Ajax
The host of the twelfth edition of Amsterdam's highly renowned youth tournament. In the history of the Future Cup, the Amsterdam-based team won the trophy five times: 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018.
During the last edition in 2023, Ajax lost in the final against FC Nordsjælland 3-0. It was the fourth consecutive final for Ajax. An interesting detail is that Ajax missed the final only once: in 2016, the final was played between Arsenal and Anderlecht. It remains the only Future Cup final without Ajax's participation.
Throughout the Future Cup, various top talents wore the Ajax shirt. In the past, players such as Davy Klaassen, Matthijs de Ligt, Ryan Gravenberch, and Abdelhak Nouri have been named Player of the Tournament.
FC Nordsjælland
The Danes are the current champions of the Future Cup. It was their second time participating in the tournament, following their debut in 2023. Their first participation became a success with four victories and one draw.
Only in the opening match against RSC Anderlecht (1-1) did the Danes not win. After that, they defeated Chelsea (4-1), Paris Saint-Germain (1-0), Juventus (1-0), and Ajax (3-0). Midfielder Villum Berthelsen was also named Player of the Tournament.
Paris Saint-Germain
The French powerhouse is also present at the twelfth edition of the Future Cup. It marks their fifth participation in the tournament. In the previous edition, they finished in sixth place after a 2-0 defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the battle for the fifth position. This improved their previous highest ranking, which was seventh place.
The most notable name from Paris Saint-Germain in the 2023 edition was Ethan Mbappé, the younger brother of Kylian Mbappé. The midfielder captained the team and scored in the match against RSC Anderlecht. He made his official debut for the first team at the age of sixteen in December of last year.
RSC Anderlecht
The Belgians reached the final four times and won the trophy thrice: in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Interestingly, Anderlecht won all the finals they played against Ajax.
In the last edition in 2023, the Belgian team made another strong attempt to reach the final. However, they ended up in third place, as Ajax proved too strong with a 2-0 victory in the semi-final. In the consolation final, Anderlecht won 2-1 against Juventus.
Several well-known players have participated in the tournament in the past, including Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet, who were once part of the Belgian selection during the Future Cup. Both players now play in England, with Tielemans at Aston Villa and Praet at Leicester City.
CF Pachuca
In the previous Future Cup, CF Pachuca participated for the first time in the prestigious tournament. During that edition, the Mexicans were placed in Group A alongside Ajax, Juventus, and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Ultimately, CF Pachuca finished in eighth place after a defeat in the battle for the seventh spot against Chelsea: 2-1.
Sporting Portugal
The Portuguese team is participating in the Future Cup for the second time in the tournament's history during the Easter weekend. In 2018, Sporting finished in fourth place after a 7-2 defeat in the battle for the third position against RSC Anderlecht.
In the group stage, Sporting beat Paris Saint-Germain and the eventual winner, Ajax, with a score of 2-0. They then lost the last group match against Sydney FC and were defeated by Juventus in the semi-final with a score of 2-1. Portuguese top clubs FC Porto and Benfica have also participated in the Future Cup in the past.
Manchester City
Like Club Athlético Paranaense, the English powerhouse is a debutant in the twelfth edition of the Future Cup. Manchester City joins a prestigious list of English teams that have been present in Amsterdam: Chelsea FC, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal.
Partizan FK
The Serbian Partizan FK is the third debutant in the 2024 edition. Never before has a club from former Ajacieden Dusan Tadic and Marko Pantelic’s country participated in the Future Cup.
