International youth football tournament kicks off in Xi'an

The 2025 Xi'an International Youth Football Invitational Tournament (Phase Ⅱ) kicked off on July 17 in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

This tournament serves as a high-level competitive and cultural exchange platform for young Chinese and foreign football players, helping turn Xi'an into a key football city and boosting the development of youth football.

The tournament adopts a "group stage single round robin + cross qualifying" system, where the top two teams in the group will enter the 1-4 cross qualifying round to compete for the championship. The two lowest-ranked in the group will enter the 5-8 place cross qualifying round to determine the final ranking.

U14 teams from top domestic Chinese Super League clubs, Shanghai Shenhua FC and Beijing Guoan FC have been invited to participate in the tournament's phase Ⅱ. Four teams from Uzbekistan, Belarus, Australia, and Thailand will also come to Xi'an to compete with domestic teams.

Strong teams from three continents provide opportunities for young players to compete with international high-level opponents, improving the overall competitive level of the event.

The Australian team's coach said, "This competition puts the team in an elite international environment, allowing players to gain valuable experiences in football and exposing them to overseas cultures."

In addition to exciting matches, the organizing committee has also arranged a rich array of cultural experience activities, allowing participating teams to thoroughly experience the historical charm and modern vitality of Xi'an, building a bridge for multicultural exchange.