Federation Cup 2026 Set to Showcase Sri Lanka’s Future Football Stars

Colombo — The Racecourse International Football Grounds in Colombo is set to host the third edition of the Federation Cup 2026, one of the leading youth football tournaments showcasing Sri Lanka’s emerging young football talent.

Organised by the Manchester Soccer Academy (MSA) with the support of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), the tournament is scheduled to be held on October 3 and 4, 2026.

This year’s tournament will feature 44 teams from 24 football academies, with 22 teams competing in the Under-14 (U-14) category and another 22 teams in the Under-16 (U-16) category.

With a larger number of teams and matches than in previous editions, the tournament will provide young players with valuable opportunities to gain competitive experience at a higher level and showcase their footballing abilities.

Aim of Developing Players for the National Team

Speaking about the tournament, Manchester Soccer Academy Chairman and Head Coach Joseph Augustine said the academy, which has been operating since 2017, aims to identify talented young players from across the country, develop their abilities and ultimately help them reach a level where they can represent the Sri Lankan national team.

He said providing young players with proper guidance, a competitive environment and opportunities to compete would help them develop into players capable of representing Sri Lanka at international level in the future.

FFSL President Jaswar Umar also highlighted the importance of grassroots-level tournaments and expressed the federation’s commitment to working with football academies to further develop youth football in Sri Lanka.

Live Coverage and Special Awards

At the previous Federation Cup, Brilliant Football Academy won the U-12 championship, while Manchester Soccer Academy secured both the U-14 and U-16 titles.

All matches of this year’s tournament are scheduled to be broadcast live, allowing parents, supporters and football fans to follow the action from anywhere.

Special awards will also be presented to outstanding players and teams, including:

• Champions and runners-up

• Best Player

• Golden Boot

• Best Goalkeeper

• Fair Play Team

• Emerging Talent Award

Under the theme, “Let’s give our young players the field. Let’s give them the opportunity to compete. Let them dream,” all arrangements have been made to stage Federation Cup 2026 with a strong focus on providing opportunities for the next generation of Sri Lankan football talent.