Premier League powerhouses Manchester United, West Ham, Spurs and Brighton & Hove Albion have learned their group stage rivals for the 2025 Budget Energy SuperCupNI’s Boys’ Premier, Junior and Minor Sections.
The much-anticipated draw was orchestrated by football legend David Jeffrey MBE, former manager of Linfield and Ballymena United, at the Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart, setting the scene for another top-tier summer of international youth football.
Now in its 42nd year, the globally acclaimed Budget Energy SuperCupNI will kick off from Sunday 27th July to Friday 1st August 2025. The tournament will host 62 of the world’s most esteemed Boys’ and Girls’ academies, along with top-tier teams from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
In the Boys’ Premier Section, seven-time winners Manchester United find themselves in Group C, squaring off against Scottish Premiership titans Rangers, West Cork Academy and County Tyrone.
Defending champions Brighton & Hove Albion will start their title defence in Group A, which includes Country Armagh — the team they bested in a thrilling penalty shootout in the 2024 Final — as well as Intercontinental FA and County Down.
Making their tournament debut, AFC Bournemouth will finally step onto the SuperCupNI pitch in Group B, where they’ll face off against County Fermanagh, Hamilton Academical and Tigres UNAL.
Southampton are poised for their inaugural SuperCupNI endeavour, with County Londonderry, County Antrim, and Japan’s Ichifuna lined up as their Group D adversaries.
Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Tanya Stirling lauded the tournament, commenting: “The Budget Energy SuperCupNI is a flagship event for the Borough that brings world-class youth football to Causeway Coast and Glens while delivering significant economic and community benefits.”
She expressed enthusiasm about the standard of participating teams: “The calibre of teams revealed is fantastic and we look forward to welcoming players, coaches, supporters and international visitors to our spectacular coastline for what promises to be a thrilling and unforgettable week of football.”
In the Boys’ Junior Section, West Ham United defend their title, aspiring to be the first club to clinch three back-to-back Junior titles. The Hammers will face competition in Group D from County Down, St Patrick’s Athletic, and Plymouth Argyle.
Over a decade since they last participated, Tottenham Hotspur are making a much-anticipated comeback, pitted in Group B against the likes of County Antrim, County Londonderry, and Charlton Athletic.
Meanwhile, Scottish giants Celtic are gearing up for an intriguing engagement in Group C, set to battle it out with County Fermanagh, Bohemians, and Chicago City, whereas Championship side Blackburn Rovers is prepped for a challenge in Group A, taking on County Armagh, County Tyrone, and Crewe Alexandra.
David Jeffrey MBE, the esteemed former Linfield and Ballymena United manager, has lauded the Budget Energy SuperCupNI for its exceptional global standing. He remarked: “The Budget Energy SuperCupNI is a tournament with an extraordinary global reputation and this year’s line-up across all three Boys’ Sections is packed with some of the biggest names in youth football.”
Jeffrey highlighted the international allure of the event, saying, “To have clubs of this calibre travelling from around the world, from Premier League academies to top teams from the USA, Japan, Mexico and beyond, alongside the very best of our local talent competing shoulder to shoulder with global opposition, is a real testament to the tournament’s standing and the remarkable work of the organisers.”
He praised the SuperCupNI for showcasing the essence of football, stating, “The SuperCupNI continues to capture everything that’s great about the game: talent, opportunity, and global reach. It’s no surprise that so many world-class players, including Sergio Busquets, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford and Hirving Lozano, alongside homegrown stars like Conor Bradley, Jonny Evans and Steven Davis, began their journey here.”
Expressing his pride in contributing to this year’s event, Jeffrey said, “I’ve no doubt this year’s competition will once again shine a light on the stars of tomorrow. It’s been an honour to play a small part in this year’s draw, and I look forward to seeing the action unfold this summer.”
In a nod to the tournament’s competitive spirit, he noted the return of Leeds United to the Boys’ Minor Section, where they’ll face off against Cliftonville, Loughgall and Surf Select in Group C, marking their first appearance since clinching the Premier Section title two decades ago.
Blackburn Rovers, renowned for their top-tier English academy, are set to compete in Group D alongside Shankill Juniors, Coleraine and IDA Bermuda.
Scottish Premiership outfits Kilmarnock and Ross County have found themselves pencilled into Groups B and A. Kilmarnock will go head-to-head with Linfield, Glenavon and the Sheikh Mansour-backed Al Jazira Club, while Ross County is bracing for battles against reigning champs Crusaders, Ballymena United and Shamrock Rovers.
Victor Leonard, the Chairperson of the Budget Energy SuperCupNI, expressed his delight: “We’re incredibly proud of the line-up for this year’s tournament, it’s one of the most exciting we’ve ever assembled. The draw has delivered some fantastic match-ups across all three Boys’ Sections and it’s shaping up to be an action-packed week of thrilling football, great goals, and memorable moments.”
He continued to celebrate the event’s appeal: “As organisers, we take huge pride in welcoming world-renowned clubs and rising teams from around the world, alongside the very best of our local talent. That mix is what makes the Budget Energy SuperCupNI so unique, and we can’t wait to see it all come to life this summer.”
Leonard also praised the enduring interest in the competition: “To sustain and grow this level of international interest over four decades is a real credit to the dedication of our tournament team, our partners, and the footballing community that continues to support us year after year. We look forward to welcoming players, coaches and supporters for what promises to be another special chapter in the SuperCupNI story.”
The 2025 Budget Energy SuperCupNI is proudly backed by its main partner, Budget Energy, and a host of esteemed partners. These include Tourism NI, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Sterling Insurance, Creagh Concrete, Uhlsport, Clearer Water, Tesco, The Premier League, TrustFord, 247.tv and BuyTicketApp.
