The Valencia Cup Girls 2025 is inaugurated before 1,700 people at the Luis Puig
The opening ceremony of the international women's youth football tournament welcomes the nearly 40 participating teams from five countries, amid performances and an exciting match between the Referentes by Teika and the Arrels team
The opening ceremony of the fifth edition of the Valencia Cup Girls was held this Thursday, April 17, in front of 1,700 people at the Palau Velodrome Luis Puig. The welcoming ceremony for the teams participating in the international youth soccer tournament, which will run until Sunday, April 20, with the finals, began with a parade of the 36 registered teams and 700 players from five countries: the United States, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, England, and Spain. All of them were supported by their technical teams, family, and friends, as well as Valencian public institutions and Teika, which supports the Referentes match. On this occasion, they also supported the Arrels team, made up of players from clubs and/or towns affected by the Dana disaster on October 29, 2024.
In a privileged setting for sports in Valencia, such as the Luis Puig Stadium, after the parade of all the teams and the seven hundred players who will compete in the U12 (F8), U14, U16, and U19 categories, and after the respective thanks to the public institutions and sponsors, and the presentation of the official tournament app (TOURSPORT RESULTS APP), the first performance of the evening took place with the dance group 'Las Treasure'.
The manager of the Valencia Municipal Sports Foundation, Mariángeles Vidal, welcomed all the participants and delegations with a few words: "Welcome to all the players, coaching staff, families, and companions to this fifth edition of the Valencia Cup Girls. It is a pleasure for the city of Valencia to host this tournament and to host the matches that will be played over the next few days. From this opening ceremony at the Puig Puig Velodrome Palace to all the municipal fields where the tournament will be played, we are sure that you will enjoy some great days in Valencia. You are all welcome. And for those of you who are coming from outside Spain and are unfamiliar with the city, from the United States, England, Norway, or the Republic of Ireland, we hope you feel at home."
A key moment of the evening came with the presentation of the fourth edition of the Partido de las Referentes by Teika, which will take place next Saturday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m., at the Serranos field. Pioneers and icons of Valencian football will compete in the traditional and essential exhibition match as a show of support for those players who began to move the wheel, and continued through various generations, in Valencian and Spanish women's football.
"Teika is proud to collaborate, once again, in this fifth edition of the Valencia Cup Girls tournament, a competition that is not only an international women's football tournament but is also a great opportunity to continue raising the profile of women's football, showcase the players' talent, and create role models for children. Once again this year, Teika is sponsoring the Referentes team, those veteran players who started the journey and who have paved the way for a tournament like this to be held today," said Begoña Cano, Head of Communications and Sports Sponsorship at Teika. In this context, on Saturday, tributes will be paid to some of the key figures in the history of Valencian women's football, such as Dolores Escamilla, Pepe Ibáñez, and Paco Polit, whose families will pay tribute to them, as well as Antonio Descalzo and Pedro Malabia.
The second performance of the opening ceremony, by Dúo Ángeles, preceded one of the most emotional moments of this opening of the Valencia Cup Girls. It was time to pay tribute to the Arrels team, a group of players from clubs and/or towns affected by COVID-19. With the permission of their respective organizations, they are part of a group that will compete in the U-19 category, which will debut on Friday, April 18, at 12:00 p.m., at the Puente de la Exposición field against the English team from the Steven Gerrard Academy. This emotional moment concluded with the entire audience standing in tribute to the affected areas, while Nino Bravo's "Mi tierra" played. The Arrels footballers come from towns such as Paiporta, Aldaia, Carcaixent, Alzira, Paterna, Vilamarxant, Corbera, Paterna, Manises, Alginet or La Torre (Valencia), and come from clubs such as E1 Paiporta, Paiporta CF, UD Aldaia, Discóbolo de La Torre, CDFB L'Eliana, CD Pedralba, UD Alzira, Inter de Xàtiva, Silla CF or the Feme Castellón futsal team.
The players who will be part of the team are
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