The Madrid Football Cup Alevín opened its fifth edition at the MARCA headquarters in Paracuellos de Jarama, bringing together the most prestigious youth teams in Spain and international teams. Among the participants were Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Porto, Rayo Vallecano and teams from England, Norway, Romania and South Africa, underlining the competitive nature and diversity of the tournament.
The director of MARCA, Juan Ignacio Gallardo, highlighted the importance of youth training, remembering that future achievements are born at the base. “We are in charge of telling the successes of the elite, but we do not like to neglect the base because that is where the pyramid begins,” he stated, emphasizing the publication's commitment to the development of young talents. This vision aligns with the philosophy of the tournament, which has seen numerous players advance to higher categories throughout its five editions.
Chema Romero, tournament director, explained that the junior format constitutes the first step of a project that follows the players through various stages of growth. "Paracuellos is the last year they do seven-a-side football. Then comes the children's tournament, this year we will also incorporate a cadet during Holy Week and a youth in preseason," he said. Romero stressed the objective of “taking care of the base and monitoring that progression,” citing players who are already in higher categories after participating in previous editions.
One of the distinctive features of the championship is the absence of individual awards. Instead of awarding an MVP, top scorer or best goalkeeper, the organization rewards collective work, fair play and the work of the technical staff. “We want to reward collective work, good defensive work, fair play or the work of the entire technical staff,” explained Romero, highlighting the relevance of these values in a category where training surpasses results.
The sporting level remains high thanks to the participation of the large national quarries and the presence of the municipality's host clubs: Sport Paracuellos, Colegio Miramadrid and Paracuellos MX. Teams such as Porto and Valladolid compete alongside them, making the event one of the reference tournaments on the national grassroots football calendar.
The mayor of Paracuellos de Jarama, Jesús Muñoz, described the competition as the “most beautiful sporting event we have” and recalled that, although it should be the seventh edition, the fact of continuing to celebrate the fifth is still a source of pride. “It is probably the most beautiful sporting event we have in Paracuellos,” he said, while evoking the excitement of the young people who, in previous editions, ran to the locker rooms to ask for autographs from their future teammates from European youth teams. With the next phase just a few days away, the tournament promises to continue being a showcase of future promises and, as Gallardo concluded, a dream that could take one of those children to a World Cup.