Messi Cup 2026: River, Boca and Newell’s play in Miami from Sunday

What starts and when

The 2026 Messi Cup will be played in Miami, United States, from Sunday, October 25 to Sunday, November 1, with River Plate, Boca Juniors and Newell’s Old Boys among the 16 participating clubs, according to the tournament’s official information and Lionel Messi’s official website.

The competition is an Under-16 tournament and will feature 48 matches. The group stage is scheduled for October 25 to 27, followed by knockout rounds from October 28 to 31, with the final set for November 1.

The Argentine clubs on matchday one

River open their campaign on Sunday, October 25 against Chelsea at IMCF Stadium. The official schedule lists that match for 7:05 p.m. ET, Miami time. The Buenos Aires club are in Group A with Chelsea, Ajax and Inter.

Boca Juniors will also play on Sunday, October 25, making their debut against Manchester City at 4:30 p.m. ET on Field 6. Newell’s Old Boys are scheduled at the same time against Arsenal on Field 4. These times come from the fixture published by the organizers.

River defend a youth title

River’s place in the tournament carries an extra note: the official Messi Cup site lists the club as the 2025 champion. That makes River the defending champion in this edition.

The official format places teams into groups and then into two brackets: first- and second-place teams move into the Gold Cup, for places 1 to 8, while third- and fourth-place teams enter the Silver Cup, for places 9 to 16.

Why it matters for Argentine football

For Argentine readers, the concrete draw is the early meeting of three clubs from the country with international opponents in a youth competition associated with Lionel Messi. The 2026 edition expanded from 8 to 16 teams, according to Messi’s official website.

In addition to River, Boca and Newell’s, the participant list published by Lionel Messi’s website includes Inter Miami CF, Ajax, Inter, Atlético de Madrid, Benfica, Barcelona, Palmeiras, Arsenal, Flamengo, UE Cornellà, Manchester City, Independiente del Valle and Chelsea.