Major League Soccer and MLS NEXT today announced the broadcast schedule for the 2024 Generation adidas Cup, the premier international youth tournament featuring representation from every MLS academy and 49 different club academies from a record-breaking 15 countries spanning four different continents. A total of 80 teams, 40 in each age group (U-17 and U-15), will compete at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., from March 30 – April 7.
Philadelphia Union Academy's U-17 Group Stage opener against Liga MX's Atlas F.C. will be part of the broadcast with kick off set for 4:30PM ET on Saturday, March 30th. The following day, Peter McDonnell's side will face off against FC Cincinnati before concluding group play on Monday, April 1st against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. All U17s matches will kick off at 4:30PM ET.
After finishing as runners-up in 2023, the U-15s kick off their tournament against Belgian side K.R.C. Genk on Saturday, March 30th and then host Academy rival FC Dallas 24 hours later. The group wraps up with the Boys in Blue battling Inter Miami CF on Monday, April 1st.
Overall, 28 Generation adidas games, including championship matches in both age groups, will stream live on MLS Season Pass, the subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer on the Apple TV app, available in more than 100 countries and regions. 12 group play matches will feature MLS academies against international clubs in the U-15 and U-17 age groups. The remaining games will include select Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matchups, along with all Semi-Final, and Championship matches. The finals of the consolation bracket (Premier Finals) will also stream on MLS Season Pass.
In the 15th edition of the tournament, the 2024 Generation adidas Cup will see a record 19 different international clubs competing in the U-17 and U-15 age groups. Notably, the tournament will include clubs from four different continents – Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Among the prestigious clubs participating, 2023 UEFA Youth League champions AZ Alkmaar (U-17) and 24-time Eredivisie winners PSV (U-17) will be the first teams from the Netherlands to compete in the tournament. Other international clubs participating include Arsenal FC (U-15), Manchester United FC (U-15), River Plate (U-17), Sporting Clube de Portugal (U-15), and more.
Competition Structure
Forty teams, organized into 10 groups of four, will compete in each of the two age groups. Group draws will be random, utilizing buckets categorized by division for MLS academies, while international clubs will be drawn randomly. Sixteen teams will advance to the single-elimination championship bracket—comprising the 10 group winners and the top-six second-place finishers. The next-best 16 teams will enter a consolation bracket, with the final eight teams competing in consolation groups to provide more competitive matches.
All teams competing in the 2024 Generation adidas Cup are guaranteed to play seven 60-minute matches, comprised of two 30-minute halves. The championship matches in both age groups will be extended to 70-minute matches. All contests that are tied at the end of regulation will go directly to a penalty-kick shootout.
