AC CUP adds another weekend: 2-4 July at Lezama
AC CUP adds another weekend: 2-4 July at Lezama
Athletic Club’s youth football tournament will now include a weekend with a stronger international presence in addition to its two weeks in June: four age groups, every match at Lezama and a tour of San Mamés and the museum
AC CUP keeps growing. The fifth edition of Athletic Club’s youth football tournament will have three dates in 2027: on top of the two weeks in June (from 1 to 6 and from 8 to 13) we'll have weekend of competition from Friday 2 July to Sunday 4, designed for visiting teams and for a stronger international presence.
This new date answers an interest that has kept multiplying. In the first four editions, AC CUP has welcomed overseas clubs from 10 countries, and in 2026 alone teams from France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Greece, Ukraine and the United States competed in Bizkaia. Since 2023, 20,106 players and 1,422 teams from 343 different clubs have played the tournament in front of more than 78,000 spectators.
The July weekend is the same tournament, but packed into three days at a single venue, with every match to played at Lezama, Athletic Club’s training ground.
Three days at Athletic Club’s home
Lezama is the home of a club like no other, one that only fields homegrown players. The tournament will take place there, on the pitches that form Athletic's academy, with no travel needed between matches and Bilbao Airport just 13 minutes away by car.
- Friday 2 July: arrival, welcome packs handed out and first round of matches.
- Saturday 3 July: full group stage, with matches in the morning and in the afternoon.
- Sunday 4 July: knockouts, finals and awards ceremony. The tournament ends at 17:00.
Four age groups, from U9 to U16
The July weekend brings together four age groups, each covering two birth years:
- U9-U10 (born 2017 and 2018): 7-a-side, boys and girls.
- U11-U12 (born 2015 and 2016): 7-a-side, boys and girls.
- U13-U14 (born 2013 and 2014): 11-a-side, boys and girls.
- U15-U16 (born 2011 and 2012): 11-a-side, boys.
Up to U14, boys and girls play in the same team.
The format
Every team has four guaranteed matches: three in the group stage (groups of four, round robin) and one more in the knockout phase, split into a gold bracket (1st and 2nd in each group) and a silver bracket (3rd and 4th). 11-a-side matches are played in two halves of 25 minutes, and 7-a-side matches in two halves of 20. Fixtures, live results and standings can be followed on the official AC CUP app.
San Mamés and its museum, included
As in the June weeks, every team will visit San Mamés and the Athletic Club Museum, including the dressing rooms and the tunnel. The tour is included in the registration, together with the AC CUP welcome pack (gymsack, cap, reusable water bottle and medal), accident insurance, referees and medical assistance at the venue.
Accommodation for the whole travelling party
For clubs that travel, the organisers offer full-board stays of two to four nights, and tailor-made options for those who want to extend their trip. Early July is the best week of the year to discover the Basque Country: the tournament ends on Sunday at 17:00, and Lezama is 17 minutes from Bilbao, 25 from Bizkaia's beaches, 40 from Gaztelugatxe and Urdaibai, and just over an hour from San Sebastián.
Play at Athletic Club’s home. Experience the Basque Country.
Places for the July weekend are limited and are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Interested clubs can now request a quote and download the dossier at accup.eus. Registration for the two weeks in June remains open.