Philadelphia Union Academy in conjunction with Major League Soccer and MLS NEXT today announced Group Stage information for the U-18 and U-16 squads that will compete at Generation adidas Cup on April 12-20.
The Union Academy have won the prestigeous event four times and just last year became the first MLS side to win back-to-back GA Cup Championships at the U-17 level and will compete in the U-18 and U-16 levels. The premier international youth tournament will feature 80 teams, representing 14 countries and four continents. International powerhouses FC Bayern, Inter Milan and Palmeiras will be among the clubs competing against MLS academies at IMG Academy.
The two-time defending champions under the direction of Head Coach Peter McDonnell will see their group stage consist of Nashville SC, St. Louis CITY SC and Club Necaxa from Mexico. Philadelphia Union's U-16 team will also have a Liga MX opponent with Pedro Cavalcanti's side taking on Club America, Real Salt Lake and Tampa Bay United.
The 80 teams will be split evenly at the U18 and U16 age groups and will include four MLS NEXT Elite Academies (non-MLS academies) which qualified via their performance at MLS NEXT Fest in December 2024.
Additionally, as part of MLS NEXT’s strategic alliance with the Girls Academy, the 2025 Generation adidas Cup will feature a first-of-its-kind Girls Division. Two All-Star teams of top domestic Girls Academy prospects and two of the best international girls clubs in the world – FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City FC – will square off against one another in a round-robin tournament at the U16 age group. The historic competition will culminate in a championship match on Sunday, April 20. The East and West Girls Academy All-Star rosters will be announced at a later date and two matches will be streamed live as part of the tournament’s coverage on MLS’ YouTube page.
Twenty-eight Generation adidas games, including championship matches in both age groups, will stream live on MLS’ YouTube page. Further Generation adidas Cup broadcast details, including the announcers and schedule of streamed matches, will be announced in the lead-up to the tournament.
