After three years away, the CEE Cup has returned for 2022, with the prestigious international showcase of talents set to get under way on July 22.
Top young players from across the world will get the opportunity to prove their abilities in front of specialised coaches and scouts, as well as fans watching online around the globe.
What is the CEE Cup?
The CEE Cup is an Under-19s tournament that is held in Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, with the 2022 edition the tenth running of the competition.
The tournament pits domestic sides Slavia Prague and Sparta Prague up against some of the most promising youth sides from around the globe, in what is an opportunity to test themselves against some of world football's top young talents.
Players suchs as Everton winger Anthony Gordon, West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek, Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee and new Bayer Leverkusen signing Adam Hlozek have previously shone at the tournament before going on to thrive at senior level.
And there are a host of potential superstars set to be on show in 2022, with six teams from around the globe taking part.
Which teams are playing in the 2022 CEE Cup?
This year's tournament will feature top clubs from around the world in addition to the traditional domestic teams of Sparta and Slavia.
Aston Villa will participate in the competition for the first time, while Dynamo Kyiv are returning despite the difficulties facing the club amid the war in Ukraine.
Palmeiras are another side who have history at the competition, while Mexican out Tigres will be joining them in travelling over the Atlantic to participate.
How does the CEE Cup work?
The six participating teams are split into two groups. Each team will face off against the other two sides in their respective groups to determine a first, second and third-place finish.
After the group stage, the teams will enter their finals games, where the two sides who topped their groups will face off to determine the champions of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the two teams that placed second will compete in a third-place play-off, and the two sides that finished bottom of their groups will face off to determine the fifth-placed finisher in the tournament.
CEE Cup 2022 Group A table
Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GD | Points |
Palmeiras | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 |
Sparta Prague | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3 |
Tigres | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -10 | 0 |
Group A Fixtures & results
Date & time (All times BST) | Fixture |
July 22, 2pm | Sparta Prague 4-0 Tigres |
July 23, 2pm | Palmeiras 7-1 Tigres |
July 24, 2pm | Sparta Prague 0-5 Palmeiras |
CEE Cup 2022 Group B table
Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GD | Points |
Slavia Prague | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Dynamo Kyiv | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Aston Villa | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
Group B fixtures & results
Date and time (All times BST) | Fixture |
July 22, 4:30pm | Slavia Prague 2-1 Aston Villa |
July 23, 4:30pm | Dynamo Kyiv 1-0 Aston Villa |
July 24, 4:30pm | Slavia Prague 2-2 Dynamo Kyiv |
CEE Cup 2022 finals
Match | Date and time (All times BST) | Fixture |
Fifth-place play-off | July 26, 8:00am | Tigres 2-1 Aston Villa |
Third-place play-off | July 26, 10:15am | Sparta Prague 1-1 Dynamo Kyiv (Kyiv won 4-3 on penalties) |
Final | July 26, 5:00pm | Palmeiras 2-1 Slavia Prague |
