PARIS, May 13 -- A total of 250 children aged 9-13 will battle it out in Paris for the prestigious Paris Saint-Germain Academy Cup on May 15-20, the Ligue 1 champions announced on Monday.
22 teams from nine countries will face off in a tournament comprising two age categories, namely U-10/U-11 and U-12/U-13.
The group phases will be held on Thursday and Friday, followed by the final rounds on Saturday and then the grand final in each category at the Marcel Bec Complex in Meudon.
"More than 12,000 children around the world attend our football academies year round. For the last five years now, the Paris Saint-Germain Academy Cup has become an eagerly awaited date on the calendar.
"There is a lot of enthusiasm for it among children, parents and coaches. They appreciate how seriously we take our sport, the dynamic nature of the program, and the emphasis we put on sharing, values and intercultural exchange," said PSG Academy Program Director Nadia Benmokhtar.
The 250 young participants will have the chance to visit the Parc des Princes and the French capital's historic landmarks. They will attend PSG's home match against Dijon on Saturday and be invited to take a lap of honor of the Parc des Princes pitch just a few minutes before kick-off.