BBCThousands of people have lined the streets of Coleraine for the opening parade of the Budget Energy SuperCupNI, marking the start of the youth football tournament.
This year’s event brings together 1,200 players from 62 elite boys’ and girls’ teams, including top clubs such as Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Rangers, and Celtic.
Teams from Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and Japan will also join local sides in competing in more than 150 matches across five age groups throughout the week.
Formerly known as the Milk Cup, SuperCupNI has a history of showcasing future stars, with past players including the likes of David Beckham, Sergio Busquets, and Mats Hummels.
Getty ImagesOne former star of the competition, Gareth McAuley — who went on to earn 80 caps for Northern Ireland and make more than 200 appearances for West Bromwich Albion — is this year’s guest of honour and officially opened the 2025 Budget Energy SuperCupNI at the Coleraine Showgrounds on Sunday.
A commanding centre-back in his playing days, McAuley competed in the tournament in 1994, representing the Dundonald Junior League in the boys’ junior section.
Beginning his footballing journey in the Irish League, McAuley went on to enjoy a distinguished club career with Lincoln City, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and West Brom, before finishing his playing career at Rangers.
Having made his international debut in June 2005, McAuley’s finest moment in a Northern Ireland shirt came when he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win over Ukraine at the Euro 2016 finals in France.
He is currently the manager of the Northern Ireland national under-19 football team.
McAuley told BBC News NI he was honoured to be this year’s guest of honour and knows first hand what playing in this tournament means for young people.
”I have really fond memories of this tournament, a big thing for me was playing in front of huge crowds,” McAuley said.
“I am actually still very friendly with a lot of my teammates from my time there.”
“These players will really treasure this week and it will certainly live long in their memory, like it does for me.”
‘A dedicated team behind the scenes’
Speaking to BBC News NI, Victor Leonard, chairperson of Budget Energy Super Cup NI, praised the dedicated team behind the youth football tournament, which is now in its 42nd year.
“We have a fantastic tournament management team who have been working tirelessly on this year’s event ever since last year’s tournament ended,” he said.
Mr Leonard emphasised that attracting top teams from across the globe is essential to maintaining the tournament’s reputation for developing young players.
“The quality and variety of teams we attract is vital,” he said.
“At its core, the Super Cup is about developing and nurturing young players through their passion for the game.”
Mr Leonard highlighted the growing excitement building not just in Coleraine, but right across Northern Ireland as the event draws near — both among the players and the thousands of supporters attending matches.
“There’s a real buzz in the lead-up to the tournament, and we’re expecting over 55,000 fans to attend this year’s matches,” he said.
“The whole of Northern Ireland really gets behind it and it’s something the community here takes immense pride in.”
“This year, we’re delighted to welcome back major clubs such as Manchester United, Leeds United, and Tottenham Hotspur.”
“Watching young local players test themselves against players who are billed as the future stars of these elite teams — that’s exactly what the Super Cup is all about.”
Tigres UANL is a Mexican professional football club based in the Monterrey area.
Fernanda Vasquez and Dante Delgado have really enjoyed their time in Northern Ireland so far and are looking forward to an exciting week of football.
“The team is ready and we are really happy to be here,” Fernanda said.
Dante said the competition is all about developing as a team, but admits winning games would also be a bonus.
He said the team has put in a huge amount of work and are hoping to put in a good account of themselves.
Aljazira FC have travelled over from the United Arab Emirates.
Coach Sam Manoochehri, who is originally from England but now works in the UAE, said the team have been very excited to travel to Northern Ireland and compete against top teams from across the globe.
“The weather is obviously very different from the UAE, so that is definitely going to be a test for these players.”
“I know this tournament very well, obviously when it was the Milk Cup, so many great players have played here before and we are very excited for our own players to experience that themselves.”
“This tournament is about team building in pre-season and also about taking these players to the next stage of their development, moving up the age groups.”
