From August 15 to August 19, Moscow will host the UTLC CUP, an annual international youth football tournament that brings together eight elite academies from Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Serbia. The event is organized to showcase young talents on an international stage and to highlight the strength of youth development programs across these countries, with the competition receiving official press coverage.
On August 6, organizers announced the participant list. The lineup includes Alexey Grom, Managing Director of UTLC ERA JSC, Boris Rotenberg, head of the Moscow Lokomotiv Youth Football Development Department, former Railways players, and a number of players with experience in the Russian national team, including Dmitry Sennikov and Ruslan Pimenov, who are expected to bring leadership and competitive insight to their teams.
Eight teams, all born in 2009, were seeded into two groups as follows:
Group A features CSKA (Russia), Fatih Karagümrük (Turkey), Red Star (Serbia), and Dinamo Minsk (Belarus).
Group B comprises Lokomotiv (Russia), Fenerbahçe (Turkey), Zenit (Russia), and Astana (Kazakhstan).
Competition matches will take place at Sapsan Arena, with the UTLC CUP final to be contested at the RZD Arena on August 19.
Past winners of this tournament have included Barcelona, Red Star, Sparta and Lokomotiv, a lineage that underscores the event’s prestige in youth football circles.
“This is a significant tournament with excellent organizational support. It adds depth to youth football and offers a clear opportunity to assess our players on an international stage and compare the training systems,” commented Ruslan Pimenov, reflecting the broader value of the event for clubs, coaches, and young athletes alike.
The event serves as a platform where young players can display their best attributes, gain exposure to higher levels of competition, and potentially earn recognition that could shape their futures in the sport.