The headlines must have been shocking for many as how can top clubs of the world play against two Indian sides, a country whose football does not even come within the top 50 of the FIFA ranking, right? Well, it is not fake, yes teams like Everton and West Ham are going to play against Indian sides but it's going to be a youth affair, where youth players of the clubs are going to face each other in a tournament called Reliance Foundation Next Gen Cup an initiative by Reliance, Premier League and South African Premier Division. An initiative to test youth players of India against the bests of the world and assess accordingly the level of youth development within the country.
This tournament was founded in 2020 and this is the third edition of the tournament. Last year Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blaster FC qualified for Next Gen Cup and they played in Europe against top Premier League sides. Though the results are better to be forgotten but was a great experience for the Indian players and a few of them this season have successfully booked their spot in the first team for their respective sides.
(Mohun Bagan hold West Ham into a draw in their 1st match)
This season the tournament is being held in India at Reliance Corporate Park in Mumbai where Premier League sides such as Everton, West Ham, and Wolves would be participating with their Youth team and Indian sides such as Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, Sudeva Delhi FC, and RFYC would be taking part with their youth teams as well along with another club from South Africa.
This year the tournament kicks off on 17th May and every year this would be a test for the progress of Indian Football's Youth development. Do you think the Indian Clubs can surprise us all?
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