Introduction and History of the Manchester United Premier Cup

In 1993 NIKE formed the NIKE International Premier Cup with a vision of allowing under-14/15 soccer teams in Europe to play other teams of similar skill level and of promoting a greater participation in youth soccer. Over a decade later, the participants of that inaugural tournament have come of age. So too has the now called Manchester United Premier Cup, evolving in its young history from a European tournament into a global event encompassing a canvas as broad as the appeal of the game itself.

The Manchester United Premier Cup is the largest international youth football tournament in the world, involving over 6,000 teams from over 40 countries. But, the Manchester United Premier Cup is about more than mere numbers. It is about engendering in the youth of today the desire to become the heroes of tomorrow. It is about promoting the cause of youth soccer and its impact extends far beyond the fortunate few who make it to the Cup final. Its reach extends to the thousands of local teams and programs that exist because of the dream of reaching that final.

In the United States, the Manchester United Premier Cup has drawn the most competitive U14/U15 teams across the nation and as a result US Soccer has taken notice. Over the past 8 years US Soccer has had staff coaches on hand to scout players for the U14 National Team programs. Many players who participated in the Manchester United Premier Cup have gone on to be fixtures among the various United States National Teams.

The first ever Boys World Finals were held in 1997, in Cape Town, South Africa. Since then, the Boys World Finals has taken place in Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin and Lisbon. In 2003 the boys World Finals took place in July right here in the United States at the headquarters of NIKE in Beaverton, Oregon. A large crowd was treated to a thrilling final that saw Corinthians from Brazil beat FC Porto from Portugal. That same crowd was then treated to a training session from the world’s most famous soccer club - Manchester United. In 2004, the Boys World Finals took place at the club the tournament is named for – Manchester United – where Manchester United lost a closely contested match to cross town rival Manchester City in the final! In 2005, the boys World Final took place in Asia, in Hong Kong. In 2006, the World Finals returned to its home again in Manchester. Ohio FC Mutiny, which beat the Dallas Texans in the U.S. Final, represented the U.S. well at the World Finals placing 7th out of 20 teams. Chivas Guadalajara beat world famous Arsenal to stake their claim as 2006 Manchester United Premier Cup World Champions!

Teams considered the best of the best from all around the globe, including Manchester United’s U14/15 team, will meet to vie for the title of Manchester United Premier Cup World Champion! And to top it all off, Nike will pay for the flights, accommodations, transportation and meals for the US boys winner at the World Finals!

The first ever Girls NIKE Premier Cup was held in Beaverton, Oregon, USA in 1999. That year, 8 teams representing 5 countries and 3 continents competed for the first ever NIKE Premier Cup Girls World Championship. In the year 2000, the Girls World Final was again held in Beaverton, Oregon and expanded to include 12 teams representing 7 countries and 4 continents. In 2001, the NIKE Premier Cup for girls was held in Downingtown, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the FC Delco Players Cup. In 2002, the NIKE Premier Cup Girls US Finals returned to Beaverton, Oregon where it has remained for the last 4 years. In the 2006 Manchester United Premier Cup US Finals the So Cal United girls team from Southern California beat Vardar from Michigan to earn a trip to the 2006 Gothia Cup where they were crowned tournament champions for their age group!