Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup
 | |
| Organiser(s) | FIFA (since 1991) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 |
| Region | International |
| Teams | Men: 10 Women: 6 |
| Current champions | Men:  Zürich (6th title)Women:  Vancouver Whitecaps (1st title) |
| Most championships | Men:  Manchester United (18 titles)Women: Vancouver Whitecaps VfL Wolfsburg Young Boys Zürich(1 title each) |
| Website | Official website |
 2024 Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup | |
Founded by FC Blue Stars, Blue Stars Zürich Youth Cup[1] is an international youth club football tournament. The Zürich-based club were one of the first to have a separate youth section. This youth section expanded to include a tournament involving the best youth teams in the world. Recognising its importance to youth football, FIFA took over the 'Blue Stars Tournament' in 1991[2], before re-branding it in 1995 as the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup[3].
The women's tournament started in 2018. Young Boys women team won the first edition.[4]
The tournament was under the patronage of FIFA until 2024. After a one-year hiatus the tournament will take place again in 2026 as the Blue Stars Zurich Youth Cup.[5]
Games are played in two 20-minute halves (25 for the final), only players between 18 and 20 years may participate. However, each team may have up to five players under the age of 18 feature. It is held on Ascension Thursday and the following day at the Buchlern sports stadium in Zürich.[6]
Performance by club
[edit]Men
[edit]| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United |
18 | 7 | 1954, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 2004, 2005 | 1955, 1964, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1991, 1994 |
| Grasshopper |
7 | 6 | 1939, 1956, 1971, 1987, 1998, 2006, 2016 | 1949, 1946, 1996, 2001, 2009, 2012 |
| Zürich |
6 | 9 | 1946, 1949, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2023 | 1953, 1961, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2024 |
| Basel |
3 | 2 | 1997, 2009, 2022 | 1951, 2008 |
| Young Fellows Zürich |
3 | — | 1941, 1942, 1953 | — |
 Barcelona |
3 | — | 1993, 1994, 1995 | — |
 Boca Juniors |
3 | — | 2002, 2010, 2019 | — |
 Austria Wien |
2 | — | 1947, 1948 | — |
| Arsenal |
2 | — | 1963, 1964 | — |
 Milan |
2 | — | 1958, 1977 | — |
 Spartak Moscow |
2 | — | 1991, 1992 | — |
 São Paulo |
2 | — | 1999, 2000 | — |
| Roma |
2 | — | 1980, 2003 | — |
| Aarau |
1 | 3 | 1943 | 1942, 1944, 1948 |
 Benfica |
1 | 3 | 1996 | 1997, 2014, 2019 |
| Atalanta |
1 | 1 | 1974 | 1970 |
| Grêmio |
1 | 1 | 2001 | 2002 |
 Partizan |
1 | 1 | 2007 | 1990 |
| Winterthur |
1 | — | 1940 | — |
| Servette |
1 | — | 1944 | — |
| Örlikon |
1 | — | 1945 | — |
| Wiener Sport-Club |
1 | — | 1950 | — |
 Strasbourg |
1 | — | 1951 | — |
| Birmingham City |
1 | — | 1952 | — |
| Genoa |
1 | — | 1955 | — |
| 1860 Munich |
1 | — | 1967 | — |
| Young Boys |
1 | — | 1970 | — |
| Lausanne-Sport |
1 | — | 1972 | — |
| Borussia Dortmund |
1 | — | 1973 | — |
| Inter Milan |
1 | — | 1983 | — |
| Chelsea |
1 | — | 1984 | — |
| Cremonese |
1 | — | 1985 | — |
 Celtic |
1 | — | 1986 | — |
 FK Sarajevo |
1 | — | 1988 | — |
| Nottingham Forest |
1 | — | 1989 | — |
| Real Madrid |
1 | — | 1990 | — |
| Porto |
1 | — | 2011 | — |
| Atlético Paranaense |
1 | — | 2014 | — |
| FC Luzern |
1 | — | 2015 | — |
| Lyon |
1 | — | 2017 | — |
 Dinamo Zagreb |
1 | — | 2018 | — |
| RB Salzburg |
1 | — | 2024 | — |
| Mainz |
— | 1 | — | 2022 |
| Corinthians |
— | 1 | — | 2023 |
Women
[edit]| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Boys |
1 | 1 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Wolfsburg |
1 | — | 2019 | — |
| Zürich |
1 | — | 2022 | — |
| Vancouver Whitecaps |
1 | — | 2023 | — |
| Arsenal |
1 | — | 2024 | — |
| Basel |
— | 2 | — | 2023, 2024 |
| Valencia |
— | 1 | — | 2018 |
| Lyon |
— | 1 | — | 2022 |
Total wins by country
[edit]| Nation | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland |
28 | 21 | 2022, 2023 | 2019, 2023 |
| England |
23 | 7 | 2005 | 1994 |
| Italy |
8 | 2003 | ||
| Spain |
5 | 1995 | 2018 | |
| Brazil |
4 | 1 | 2014 | 2023 |
| Argentina |
3 | 2019 | ||
| Germany |
3 | 1 | 2019 | 2022 |
| Croatia |
1 | 2018 | ||
| Austria |
3 | 1950 | ||
| France |
2 | 1 | 2017 | 2022 |
| Portugal |
2 | 3 | 2011 | 2019 |
| Russia |
2 | 1992 | ||
| Bosnia |
1 | 1988 | ||
| Canada |
1 | 2023 | ||
| Serbia |
1 | 1 | 2007 | 1990 |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Home - FIFA Youth Cup". youthcup.ch. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ↑ "Youth showpiece's illustrious history". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 April 2010. Archived from the original on 25 July 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ↑ "Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup 2024: teams and groups confirmed".
- ↑ "BSC Young Boys women win inaugural women's title". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ↑ "Blue Stars Zurich Youth Cup returns in 2026". blue News. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ↑ "Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup preview". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 8 May 2018. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ↑ "Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on June 18, 2001. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ↑ "Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 April 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
