teams and groups for the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup 2023 have been confirmed, with a host of exciting encounters lined up for the Zurich tournament, which is set to take place May 17/18.
The competition’s first-round format sees the teams split into two four-team groups in both male and female sections, with the top two teams from each section progressing to the last four. The two semi-final winners will then contest the final, with the losing teams doing battle in the play-off for third place.
The sides that finish third in the groups will take on one another, while the teams which finish bottom of each group will do the same.
Men’s Group A
Olympique de Marseille, FC Zürich, Academie Generation Foot, FC Basel 1893
Men’s Group B
Liverpool FC, Grasshopper Club Zürich, Corinthians Sao Paulo, FC Blue Stars Zürich
Women’s Group A
Arsenal WFC, FC Basel 1893, FC Rosengård, FC Zürich Frauen
Women’s Group B
Juventus Women, BSC YB-Frauen, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Grasshopper Club Zürich
History
Founded in 1898, FC Blue Stars are Zurich’s oldest club and one of Switzerland’s first to have their own dedicated youth system. To aid their youngsters’ development, the club hosted a tournament in 1939 that has become renowned for providing a first experience of international for some future stars.
The likes of Bobby Charlton, Helmut Haller, Xherdan Shaqiri and Pep Guardiola all travelled to the tournament in the decades that followed. FIFA assumed the patronage of the ‘Blue Stars Tournament’ in 1991, before re-branding it in 1995 as the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup.
Swiss side FC Basel will return to the 83rd edition of the event as the current holders of the men’s trophy, while the FC Zürich Frauen will look to defend the women’s title.
Manchester United, who have been represented at the tournament by the likes of Paul Scholes, David Beckham and both Gary and Phil Neville down the years, have won the trophy a record 18 times. FC Blue Stars sit second on the all-time list with seven titles won.
And while there will be plenty of familiar names on show in Zurich, this year’s competition includes two debutants too, with Académie Génération Foot from Senegal taking part in the men’s tournament and Arsenal WFC in the women’s tournament for the first time.
