Future Cup

The Future Cup (officially known as the ABN AMRO Future Cup, and previously known as the AEGON Future Cup) is an annual friendly international youth tournament which is organized by the Dutch football club AFC Ajax.[1] The tournament is created for under-17 youth teams, and is held at De Toekomst, every year during the Easter weekend.[2] The tournament has been contested by some of the strongest under-17 teams in football, with FC Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich amongst the participating clubs.[3] The first five editions of the tournament were named after its main sponsor, the insurance company AEGON, before the Dutch state-owned bank ABN AMRO took over as the main sponsor of the event.[4] The tournament is broadcast on television in over 59 countries via Eredivisie Live, Eurosport and Fox Sports.[5][6][7]

ABN AMRO Future Cup
Founded2010
RegionWorldwide
Number of teams8
Current championsFC Nordsjælland (1st title)
Most successful club(s)Ajax (5 titles)
Television broadcastersESPN
Eurosport
Ziggo Sport

Qualification

8 teams participate in the Future Cup every year.[8] Since Ajax are the tournament hosts, they are automatically entered, leaving 7 additional places available in the tournament.[9] Six of the spots can be filled with a simple registration of an under-17 team from any club, while national teams are also able to register, such as the China U-17 team did when it competed in the first edition of the competition.[10] The eighth and final position is filled by the winners of the Brazilian 'Craques Mongeral AEGON Future Cup - Um Torneio do Ajax' a parallel running competition for under-17 youth teams in South America which shares the same sponsor. The winner of that tournament is automatically seeded for the Future Cup in Amsterdam the next year, completing the 8 participants in the Cup challenge.[11]

Format

The draw takes place ahead of the last home match of the Ajax first team ahead of the Future Cup.[12] The 8 teams are then divided up into two groups during halftime of this match. The opening ceremony of the tournament takes place on the Friday evening before Easter, while the first matches are played on Holy Saturday. The first two group stage matches are played for each team on this day, while the last two group stage matches are then contested on Easter Sunday.[13] The finals are played on Monday, the second Easter day. The day starts with the matches for the 7th and 8th place, which are contested by the two teams who finished bottom of their groups.[14] Afterwards the two semi-finals are played.[15] The group winners of each group compete against the second place team of the other group, and after the two semi-finals the matches for 5th and 6th place are contested against the third place team from each group.[16] The matches for 3rd and 4th place are then contested amongst the losers of the Semi-finals, which is concluded by the Cup final, deciding the 1st and 2nd place.[17] The awards and trophies are awarded directly after the Final, at which all teams and coaches are present.[18]

Finals

Statistics accurate as of ABN AMRO Future Cup 2023. [19]

YearDateWinnerResultFinalist
202310 April 2023Nordsjælland Denmark3–0Netherlands Ajax
2020–22—–Cancelled*–
201922 April 2019Juventus Italy2–1Netherlands Ajax
20182 April 2018Ajax Netherlands2–0Italy Juventus
201717 April 2017Ajax Netherlands2–0Germany Bayern Munich
201628 March 2016Arsenal England0–0 (4-3 pen.)Belgium Anderlecht
20156 April 2015Anderlecht Belgium0–0 (4-3 pen.)Netherlands Ajax
201421 April 2014Ajax Netherlands2–1England Liverpool
20131 April 2013Anderlecht Belgium2–0Netherlands Ajax
20129 April 2012Ajax Netherlands2–2 (5–3 pen.)England Manchester United
201125 April 2011Anderlecht Belgium1–0Netherlands Ajax
20105 April 2010Ajax Netherlands1–0China China U-17

Prizes

The winner of the Future Cup are obvious winners of the tournament. For this information please see the next segment below. Other prizes are however awarded in conclusion, which are handed out by prominent former and current Ajax members, with Frank de Boer, Martin Jol and Luis Suárez amongst those who have awarded the trophies.[20] The man of the tournament is selected and awarded the adidas Best player of ABN AMRO Future Cup award. Below is a list of the prize winners over the years:

YearPlayerClub:
2023Denmark Villum BerthelsenDenmark Nordsjælland
2019Belgium Anouar Ait El HadjBelgium Anderlecht
2018Netherlands Naci ÜnüvarNetherlands Ajax
2017Netherlands Ryan GravenberchNetherlands Ajax
2016Spain Riqui PuigSpain Barcelona
2015Netherlands Matthijs de LigtNetherlands Ajax
2014Netherlands Abdelhak NouriNetherlands Ajax
2013Belgium Nabil JaadiBelgium Anderlecht
2012Netherlands Queensy MenigNetherlands Ajax
2011Belgium Dennis PraetBelgium Anderlecht
2010Netherlands Davy KlaassenNetherlands Ajax

Every year the prize adidas Top Scorer of ABN AMRO Future Cup is awarded to the top-scorer of the tournament. Since the 2023 tournament, the award has been renamed the Noah Gesser Trophy in honour of the U16 Ajax talent who had died in a car accident in 2021.[21] Below is a list of the top-scorers for each year:

Year Topscorer Club Goals
2023 Switzerland Winsley Boteli Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach 4
2019 Belgium Anouar Ait El Hadj Belgium Anderlecht 4
2018 Netherlands Naci Ünüvar Netherlands Ajax 5
2014 England Oluwaseyi Ojo
Wales Harry Wilson		 England Liverpool 4
2013 Czech Republic Václav Černý
Democratic Republic of the Congo Aaron Leya Iseka		 Netherlands Ajax
Belgium Anderlecht		 3
2012 Netherlands Elton Acolatse
Brazil Ademir
Italy Marco Pinato
Turkey Alperen Doğan		 Netherlands Ajax
Brazil Desportivo
Italy Milan
Turkey Beşiktaş JK		 3
2011 South Africa Nicholas Pasifakis
United States Patrick Foss		 South Africa Ajax Cape Town
United States D.C. United		 4
2010 Germany Dominik Goßner Germany Bayern Munich 6

Statistics

Appearances and best results

Statistics accurate as of ABN AMRO Future Cup 2023.

