Palace Academy to take part in PL Next Generation Cup 2024

Announcement

31 Jul 2024

A Crystal Palace U19s side will take part in the Premier League Next Generation Cup, a pre-season tournament designed to test young sides against international opposition.

The Next Generation Cup is returning this summer as teams from England, India and South Africa come together for an exciting tournament hosted by the Premier League.

Taking place from Thursday, 1st August through til Sunday, 4th August, the competition will see Palace’s young talent take on those from the Indian Super League and the South Africa Premier Soccer League.

The fifth edition of the Next Gen Cup will welcome eight Academy teams, including Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, who have been confirmed as the four clubs who will be representing the Premier League.

They will be joined by East Bengal FC, Muthoot FA, Winners Punjab FC from India and Stellenbosch FC from South Africa.

Last year, the Next Generation Cup was played in India, with Wolverhampton Wanderers beating Stellenbosch in the final. Palace previously competed in the 2022 edition and finished in third place.

Palace's fixtures

Thursday, 1st August: Crystal Palace v East Bengal FC (15:00)
Friday, 2nd August: Muthoot FA v Crystal Palace (10:00)
Saturday, 3rd August: Crystal Palace v Stellenbosch FC (15:00)
Sunday, 4th August: TBC

All times BST. Highlights of all of our games will be available on Palace TV+.

Next Generation Cup format and history

The competition will run over four match rounds, held at Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Training Ground, with two groups of four clubs playing each other before proceeding to a final fixture based on table positions to close the tournament.

This will be held at Loughborough University Stadium, where this year’s winners will be crowned.

All matches will be 11-a-side and will be 50 minutes long, with two 25-minute halves being played in each fixture. Penalties will also be taken after the game is concluded, regardless of the score, and the winner will be awarded an extra point.

As well as giving the young Indian and South Africa footballers the chance to play in the UK against English academy teams, the Premier League and its clubs will also provide knowledge-sharing workshops.

The Next Gen Cup is part of the Premier League’s long-standing partnership with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), part of the Indian Super League.

The relationship supports the player-development journey of those involved, enabling them to have new cultural experiences and make friends with other young players from different countries.

The agreement with FSDL also sees the Premier League provide the Indian Super League with broader support for the development of the game in India.

This includes elite coaching and referee development and the sharing of knowledge and expertise in all areas of the elite game, including governance, talent development, commercial growth, administration and wider community development.

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