LALIGA FC FUTURES lands in Saudi Arabia for the first time with a brand new tournament

LALIGA FC FUTURES, the tournament aimed at the youth academies of LALIGA teams, will be played for the first time in Saudi Arabia, specifically at the Mahd Sports Academy in Riyadh from March 1st to 3rd. The 1st LALIGA FC FUTURES U14 International Tournament will include many new features compared to other similar tournaments organised by LALIGA and will be staged in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sports. For the first time, the players who form part of the teams will be in the U14 category and will play in an 11-a-side format.

The choice of Saudi Arabia as a destination is due to the rapid growth of the country, which has seen it emerge as a hub of sporting and cultural activities in the current football scene over recent years. Football is the most played and followed sport in the country, with the highest level of participation among the under 30s, as well as there being a strong historical connection between LALIGA and Saudi Arabia: for more than 15 years LALIGA matches have been followed by millions of football fans across the country, Saudi footballers have played in Spain, and Spanish players have played in the Saudi league, plus Saudi Arabia now has more than six official supporters clubs for LALIGA teams.

The tournament will feature 12 clubs: 8 LALIGA EA SPORTS teams, plus AS Roma (Italy), SL Benfica (Portugal), Olympique de Marseille (France) and Mahd Academy (Saudi Arabia). They will be divided into three groups: Mahd Academy, FC Barcelona, AS Roma and Cadiz CF (Group A); Atlético de Madrid, Olympique de Marseille, Sevilla FC and Villarreal CF (Group B) and Real Betis, Valencia CF, SL Benfica and CA Osasuna (Group C).

Matches will start on 1st March at 09:30 (local time) and on 2nd March at 10:00 (local time), with the quarter-finals being played on Saturday at 17:00 (local time). The semi-finals will start at 10:00 on Sunday and the tournament will end with the Final at 17:00.

The tournament can be seen on LALIGA+, LALIGA's OTT, as well as on GOL PLAY, Dazn and LALIGA TV Bar. You can also stream the tournament on LALIGA's social media channels (Facebook, X, Twitch, TikTok and YouTube) and follow the latest news using the hashtag #LALIGAFCFUTURES.