The international Barça Academy World Cup celebrates its twelfth edition in 2025. This year, all five continents will be represented, with Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania (through the Barça Academy Camps in Australia and New Zealand) showcasing how the blaugrana spirit reaches every corner of the world. Over the four days of competition on the football pitches of the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, Col·legi Sant Ignasi and Camp Municipal del Barri Centre de Sant Joan Despí, 179 teams will take part in a total of 664 matches.

Around 2,000 boys and girls aged 6 to 16 will be taking part, figures close to the all-time record of the 2019 World Cup, when the 2,000 barrier was broken. This edition sees teams representing a total of 38 Barça Academies and Barça Academy Camps from around the globe.

Top ambassadors

The twelfth edition of the Barça Academy World Cup will feature star ambassadors. Marc Casadó and Pau Víctor, both first-team players, will act as this year's patrons, while Vicky López will represent Barça Femení. In the previous edition, Pau Cubarsí and Mariona Caldentey were the ambassadors, and in past years, renowned players such as Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Gerard Piqué, Rafinha, and Èric Garcia have also been part of this select group.

Thirds girls tournament

This year’s edition will also feature 16 girls' teams representing various Barça Academies worldwide in the third edition of the female tournament. They will compete in two categories (Under-12 and Under-14) with participation growing from 10 teams, 100 players and six Academies to 16 teams, over 170 participants, and representation from 11 Barça Academies.

11-a-side

Following the success of last season, the 11-a-side football format will once again be used in the Under-16 category. Over 160 boys from ten teams will compete to win the second 11-a-side edition of the Barça Academy World Cup.

Global reach

Barça currently has 28 Barça Academies operating across three continents. There are nine projects in Europe and the Middle East, ten in the Asia-Pacific region, and nine in the Americas. The United States and Japan, with six academies each, are the countries with the highest number of Barça Academies. Among these, Barça also runs two Barça Academy Pro centres in New York and Miami and a Barça Residency Academy in Arizona. Including the training camps held throughout the year, the Barça Academy is now present in 56 countries worldwide.

Recognition for loyalty

The Barça Academy World Cup will include a moment of recognition for those projects that have been established in their respective regions for at least 10 years. As such, the Barça Academies of Katsushika and Istanbul will have a prominent role in the competition’s opening ceremony.