One of the Caribbean’s most anticipated annual youth football competitions is gearing up to kick off its third edition this weekend, bringing together dozens of the region’s most promising young footballers at the Buckleys Primary School Playing Field. Launching on Sunday, July 5, the week-long Antigua Cup International Youth Football Tournament will wrap up its action on July 12, with matches contested across five distinct age groups: under-9, under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-17.
Three clubs that have previously claimed Antigua’s top Premier Division titles will lead the field, sending their youth development academies to compete for the crown. Four-time top-flight champions Bassa Sports Club and Parham FC will join forces with another former Premier League winner, Villa Lions, to compete across the age categories. For Bassa, the tournament marks a key milestone in the club’s rebuilding efforts: the side has not competed in the Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) senior league for the past three seasons, and its youth squad is stepping in to replace Attackers, one of three teams that shared the under-15 championship title in 2023.
This year’s tournament has also drawn a wave of first-time participants, expanding the competition’s reach across the region. Premier Division side Pigotts Bullets is bringing its youth academy for the first time, alongside debutants CPTSA Wings, Old Road’s Young Lions program, the Soccer Academy, and Jennings FC. These new entrants will face off against returning title-holding squads, including defending under-17 champions Old Road, Cutting Edge – which currently holds titles in under-11, under-13 and the girls’ division – and joint under-15 champions Lion Cubs, as well as Nevis’s Bath United. Rounding out the full field of competitors are Empire, Earthquake, Freetown, and hosts Young Warriors FC.
Tournament organizers say they have been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response from clubs across the region, a turnout that promises a week of high-energy, high-skill competition for football fans. The event is designed to showcase the depth of emerging young talent across Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean, giving up-and-coming players a high-profile platform to display their skills.
The official opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on opening Sunday, featuring remarks from senior government and sports leaders representing the ABFA, Antigua and Barbuda’s National Olympic Committee, and the national Department of Youth. A parade of all participating teams will follow the opening addresses, before organizers present opening-day awards for three special distinctions: Best Disciplined Team, Best Dressed Team, and Best Organised Team. First round matches are set to get underway at 4 p.m. right after the ceremony, with opening fixtures in the under-9, under-11, under-13 and girls’ divisions kicking off the week of competition.