2025 Budget Energy SuperCupNI – Mid & East Antrim gears up for a week of world-class youth football!

Pictured with the Mayor are Michael Willis, Director of the Budget Energy SuperCupNI, and County Antrim Junior Squad members Noah Henderson, Noah Stewart and Jack Leighton.

Mid and East Antrim is set to become a hotspot of international youth football talent this summer as it welcomes the 2025 Budget Energy SuperCupNI, one of the most prestigious tournaments of its kind worldwide.

The Borough will play host to key fixtures at Kells and Broughshane, providing the setting for an exciting week of elite group and knockout stage matches in the Boys’ Premier, Junior and Minor Sections.

Kicking off on Sunday 27 July with a spectacular Opening Parade and Ceremony, the tournament will run through to Friday 1 August, drawing more than 55,000 spectators and featuring over 62 teams from across the UK, Ireland, Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.

Among this year’s standout entrants are elite academies from Manchester United, Rangers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Celtic, Leeds United, West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth, Kilmarnock, and Blackburn Rovers, alongside international challengers from Mexico, Japan, the USA and the UAE.

Local talent will also shine as top Northern Irish clubs including Crusaders, Cliftonville, Larne, Linfield, Coleraine, Glenavon, Ballymena United and Shankill Juniors, as well as county representative sides, join the line-up.

Pictured with the Mayor are County Antrim Junior Squad members Noah Henderson, Noah Stewart and Jack Leighton.

Mayor of Mid & East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, hailed the tournament as a source of civic pride and a driver of community and economic benefits.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome teams from across Northern Ireland and around the world to Mid and East Antrim for this year’s Budget Energy SuperCupNI,” he said.

“Hosting matches in such a prestigious international tournament is a tremendous honour and a powerful endorsement of the calibre of facilities, support and welcome we provide.

“This event is about more than football. It is about inspiring the next generation of young athletes, creating lifelong memories for players and supporters and showcasing Mid and East Antrim as a dynamic, community-driven place to live, visit and invest.”

The economic and social impact of the event, he noted, is substantial.

“The tournament brings a real sense of pride and togetherness across our Borough. From increased footfall for local businesses to the opportunity for homegrown players to share the stage with international talent, the impact is far-reaching and long lasting.”

Pictured with the Mayor are County Antrim Junior Squad members Noah Henderson, Noah Stewart and Jack Leighton.

Chairperson of the tournament, Victor Leonard, echoed the sentiment.

“We are pleased to once again bring top-class international youth football to Mid and East Antrim as part of the 2025 Budget Energy SuperCupNI,” he said.

“Kells and Broughshane have established themselves as trusted venues that consistently deliver competitive fixtures, memorable moments and a warm welcome for teams and supporters from around the world. This helps us uphold the high standards the tournament is known for and contributes to the wider positive impact the Budget Energy SuperCupNI brings to local communities.”

The tournament is backed by an impressive roster of partners, including Budget Energy (headline partner), 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.

To follow the action, view fixtures, or purchase tickets, visit the official tournament website: www.supercupni.com