Football
St. Xavier’s Calcutta to face Atlético, Real Madrid, Juventus
Becomes first Indian youth team to make historic MADCUP 2025 debut in Madrid
Father Principal and Vice Principal with team. (Photo credit: Special Arrangement)
St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, Calcutta, has become the first-ever Indian youth team to officially participate in the MADCUP Football Tournament 2025, fifth edition of the world’s largest federated international tournament for grassroots football.
The tournament is set to take place in Spain, from June 20 onwards and will be hosted across 32 sporting facilities in Madrid including the Atlético de Madrid Sports Centre, Ciudad Deportiva del Real Madrid, and Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas.
A significant moment for Indian youth football on the global stage. The young Kolkata side will test their mettle against youth teams from some of the biggest names in world football, including Real Madrid CF, Atlético de Madrid, Juventus FC, Sevilla FC, CA River Plate, Valencia CF, CD Leganés, and other leading global academies from approximately 40 countries across five continents.
In the opening group game, India will face host club Atlético de Madrid. They are also slated to compete against SO Caillolais, an associate club of Olympique Marseille. This participation continues St. Xavier’s long-standing football legacy, which includes competing in historic Indian tournaments like the Durand Cup and IFA Shield before India’s independence.
Speaking about the team’s participation, Senior Teacher, Farino Torcato, said: “St. Xavier's Collegiate School, Kolkata, India participating in the MadCup 2025 is not only the creation of history for our school but for Indian youth football itself. I am not thinking of winning the tournament or something like that but yes, we Xavierians are on a mission to show the world we also know and play football and will leave no stone unturned in making our school, city, state and country proud.”
Organized by Atlético de Madrid, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the Government of the Community of Madrid, and UN Tourism, the tournament draws nearly 250,000 spectators and provides invaluable exposure, including access to advanced football technologies.
