The Under-20 Intercontinental Cup (Spanish: Sub-20 Intercontinental, Portuguese: Intercontinental de Sub-20) is a football match organised by CONMEBOL and UEFA. The match is contested by the winners of the South American and European youth club competitions, the U-20 Copa Libertadores and UEFA Youth League, respectively.[1][2] Organised as an annual one-off match, it is a youth competition equivalent to the former Intercontinental Cup, which featured the senior club champions of Europe and South America. The competition was launched in 2022 as part of a renewed partnership between CONMEBOL and UEFA. Portuguese side Benfica won the first edition in 2022.
 | |
| Organising bodies | CONMEBOL UEFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| Region | South America Europe |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Current champions |  Flamengo (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) |  Benfica Boca Juniors Flamengo(1 title each) |
| Website | (UEFA) (Conmebol) |
History
editOn 12 February 2020, UEFA and CONMEBOL signed a renewed memorandum of understanding meant to enhance cooperation between the two organisations. As part of the agreement, a joint UEFA–CONMEBOL committee examined the possibility of staging European–South American intercontinental matches, for both men's and women's football and across various age groups.[3] On 15 December 2021, UEFA and CONMEBOL again signed a renewed memorandum of understanding lasting until 2028, which included specific provisions on opening a joint office in London and the potential organisation of various football events.[4]
The official opening of the Joint UEFA and CONMEBOL Representation Office was held on 4 April 2022, where representatives of both confederations and Uruguayan club Peñarol met to agree on the creation of the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup.[5][6] This was confirmed by Peñarol on 25 April 2022 after another meeting between representatives of UEFA, CONMEBOL and the Peñarol club in Nyon, Switzerland prior to the 2021–22 UEFA Youth League final.[7][8]
On 2 June 2022, the day after staging the 2022 Finalissima, CONMEBOL and UEFA officially announced a series of new events between teams from the two confederations. This included the first Under-20 Intercontinental Cup, a match between the winners of South America's U-20 Copa Libertadores, an under-20 competition, and the winners of Europe's UEFA Youth League, an under-19 competition. The first winners of the competition were Portuguese club Benfica, winners of the 2021–22 UEFA Youth League, who defeated South American side Peñarol, winners of the 2022 U-20 Copa Libertadores, after a 1–0 victory at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay.[9]
Winners
edit| Ed. | Year | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
2022 | Benfica
|
1–0 |  Peñarol
|
Estadio Centenario | Montevideo, Uruguay | 40,579 |
2 |
2023 | Boca Juniors
|
1–1 (4–1 p) |  AZ
|
La Bombonera | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 37,386 |
3 |
2024 | Flamengo
|
2–1 |  Olympiacos
|
Maracanã | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 31,237 |
Performances
editBy club
edit| Club | Title(s) | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benfica
|
1 | 0 | 2022 | — |
| Boca Juniors
|
1 | 0 | 2023 | — |
| Flamengo
|
1 | 0 | 2024 | — |
| Peñarol
|
0 | 1 | — | 2022 |
| AZ
|
0 | 1 | — | 2023 |
| Olympiacos
|
0 | 1 | — | 2024 |
By nation
edit| Nation | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina
|
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Brazil
|
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Portugal
|
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Greece
|
0 | 1 | 1 |
| Netherlands
|
0 | 1 | 1 |
| Uruguay
|
0 | 1 | 1 |
By confederation
edit| Confederation | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| CONMEBOL | 2 | 1 |
| UEFA | 1 | 2 |
See also
edit- Intercontinental Cup (football)
- UEFA–CONMEBOL MoU
- Finalissima
- Women's Finalissima
- Futsal Finalissima
- UEFA–CONMEBOL Club Challenge
- Under-20 Intercontinental Cup
References
edit- ^ "Under-20 Intercontinental Cup 2022, Peñarol vs Benfica: All you need to know". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- ^ "Todo lo que debes saber de la Sub-20 Intercontinental". conmebol.com (in Spanish). Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ "UEFA and CONMEBOL renew Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ "UEFA and CONMEBOL renew and extend Memorandum of Understanding". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ Marcano Vázquez, Ignacio (4 April 2022). "UEFA y CONMEBOL probarán en categoría juvenil la posible vuelta de la Copa Intercontinental" [UEFA and CONMEBOL will test the possible return of the Intercontinental Cup in the youth category] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Se confirmó la primera edición de la Copa Intercontinental Sub 20" [The first edition of the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup was confirmed] (in Spanish). Doble Amarilla. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Peñarol jugará la final Intercontinental sub-20 en el Estadio Centenario" (in Spanish). DSports. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "Peñarol y Benfica jugarán la final Intercontinental Sub-20 en agosto" (in Spanish). ESPN. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "UEFA and CONMEBOL launch new intercontinental events". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.