Nr. Club Apps First App. Best result
1.Netherlands Ajax112010Winners
Belgium Anderlecht112010
Italy Juventus52015
England Arsenal22016
Denmark Nordsjælland12023
2.Germany Bayern Munich42010Runners-up
China China U-1722010
England Liverpool22010
England Manchester United12012
3.Spain Barcelona42010Third place
Portugal Benfica42013
Italy Milan32010
Japan J. League U-1722017
Portugal Porto12015
4.Brazil Fluminense12011Fourth place
Brazil São Paulo12013
Portugal Sporting CP12018
Spain Atlético Madrid12019
5.Scotland Celtic32011Fifth place
South Africa Ajax Cape Town22011
Brazil Desportivo Brasil12012
Australia Sydney FC12018
Argentina Boca Juniors12019
Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach12023
6.France Paris Saint-German42017Sixth place
England Tottenham Hotspur22013
United States D.C. United12011
Canada Toronto FC12013
Turkey Galatasaray12015
Ghana Right to Dream12016
7.Turkey Beşiktaş JK12012Seventh place
Brazil Corinthians12014
Germany Schalke 0412015
Austria Red Bull Salzburg12016
Spain Sevilla FC12018
Japan Sagan Tosu12019
England Chelsea12023
8.United States FC Dallas12010Eighth place
Turkey Fenerbahçe12014
Greece Olympiacos12016
Mexico Pachuca12023

All-time cup winners
CupsClubIn:
5Netherlands Ajax2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018
3Belgium Anderlecht2011, 2013, 2015
1England Arsenal2016
1Italy Juventus2019
1Denmark Nordsjælland2023

All-time top-scorers

Statistics accurate as of AEGON Future Cup 2023.

Nr. Player Nationality Goals Club
1.Naci Ünüvar Netherlands7Ajax
2.Dominik Goßner Germany6Bayern Munich
3.Winsley Boteli  Switzerland4Borussia Mönchengladbach
Anouar Ait El Hadj Belgium4Anderlecht
Nicholas Pasifakis South Africa4Ajax Cape Town
Patrick Foss United States4D.C. United
Oluwaseyi Ojo England4Liverpool
Harry Wilson Wales4Liverpool
9.Václav Černý Czech Republic3Ajax
Aron Leya Iseka Democratic Republic of the Congo3Anderlecht
Elton Acolatse Netherlands3Ajax
Ademir Brazil3Desportivo Brasil
Marco Pinato Italy3Milan
Alperen Doğan Turkey3Beşiktaş JK

Participation by country

The under-17 youth teams of the following clubs have participated in the Future Cup tournament in the past.

See also

References
  1. "Anderlecht winaar AEGON Future Cup". FOX Sports. Archived from the original on 30 November 2014. Retrieved 2013-11-03.
  2. "Paasweekend in teken van de AEGON Future Cup". FOX Sports. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  3. "Leren staat centraal bij AEGON Future Cup". Parool.nl. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  4. "Ajax introduceert ABN AMRO Future Cup". AjaxShowtime. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  5. "AEGON Future Cup geopend". Ajax.nl. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 2013-11-03.
  6. "AEGON Future Cup wereldwijd op TV". Ajax.nl. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  7. "2014 World Cup: Is Belgium football's coming force?". CNN. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  8. "FC Dallas Juniors Playing in AEGON Future Cup". ESPN. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  9. "AEGON Future Cup: Ajax & Bayern München". Ajax.nl. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-03.
  10. "Ajax Cape Town Finish Fifth At Future Cup". Soccer Laduma. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  11. "Responsabilidade Social no Esporte". Craques Mongeral Aegon. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 2013-11-03.
  12. "Wim Jonk opent AEGON Future Cup". Ajax.nl. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 2013-11-03.
  13. "Ajax B1 na drie zeges groepswinnaar op Future Cup". Ajaxlife. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  14. "Aegon Future Cup Wrap Up". TorontoFC.ca. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  15. "AEGON Future Cup: Uitslag van Poulefase". Ajax1.nl. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  16. "Anderlecht defeat Ajax to clinch Aegon Future Cup". Goal.com. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  17. "Young Reds through to final". manutd.com. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  18. "AEGON Future Cup mooi meetmoment". Ajax.nl. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  19. "Uitslagen AEGON Future Cup". AEGON - Hoofdsponsor van Ajax. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  20. "Klaassen uitgeroepen tot beste speler". Ajax.nl. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  21. "FC Nordsjælland wint Future Cup". Ajax.nl. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
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