China (Shanghai) International Youth Football Invitational 2019 will be held during July 8th and July 14th in Shanghai. 16 U17 men school football teams at home and abroad will participate in the event. Since it was successfully held in 2015, the event has entered its fifth year, having a positive impact on the development of youth school football in both Shanghai and China, and demonstrating an active, healthy, and hardworking image of the youths.

Hosted by Ministry of Education, All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and organized by Leading Group Office of National Youth Campus Football, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau, Shanghai Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and China School Sports Federation, this year’s event will continue to adhere to the idea of “Celebrate Youthful Vitality for the Realization of Our Dreams”. The opening ceremony will be held on July 8th in Shanghai Caoyang No.2 High School, and the closing ceremony on the evening of July 14th in Junior Middle School Affiliated to No.2 High School of East China Normal University, following the China (Shanghai) International Youth Football Invitational Summit 2019 in the afternoon, of which the theme is “Tradition, Integration, and Preparation”.

Among the 16 teams participating in this year’s event, six are foreign teams, respectively from France, Spain, Belgium, Australia, Peru, and Cameroon. The ten domestic teams include the Chinese High School Football National Team organized by the National Campus Football Office and nine local teams from Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province, Anhui Province, Henan Province, Hunan Province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Shanghai, the host city (three teams). The event will be held in four sub-areas: Putuo District, Minhang District, Qingpu District, and Yangpu District, and the 32 matches will take place in Qingpu Campus of High School Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai Caoyang No.2 High School, Junior Middle School Affiliated to No.2 High School of East China Normal University, and No.1 High School Affiliated to Tongji University. The opening match will be held in Shanghai Caoyang No.2 High School, and the final in Junior Middle School Affiliated to No.2 High School of East China Normal University.

To add cultural vibes to the event, while guaranteeing the quality organization of the matches, the Organizing Committee will carry out activities including the photography competition of “Wonderful Youth Football Competition”, the selection of the Image Ambassador of the Youth Football Invitational, and the experience of the traditional Chinese culture, in order to strengthen the publicity of the event and promote communication between cultures. Exchange matches and seminars with Shanghai Youth Campus Football Elite Training Camp will be organized to promote interaction between and common development of foreign and domestic youth football players and coaches, and to enable more teachers and students in Shanghai to enjoy top international youth football matches and feel the charm of the sport at home.